Pest Control Blogs

Wingate Pest & Lawn specializes in comprehensive lawn care and pest control services tailored to meet your needs. From routine maintenance to specialty pest control, we've got you covered. Visit our lawn page and learn from our blogs for more lawn maintenance and pest identification tips. Contact our lawn and pest control professionals in Columbia, MO today for a free inspection and estimate.

Bugs That Look Like Bed Bugs

September 10, 2022

bedbugs

Bed bugs can find their way onto your furniture, clothes, or belongings from anywhere outside of your home. They are easily transferable between people and places, which makes any home susceptible to infestation. An inspection should be scheduled at the first sighting of a bed bug or their bite to ensure the infestation does not continue to grow. If necessary, they may also proceed to eliminate bed bugs in your home.

Still, some insects that wind up on your mattress are mere bed bug look-alikes. Here are some common ones:

Cockroaches

Cockroach nymphs and adolescent cockroaches have the same size and color as bed bugs. Their only difference is that cockroaches have narrower bodies and longer antennas. Although cockroaches don’t bite like bed bugs, they do pose a health risk and should be treated by professionals.

Carpet Beetles

These have black or brown shells and oval-shaped bodies similar to bed bugs. Since beetles have wings, you can distinguish them from bed bugs when you spot them flying. Carpet beetles are generally harmless to humans, but they feed on natural fibers, which puts your carpets and wool sweaters in danger.

Booklice

This insect is often mistaken as a bed bug nymph. Booklice may be white, gray, or brown and are as small as bed bug nymphs, so it’s easy to confuse them. They thrive in warm, humid environments to consume microscopic mold and don’t pose any significant threat to human health. 

Bat Bugs

Out of all the bugs that look like bed bugs, bat bugs resemble them the most. They have almost the exact same features—size, shape, antennas, legs—and only slightly differ in color. Bat bugs may bite, but only if bats aren’t around, which are their primary food source. Eliminating bats around the property would be the best way to eliminate these. Call for a free animal inspection!

Get Guaranteed Bed Bug Elimination Services

Learning about some bugs similar to bed bugs will help you determine the correct pest removal process in case you encounter them at home. Talk to an expert if you need help identifying pests or removing bed bugs in your home. Contact us at Wingate Pest & Lawn for guaranteed elimination.