Most people believe every bug on their mattress is a bed bug, but what else could it be?
However, it has experienced a phenomenal rebirth in the last decade.
Thebat bagis most usually mistaken for a bed bug.
These bloodsuckers are related to bed bugs, except they prefer to eat bat blood.
To the naked eye, bat bugs and bed bugs seem remarkably identical.
Knowing what to look for so that properly identify a bed bug is beneficial.
Color, shape, and size are all characteristics that can help you distinguish bed bugs from other insects.
The size of bed bugs varies according to their life stage and age.
Related:How Big is a Bed Bug?
After a blood meal, engorged bed bugs turn a reddish-brown color.
When nymphs (baby bed bugs) hatch, they are practically colorless and turn brownish as they age.
Bat bags have similar colouration.
They are typically dark brown or red after feeding.
Related:What Do Bed Bug Eggs Look Like?
and How To Kill Them
Number of legs
Insects such as bed bugs and bat bugs exist.
As with all insects, they have six legs and two antennae.
This makes it easier to tell them apart from adult mites and arachnids.
Bed bugs, unlike other insects such as wasps and ants, do not have three different body parts.
The thorax of a bat bug has longer fringe hairs than the bed bug.
Host Preference
The carbon dioxide generated by their hosts attracts bed bugs.
As a result, they prefer to eat naked flesh that is exposed while sleeping at night.
Bed bugs prefer to feed on people, but they will also feed on other warm-blooded hosts.
Bedbugs are active at night, with feeding activity peaking after midnight.
When the victim is idle or sleeping, bed bugs feed on blood once every 12 weeks.
Bats (Cimex adjunctus) are the principal hosts of bat bugs.
If their usual host is unavailable, they will occasionally feed on people.
Bat bugs, like the bed bug, have never proved to transfer disease-causing infections to humans.
Their bites, on the other hand, are frequently undetectable at the moment.
The heat, wetness, and carbon dioxide released by their chosen hosts attract bed bugs.
They feed every three to four days, and each feeding takes between five and fifteen minutes.
Bed bugs can go months without eating and remain dormant until they locate a new host.
However, bat bugs usually feed every 5 to 10 days or once a week if theres food available.
Habitat
Infestations of bed bugs are most common at or around sleeping areas.
When bed bug populations grow large, they will be seen dispersing across the room.
Bed bugs can move from one room to another through wall openings where plumbing and electrical wirings pass through.
Bat bugs are most commonly seen in the gaps and surfaces where bats roost.
Bat bugs, like bed bugs, will take up residence in peoples homes once theyve found a host.
Disease
Bed bugs arent known to be disease carriers.
Bed bugs can be inconvenient since they can cause skin itch and disrupt sleep.
Each person is affected differently by a bad insect bite.
Bed bugs are rarely deadly, but an allergic reaction to multiple bites may necessitate medical treatment.
Bat bugs, like bed bugs, do not transmit diseases to humans when they bite.
That does not, however, imply that their bites are pleasant.
Furthermore, bat bugs indicate the presence of or the absence of bats.
Where do they live?
Another significant distinction between these two bugs is their habitat or dwelling.
Bat bugs can be seen on walls and ceilings.
However, they normally stay in close proximity to the source of their food.
How Do They Spread?
Bed bugs and bat bugs dont have wings so they must rely on crawling to go about.
In other circumstances, this means that infections will spread slowly.
They can, however, migrate through walls, floor and ceiling holes, and on pipes.
Using their extended beak, they can suck blood by piercing the skin.
They eat for several minutes and crawl away from the host unnoticed.
The majority of bedbug bites are harmless at first, but develop into unpleasant welts later.
In addition, unlike flea bites, the bites do not have a red area in the center.
People can be bitten without realizing it.
Some can have mild reactions to the bite, while others have more serious reactions like hives.
Scratching the bite might cause it to become infected, which can lead to more serious health problems.
Bats will be attracted to any gaps or holes in your walls, so seal them up.
You may have heard that rubbing alcohol can be used to kill bed bugs and bat bugs.
On contact, rubbing alcohol will destroy these parasites.
However, spraying the ones you cant see is difficult, and the surviving will continue to reproduce.
Diatomaceous earth is a natural material that can kill bugs by drying out their exoskeletons.
Even this, though, is a temporary solution.
Because bat bugs favor bats, eliminating the bat problem in your attic usually eliminates their parasites as well.
Its also less difficult to eradicate bat bugs with a single treatment.
Bed bugs, on the other hand, prefer human hosts and are a more problematic case.
Bed bugs are difficult to spot since they are little, superb hiders, and nocturnal feeders.
Because they are so tenacious and proliferate so quickly, professional extermination is the best option.
A skilled specialist can analyze the problem and decide whether their home is infested with bats or bed bugs.
Theres a good possibility youre dealing with bat bugs if you see bats roosting in or around your home.
Even if the bats leave, the bat bugs will still remain as a pest in your home.
Its been established that bat bugs are actual insects that people could come across in their home or business.
But can they get diseases from bat bugs?
And can they infest their home?
Here are some important facts about bat bugs that everybody should know.
Related:How To Make Homemade Bed Bug Spray With Essential Oils
FAQs
1.
Are bat bugs dangerous?
Bat bugs can sound scary if you dont have knowledge about them and their origin.
However, this insect is not dangerous.
When bat bugs cant find bats to feed on, they will turn to other animals and even humans.
Even so, they do not constitute a health risk or transmit infections.
The most typical symptom of a bat bug infestation is the pests itchy bites.
Can bat bugs bite humans?
As mentioned previously, bat bugs feed mainly on bats but this isnt always the case.
Bat bugs are most typically found in the roosts of bats, which are their major hosts.
The host animals prefer to live in voids, cavities, and dark locations such as attics and cellars.
How do you know if you have bat bugs?
Bat bugs prefer to hide in regions where bats roost higher than the ground level.
They will not stay around beds or in other places where bed bugs are commonly found.
As a result, discovering or detecting them can be challenging at times.
Then, before its too late, schedule treatment as quickly as possible.
Do bat bugs come out during the day?
They are not true nocturnal creatures.
During the day, bat bugs will emerge.
Can bat bugs survive without bats?
Bat bugs can survive without their primary host because its not the only thing they feed on.
Bat bugs are ectoparasites that are closely related to bed bugs.
Do bat bugs lay eggs?
To mature and lay eggs, female bat bugs require a blood meal.
Bat bugs conceal themselves by laying their eggs in crevices and on rough surfaces.
The nymphs hatch after one to two weeks and are ready to feed.
To moult and grow, young bat bugs require food.
Adults can go for up to a year or more without eating blood, depending on the circumstances.
Bat bugs can reproduce with speed.
A small colony can produce several generations in a single year and can create major infestations.
Bat bugs may lay a large number of eggs in a short amount of time and thrive.
As a result, if left uncontrolled, the cost and duration of therapies will skyrocket over time.
Finally, ensure your customers are aware of their treatment expectations.
A professional pest control agency should be hired to deal with any bat bug or bat problem.
