Do I Have Bed Bugs? Great Question!
Believe it or not, but there are a number of bugs that often get accused of being bed bugs, when in fact they are not. In this article, we will be looking at 7 bugs/insects that can be mistaken as a pesky bed bug to help you to identify and answer the questions ‘Do I Have Bed Bugs’.
Bed Bugs and Other Bugs in North London
Working across North London, covering Enfield and Haringey, we often come across many bugs and insects, not just bed bugs. Finding bed bugs in your home or business can be a very distressing experience and they are notoriously difficult to get rid of. Before taking extreme action, stop for a minute and make sure your unwanted guests are in fact bed bugs. There are a number of other bugs that are commonly mistaken for bed bugs when in fact they are not, and it’s important to know how to recognise bed bugs.
We’ll start this off with a brief description of bed bugs.
Bed bugs are around 4 to 5mm long, red or brown in colour, oval in shape and do not have wings. These parasitic invaders prefer to live in close proximity to humans, particularly in areas where they sleep. They hide in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, furniture, and along walls near beds, and feed exclusively on blood, typically at night when people are asleep. They pierce the skin and withdraw blood through a straw-like mouthpart. Bed bug bites leave behind red, irritating marks on the skin and some people can experience severe allergic reactions.
Signs of an Bed Bug infestation in your North London Home
Bed bug bites can appear in clusters or lines, often on exposed skin while sleeping (arms, legs, shoulders). Bites are itchy welts that may develop a red, raised centre.
Aside from a physical sighting, this would usually be in the form of bites, blood spots on bedding, rusty or black faecal stains on mattresses or furniture and shed skins. They are often seen walking in slow and straight lines.
Other Bugs and Insects that Can Be Confused for a Bed Bug
1 – The Flea
The number one insect to be confused for a bed bug is usually the flea. The flea is a small, wingless insect that is a parasite, feeding on the blood of warm-blooded animals, including humans, dogs, cats and rodents. They are known for their jumping ability and can be a nuisance pest. If an animal is not around or there are a lot of fleas, they will resort to biting humans, usually around the ankles and legs. Fleas can bite and suck blood from their host, causing itching, irritation and allergic reactions. You can usually find small black specks (flea droppings) on pet fur or bedding.
Fleas are comfortable living on pets (dogs, cats, rabbits, etc.) but are able to jump short and long distances (up to 13 inches) onto humans and furniture. They don’t have a permanent home on humans but will bite for a blood meal. Their bites are quick and they don’t stay on the host for long periods. Flea bites are small, red bumps with a dark red centre, often located on the ankles, feet, and lower legs. Bites can be very itchy and may appear in clusters.
Bed bugs are stationary parasites that live near people and feed on their blood at night. Fleas are mobile parasites that live on animals but will bite humans for blood. Both bed bugs and fleas are parasitic pests that can cause itchy bites. However, their preferred hosts and feeding behaviours do differ slightly. It’s important to maintain a regular flea prevention regimen for your pets throughout the year, even if you don’t see signs of fleas.
2- The Australian Spider Beetle
In second place, we have The Australian spider beetle that can get confused for a bed bug. Originally from Tasmania, The Australian spider beetle established itself in the UK around the 19th century. The Australian spider beetle is a small beetle that is a common pest found in stored products and museum collections.
The spider beetle is a small insect ranging between (3-5mm) and can be reddish-brown in colour. However, a fed bed bug may appear a brighter red, while the Australian spider beetle has a wider colour range (reddish-brown to black). From above, both a spider beetle and bed bug have a somewhat oval or oblong body shape. However, bed bugs have a flatter profile, while spider beetles have a rounder body that may appear more elongated. Spider beetles have long, thread-like antennae that are visible from above the body and have six long, thin legs that give them a spider-like appearance.
Australian spider beetles are more likely to be found in pantries, cupboards, or anywhere they can access their preferred food sources. Bed bugs are nocturnal and come out at night to feed. Australian spider beetles are more active during the day, searching for food. Australian spider beetles are attracted to various dry, organic materials like grains, spices, or museum specimens. They do not bite or feed on humans.
3 – Cockroach Nymphs
The third spot goes to cockroach nymphs, believe it or not. Cockroach nymphs are the immature stage of cockroaches. They look very similar to adult cockroaches, just smaller and without wings (until they shed their skin). Cockroach nymphs can easily be mistaken for bed bugs at first glance due to their small size and brownish colour. Both are small, reddish-brown insects that live in hidden spaces. However, to the professional eye there are some key differences that can help you tell them apart.
Similar to bed bugs, cockroach nymphs are relatively small insects, typically ranging from 3-5 mm in length. Cockroach nymphs have various shades of brown, from light brown to reddish-brown, often found in homes, particularly in areas where there’s food and moisture.
