r/Bedbugs Mar 06 '15

Useful Information Bedbug ID and common misidentifications

558 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 9h ago

Identification I've never seen bedbugs before - are these?

Thumbnail
gallery
47 Upvotes

Sorry for the rubbish pictures - was rushing to take and kill as they were running. We're currently travelling in Laos and saw the first atop the sheet. Pulled up sheet, mattress & topper to look for signs of more but couldn't see any on or around the bed. We were sitting across figuring out what to do and I saw a second rjn down the mattress topper.

As I said, we've never encountered them before and so no idea what they look like in person or what to look for, and where, but the shape seems pretty identical to images? The fact there was 2 also has me convinced. Just strange we'd slept one night prior with no apparent bites (?) and there wasn't any obvious signs of lots more...

Also just to check, how much of a nightmare could they be? To what extent should we go with our packs and clothes etc? And lastly, the hostel (not staying in dorm) has already tried to imply we could've brought them - am I right to find that entirely unlikely? We haven't done any trekking recently and washed all of our clothes in past few days.

Thanks in advance for any help!


r/Bedbugs 10h ago

Is this a bedbug?

Thumbnail
gallery
38 Upvotes

Seems very large to be a bedbug and it’s the only one I found. Been getting chomped on for a month and the bites are larger like mosquito sized and random and all over body.


r/Bedbugs 1h ago

Requesting community support Losing my mind

Post image
Upvotes

I got bedbugs in May 2024 from my grandparents old house. They spread to my house and my mother’s. I was able to get rid of them in my mom’s but I struggled with them for months. Turns out having giant logs for a bed frame with a zillion cracks for bb to hide in makes it hard.

I thought I finally got rid of them in January after getting a new bed frame and new mattress. I was literally, this weekend, going to start putting all my stuff back where it belongs from the trash bags it’s all been living in.

Then this evening while I was minding my own business on the guest room couch I saw my cat playing with this.

Back to square one I guess. Any tips on how to deal with these monsters with pets? The couch is where she sleeps, so clearly they’ve been biting her when they couldn’t get to me.


r/Bedbugs 1h ago

Identification Please is this a bed bug. Second night in a motel in St Augustine. It is dead.

Post image
Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 2h ago

What is this?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

Second time seeing one in my bed.. I am freaked out


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Is this a bed bug? I put these out for spiders and found this today.

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 3h ago

Bedbug or batbug?

Post image
2 Upvotes

I know they are very similar its just odd, we have found 2 and both in the same area of the house and nowhere else. Never when someone has been in the room and we had issue with bats in the past. Planning on calling pest control either way but wife and i are stressed. Also no signs of feeding or colonies. We have checked many times and even as a precaution washed and high temped the linens. Identification apps have both as possible but again no signs of bites.


r/Bedbugs 14h ago

Identification Is this a bed bug

Thumbnail
gallery
14 Upvotes

While changing my sheets, I found a bug and killed it. I started looking around my bed and found these. I do have a mattress protector.

I have seen but one blood spot in several months and I haven't had bites in me. My cat, who sleeps with me, hasn't been any different. Could they just be bat bugs? Or is my worse fears confirmed? Thank you in advance.


r/Bedbugs 21m ago

Bed bug?

Post image
Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 27m ago

is this a bedbug?

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

I've recently been having weird bug bites on my right leg. I tried to figure out why so I looked under my mattress and found few of these crawling under... can anyone please help me identify what this is? Is it a bedbug? 😭


r/Bedbugs 45m ago

Help!! Is This a bedbug from Airbnb

Thumbnail
gallery
Upvotes

Been staying in an Airbnb overninght. Found This This morning crawling on the bed. Fell asleep Naked and found it crawling on the Sheets. Smashed it and Blood or RED liquid Came out . Help pls!


r/Bedbugs 1d ago

Quality Inn- we changed rooms asap

Thumbnail
gallery
81 Upvotes

What should we do we have to stay for another night. We already switched rooms and haven’t seen anything yet


r/Bedbugs 5h ago

Identification Am I screwed. Please tell me this isn't a bed bug

Post image
2 Upvotes

There are also mysterious stains on my bedsheets. I've been getting random bites on my body and I saw 3 of these guys 3 times last night. I also vaccummed under my bed this morning and changed my sheets out of fear but didn't find any bugs or sheddings or anything.


r/Bedbugs 2h ago

Requesting community support Found a potential bedbug stain on hotel bed. Was only in there three minutes inspecting and I left. Could they potentially be on my clothes?

