How to Tell if You Have Bed Bugs or Carpet Beetles
Bed bugs are easily mistaken for carpet beetles. Telling them apart is done easiest by looking at their larvae. Bed bug larvae look like tiny worms, but carpet beetle larvae look like they could be little fuzzy caterpillars.
Bed bugs and carpet beetles can also be told apart by their habits:
- Carpet beetles eat carpets and similar materials like wool.
- Bed bugs live and breed in mattresses or near resting places.
- Bed bugs feed on our blood and leave red, itchy bites behind.
Differences Between Carpet Beetles and Bed Bugs
It’s easy to see a carpet beetle and believe that it is a bed bug, and vice versa. They are both oval-shaped and very small, but those are about all of the characteristics they share. Carpet beetles’ color varies, they have short antennae, and are actually even smaller than bed bugs.
Bed bugs are flat, reddish-brown, and about the size and shape of an apple seed. You can easily see their eyes up close, which is harder with carpet beetles. Their biggest difference is in their larvae: bed bug larvae look like thin worms, while carpet beetles look like tiny caterpillars.
Carpet Beetle – Larvae
Carpet Beetle – Adult
Carpet Beetle – Larvae
Carpet Beetle – Larvae
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Do Bed Bugs and Carpet Beetles Both Bite?
Carpet beetles do not bite, unlike bed bugs. Bed bugs are known for their bites. They find us while we sleep and draw our blood, leaving itchy, red marks all over our exposed skin. Carpet beetles don’t feed on blood, but contact with their larvae can leave people with bumpy, itchy rashes. These symptoms are often mistaken for each other. Whichever you’re dealing with, make sure to seek medical attention for bad cases.
Identifying Carpet Beetles and Bed Bugs in Bristol and Johnson City
These bugs might be similar in their appearance and the symptoms that they cause, but they are quite different in reality. Bed bugs are a much greater threat to homes. If you are having trouble figuring out which pests are in your home, talk to your local pest control company.
How To Tell If You Have Bed Bugs or Carpet Beetles in Bristol TN
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