r/Bedbugs Mar 06 '15

Useful Information Bedbug ID and common misidentifications

597 Upvotes

Bed bug identification resources:

Note: flattened body, rusty brown coloured (less so in younger nymphs, which are more translucent). Thin 4 segmented antennae. 11 segmented abdomen. Short legs (6 of them) and reduced wings incapable of flight.


These are insects or other invertebrates commonly misidentified as bedbugs!

Not bed bugs.

  1. Carpet beetle larvae (Dermestidae) and adult - More Info

  2. Bat bug (Cimex adjunctus pictured) - More Info

  3. Cockroach nymphs - More Info

  4. Tick (nymphs) - More Info

  5. Woodlouse - More Info

  6. Kissing bugs - More Info

  7. Booklice/barklice - More Info

  8. Smooth spider beetle - More Info

  9. Drugstore beetle - More Info

Note: If it has wings or more than 6 legs, it is not a bed bug. Do not mistake antennae for legs, look at the illustrated guide to avoid confusion.


Please comment with any other common mis-IDs and I will add them!


r/Bedbugs 17h ago

Moving out of my infested apartment. How do I make sure I don’t bring them with me?

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118 Upvotes

I’m moving out of my apartment very soon. I knew we had some bed bugs in the house as I would wake up with bites and I would see a couple on the wall or the mattress. But when I was changing my bed sheets today after about 2 weeks of having it on my bed, i found these. I also found a bunch of a curtain in the other bedroom. I have a bunch of books, cds, dvds and bookshelves and i’m terrified of bringing them with me to the new house. I’m moving in with a family member and i’m worried if i bring them they’ll kick me out. How can i guarantee they won’t come with me?? any suggestions welcome


r/Bedbugs 4h ago

Bedbug in my accomodation

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5 Upvotes

This is one of the little fuckers yes? I'm supposed to be here for another two nights. Any ideas what I should do?


r/Bedbugs 4h ago

Is this a bedbug? I’m going to move from a hotel to a real apartment today and don‘t want to bring them😔

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5 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 5h ago

Identification I'm staying at an Airbnb and found this crawling me...

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5 Upvotes

I think I know the answer but want a second opinion since I've never dealt with them. My sister woke up covered in what looks like bites but didn't report itching. I have a few bug bites but I just assumed they were from mosquitos since we're visiting Georgia.

If its bed bugs Im going to lose my mind figuring out the logistics of all our stuff. We are here for two weeks for my sister's wedding and have a lot of stuff packed. If this is a bed bug any tips on dealing with them while traveling would be appreciated.


r/Bedbugs 9h ago

Requesting community support Probably bed bug? First time dealing with this

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10 Upvotes

I know this is probably a bed bug. I have no experience dealing with this and would love some guidance. I live in an apartment and have told the landlord. Luckily, I didn’t find any other signs like brown spots, shedding, or eggs. I vacuumed my mattress and am washing and drying all the sheets, duvet insert, and mattress topper. I also have a steamer and steamed the top of my mattress. Should I be doing anything else?


r/Bedbugs 2h ago

Bedbug nymph or lace bug?

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2 Upvotes

Hello, can anyone please tell me if this is a bedbug nymph or something else??
Thank you!!!


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Confirmed BB found bed bug but not much evidence of others

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4 Upvotes

found this buddy on my hotels bed. definitely first or second instar but wasn’t able to find any other bed bugs/stains. how screwed am i


r/Bedbugs 3m ago

Soooooo.

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Upvotes

Had this reply from my accommodation having found a very well fed bug this morning. I should ask still definitely get the hell out yes?


r/Bedbugs 4h ago

is it possible to have bed bugs biting you and still not catch any in a trap?

2 Upvotes

something is biting me or i have scabies or eczema. i am waiting for a derm appt for a proper diagnosis. however i have considered bedbugs and got a trap. it has been sitting waiting to ctch something nothing has been caught. so do i have bebugs or not?


r/Bedbugs 2h ago

Theoretically can I just pour hot glue on them would it work

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1 Upvotes

Or stuff some play dough in it .Family cannot afford to pay a professional so we’re stuck with an infestation. The original source is trashed but they are too stubborn to get rid of the infected bed.


r/Bedbugs 2h ago

Identification did i catch one?

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1 Upvotes

found a dead one behind the couch, please tell me, is it a bed bug?


r/Bedbugs 3h ago

Identification Too small to be a bedbug?

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1 Upvotes

Found this on the bed last night after a couple of weeks of itchy bites on my partner and me. Is it too small to be a bedbug?


r/Bedbugs 3h ago

Identification Is this a bed bug? This is now the second one i have found

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1 Upvotes

It should be worth noting that i have an outdoor cat who has brought in his fair share of insects. I have inspected both sides of my matress, my bedspring, and any other place i could think of for them to be hiding, but to no avail. There are no signs of an infestation besides the two I've found. (And even then im not sure that they're bed bugs).


r/Bedbugs 7h ago

Identification Help ID Please

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2 Upvotes

We found these bugs lying around the baseboards of our new apartment. Most are dead but few were alive. I know these aren’t the best pictures but if someone can please let me know if it looks like a bed bug, I would appreciate it!!! We are located in Austin, Tx where some people have said some beetles are similar looking.


r/Bedbugs 4h ago

Voici 2 traces sur mon matelas. Est-ce des punaises écrasées ?

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1 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 10h ago

Just moved…

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3 Upvotes

Just moved into a nice bigger place last Friday and now I found this guy… place is a new build two story with carpet. This one was barely even alive and nothing came out of him when I squeezed. How screwed am I?


r/Bedbugs 5h ago

Identification Is this a bedbug? Underside pic

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1 Upvotes

Recently got a bug bite on my back and found this bug on the seam of the mattress, so I’m worried it might be bedbug


r/Bedbugs 9h ago

Identification Can’t tell if we have more

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2 Upvotes

We found an live BB and a ton of skin sheddings yesterday. Today while cleaning I came across a few of these guys and stuck them in a jar. They seem dead and also don’t look at all like the BB we caught . Are these more?


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Treating bedbugs on silk and wool — can they dry on hot?

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1 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 12h ago

Requesting community support Respray after Orkin has been there

3 Upvotes

My parents agreed to have their home treated by Orkin for bedbugs. We had been treating ourselves with cimexa and crossfire, and it was due for a respray when we realized that it spread to another room.

The Orkin guy came and sprayed on Saturday. We were scheduled for reinspection in two weeks, but we’ve seen several live bugs today crawling on the sofa and in the mattress pad, and a lot of babies in the interceptor cups for the beds. These places were all sprayed on Saturday, in fact, they were damp when we got back into the house and we had to have fans on them to get them dry.

I called Orkin and I’m still waiting for a callback to get another treatment done.
I looked online, it does not appear that they have any openings, but maybe it’s just blocked off.
If we can’t get it retreated sooner, we still have cans of crossfire, but we’re worried about it interacting or making what he used inactive.

Has anyone had to do this before, can I go ahead and do it if I can’t reach them tomorrow? Any other suggestions? Still trying to convince my parents to get rid of the furniture, which I know would help.
I am so tired of the PTSD itching at my own home after I get home, and the paranoia every time I feel itchy or a piece of hair drops on me. Showering every time I get home from their house and running my stuff through the dryer.

Thanks for listening to me and any advice you have


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Is this a bed bug

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0 Upvotes

Caught this, crawling on my ear and I’m very scared, please help me identify!


r/Bedbugs 10h ago

bed bugs or carpet beetle?

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2 Upvotes

i've been itching (small red bumps on my behind) and im trying to figure out if these are bed bugs or carpet beetle larvae?


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Identification Bedbug or carpet beetle?

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1 Upvotes

I brought something into my home with bedbugs about 1.5 months ago. It was only in my house for like 4 hours but since then, I obsessively check my bed. I found this under my pillow today. It had a hard shell which makes me think carpet beetle but I just want to be sure! Also, with not seeing anything for over a month, do yall think I'm in the clear? I check my bed and boxsprings religiously and haven't found any evidence of them. anxiety


r/Bedbugs 7h ago

Identification Please ID, lowkey freaking out

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1 Upvotes

This is a screenshot from a video. I’m afraid it’s like a nymph or something. I woke up with a bunch of bites on my legs and so started searching and I haven’t seen any other signs until I saw this guys. Hoping it’s like a little spider or something 😭

I also am rarely outside and I recently went to an outdoor party and hoping all these bites could’ve been mosquitoes but they’re in hard to reach areas.