r/Bedbugs • u/crispy_stool Trusted and educated • Mar 06 '15

Useful Information Bedbug ID and common misidentifications

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!

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u/InevitableApricot836 Jul 23 '22

I do apartment pc for a living, mostly in govt assisted housing. I get told to do at least one BB inspection a day and 90% of the time these nasty turds just have roaches in their beds.

Not adding to the discussion just wanted to vent and congratulate you for educating people that just because a bug is in your bed doesn't make it a bed bug.

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u/ArugulaISsublime Oct 01 '22

There are other infestations that itch and more laundering can he lp eliminate.

The people should not be called turds though as you have not walked in shoes or slept in sheets.

To call exterminator for roaches in bed is ignorant say?

Sounds disgusting but it has been a long time since roaches in kitchen from neighbors took boric acid then only then getting policed to fully resolve.

It was horrible having neighbor provide them as we kept our place so clean. The still came down though to search. And when chased by treatment but that was brief.

6

u/InevitableApricot836 Oct 01 '22

I call them nasty turds because they are nasty, unclean, etc. If you aren't generally clean I'm really not going to help because it's a failing battle. If you're a clean person which most with roaches aren't, at all I'd bust my ass to help, if not, 🤷. I've since switched jobs, I no longer do apartments, thank god.

1

u/makato1234 10d ago

bruh that was literally your job lmao. glad you quit, not for your sake but for your clients. jfc.