The cockroach nymph are not parasitic insects, instead preferring to eat a variety of organic materials like food crumbs, decaying matter, and even glue or paper. The cockroach nymph is more likely to be found in kitchens, bathrooms, or near drains
In fourth place, it is the Common Furniture Beetle that can be confused for a Bed Bug. The adult Common Furniture Beetle can be found in the UK, measuring 2.5mm – 4mm, red to black in colour, similar in colour to the bed bug.
The Common Furniture Beetle is regarded as a wood boring beetle and can be found both indoors and outdoors. The larvae feed by tunnelling through wood, causing damage to structural timbers and furniture. They are also often confused with the Biscuit Beetle in size, colour, and appearance. The Biscuit Beetle AKA ‘Domestic Pantry Pest’ prefers food stores , domestic larders, feeding on cereal products , spices and dried food items, able to penetrate food packaging. They are not considered to be a threat to humans and unlike bed bugs they don’t bite.
5 – Booklice
Coming in at number five in this article is a Booklice that can be confused with a Bed Bug. Psocids, fondly known as booklice, are tiny, soft-bodied insects that, at a distance, can be mistaken for newly hatched bed bugs due to their pale colour and size. Bed bugs and booklice share some superficial similarities that can lead to confusion, but they are very different insects with distinct characteristics.
Booklice are small insects, typically ranging from 1-2 mm in length and light brown or greyish-brown in colour. The Booklice’s body shape has an elongated, oval body with visible antennae.
The booklice will feed on mould, mildew, and decaying organic matter like wallpaper paste or glue. This pest does not usually bite people or pets or cause damage to furniture, however it may cause skin irritation sometimes because of the bacteria it carries on its body. Booklice can be found in damp areas with mould or mildew, such as bathrooms, basements, attics, and around leaky pipes. They may also be present in areas with high humidity, like near books (hence the name) or stored food items. The booklice moves erratically and can jump short distances.
The sixth insect that this article compares to a Bed Bug is a Carpet Beetle. The UK carpet beetle (aka Varied carpet beetle) and bed bugs share some superficial similarities that can lead to confusion, but they are actually quite different insects. The larvae from these beetles, commonly known as “woolly bears” have replaced the clothes moths as the major British textile pest. The carpet beetle can be found in homes, especially in areas with fabrics or potential food sources.
The carpet beetle is typically around 4 mm in length, with an oval-shaped body that has a striped shell of black, white, and yellow or orange. The larvae aka ‘woolly bears’ are small (about 4mm long), covered in brown hairs, and tend to roll up when disturbed.
The carpet beetle primarily feeds on natural fibres like wool, carpets, feathers, and dried pet food. They do not bite humans. They can walk or crawl, but not very fast.
Although carpet beetles and their larvae pose little risk to people, when in close contact the bristly hairs found on carpet beetle larvae can cause skin irritation. When they moult, their dead skin can cause allergic reactions and dermatitis. At times, these skin reactions can be mistaken as bites from bed bugs or fleas.
7 – Mites (Bird & Dust mites)
Although there are other insects that might get confused with a Bed Bug, the seventh and last this article will consider are mites.
Bird Mites
Bird mites are typically microscopic in size, with an adult measuring a mere 1mm. Before feeding, bird mites typically appear whitish, translucent, or greyish-brown when they haven’t fed on blood. After feeding on blood, their bodies become reddish-brown. This is because they ingest the blood of their host, and the blood They have an oval-shaped body and eight legs. If you suspect bird mites, you might notice them crawling on your skin or bedding, especially after sleep. However, their small size makes visual confirmation challenging.
Their bites can cause itchy welts. These can appear as small, red bumps with a dark red centre, often located on exposed skin, especially after sleep (similar to bed bugs). For the most part, a bird mite bite is harmless. Yet, some people might have complications. In the case of intense itching, constantly scratching can break the skin. If bacteria gets underneath your skin, this can lead to a secondary bacterial infection.
Dust mites are translucent or clear to creamy white in colour. They are very small, typically measuring only about 0.5 mm in length, so their light colour makes them difficult to see with the naked eye. You’d generally need a microscope to spot them.These are microscopic mites that live in house dust and feed on dead human skin flakes. Dust mites are difficult to detect directly. Signs of a dust mite infestation include allergy or asthma symptoms that worsen indoors, and possibly seeing tiny white specks on dark fabric. Dust mites don’t bite, but their droppings and body parts can trigger allergic reactions causing itchy skin, runny nose, and sneezing.
Conclusion
There are many pesky insects that can make you itch, but the bug bed is the one that can cause more stress and discomfort as they tend to find a home in your bed. Bed bugs can be very difficult to treat and if the correct treatment is not sought at the right time, any bed bug infestation can become a much bigger problem. Hope this has helped you answer the do I have bed bugs question!
Remember, where there is any suspicion of a bed bug infestation (from one of these look-alikes), consult with a professional pest control service to avoid an infestation getting out of control.
If after all your hard work, and despite all your best efforts, you still continue to experience bites or skin irritations, it is time to call in professional help for a bed bug treatment. Contact us at Sparta Pest Control.