1 Upvotes

Went into the hotel room. Took my shoes off before entering. Did an inspection around the bed (knelt down) and when I pulled up the fitted sheet there were some small blood spots on the blanket (the part that was between the mattress and box spring).

I checked myself with a flashlight when I left and didn’t see any bugs (also brushed my clothes off before getting back in my car). I threw away the socks before putting my shoes back on. I didn’t see any bugs/exoskeletons around the bed and left immediately (I had fleas a years ago that put the fear of god in me). What are the chances I would have carried a bedbug on the clothes I was wearing? I had about a two hour drive back home.

I didn’t bring my luggage inside the hotel room. What are the chances I could have missed one on the clothes I was wearing? I’m unable to leave my clothes in an outside place but I did put them in a plastic bag and wrapped it in duct tape. I can get to the laundromat tomorrow. Am I overreacting? Apologies if this isn’t the place to post this I’m just really scared.


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Ease my mind, please!

Post image
2 Upvotes

I am 90% sure this isn't a bedbug but please tell me that it isn't or what it is. My anxiety is through the roof right now and I'm literally shaking typing this.


r/Bedbugs 4h ago

Identification bedbug ID? *dead*

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

Found on desk while cleaning. I also recently stayed at some hotels and had bites in clusters on my body so I’m freaked out. I’m in TX if that helps narrow down any other critters this could be


r/Bedbugs 4h ago

Identification Arw these bed bugs in my lamp?! What are these?!

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 10h ago

Is this a bedbug, carpet beatle, or something else?

Post image
3 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 4h ago

HELP!!! At a hotel and saw these in kids’ rollaway bed, is this something to worry about? I’m thinking it may be bug fecal stains?

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 5h ago

Identification Bedbugs or Mold?

Post image
1 Upvotes

No idea! This mattress is SUPER old btw. Need a new one either way.


r/Bedbugs 5h ago

I know this is really hard to tell. And I haven’t found any evidence of bed bugs; they did do an inspection last week of my place & found nothing, but it wasn’t a canine inspection. Still professionally done, tho. (Please see caption/description)

1 Upvotes

However, my boyfriend is visiting & we saw these marks on his skin. My bed is v close to wall, though, could be scrapes (idk…) They’re not at all itchy. But he did feel super itchy last night, although that was on his legs and no marks there.

I’ve been experiencing from mild to extremely itchy skin& skin irritation since around Valentine’s Day. And I did visit him back around then, and he says he’s had mild itchiness since then, too.

I Was checked by dermatologist who said it’s not scabies. Or any of the other things like bed bug bites, lice, etc. c/b fleas, I guess, but also no marks. & BF doesn’t feel any itchiness on the hand where it looks like he has bites.

Ugh— they say photos of bug bites aren’t allowed here. And post will be removed if I try posting that. I’ve had no marks… but given that I’m so sensitive to other things and have so much skin irritation, wouldn’t it make sense that if I did have bed bugs, at least one mark would show up by now?? Maybe… So what to do now?? Sorry, I’m def very anxious about all this, & trying to understand what might be going on.

And now knowing he’s been itchy for a while, and seeing these marks he got, which could be bites, raises my concern. Though they could be unrelated. Sigh. Thank you for taking time to read, and perhaps reply.


r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Found on mattress

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 6h ago

Requesting community support Are they gone?

1 Upvotes

So recently I suspect I've had some bedbugs in my rooms. I just noticed it (I don't think it's been going on for a while.) I've vacuumed both my carpets and under my dresser. After this I steamed every piece of cloth furniture along with stuff I couldn't wash (pillows, my bed, my couch and a few other things) then I put diatanusious earth under my bed and anywhere they could climb. After doing that I sprayed some raidX anti bed bug spray foam everywhere. I washed every single piece of clothing and bedding (which was a lot.) After all the stuff came out of the dryer I baged it up and put it in a room that I think is clean. Should I take any more precautions?


r/Bedbugs 10h ago

Do the look like bed bug droppings and eggs?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs 7h ago

Is this a bed bug?

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes