Fantastic Pest Control Logo 24/7 Emergency pest control service
Fantastic Pest control
  • Home
    • S.T.O.P the Pest
    • Did You Crawl?
    • Pest Peeves
    • Fun with Bugs
    • Local Buzz
  • Services
    • Rodent Control
      • Mice Control
      • Rat Control
      • Squirrel Control
    • Crawling Insects & Spiders
      • Bed Bug Control
      • Flea Treatment
      • Cockroach Control
      • Ant control
      • Spider Control
      • Silverfish Treatment
      • Woodworm Treatment
    • Flying Insect Pest Control
      • Moth Control
      • Wasp Control
      • Fly Control
      • Carpet Beetle Treatment
      • Fogging Insect Control
    • More Pest Control
      • Bird Control
      • Fox Pest Control
      • Bed Bug Heat Treatment
      • Bed Bugs Steam Treatment
      • Heat Treatment Moths
      • Pest Inspection
      • Pest Proofing
      • Solar Panel Pigeon Proofing
      • Fumigation Service
      • Dead Animal Removal
    • Business Pest Control
      • Restaurant Pest Control
      • Office Pest Control
      • Warehouse Pest Control
  • Prices
  • Fantastic club
  • Pest Library
  • About
    • Contact us
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • About us
    • Coverage
    • FAQ
Call us 24/7
London local number 020 3746 0579
Nationwide number (toll free) 033 0320 0547
Fantastic Pest Control Logo 24/7 Emergency pest control service
CALL NOW GET A QUOTE
  • Home
    • S.T.O.P the Pest
    • Did You Crawl?
    • Pest Peeves
    • Fun with Bugs
    • Local Buzz
  • Services
    • Rodent Control
      • Mice Control
      • Rat Control
      • Squirrel Control
    • Crawling Insects & Spiders
      • Bed Bug Control
      • Flea Treatment
      • Cockroach Control
      • Ant control
      • Spider Control
      • Silverfish Treatment
      • Woodworm Treatment
    • Flying Insect Pest Control
      • Moth Control
      • Wasp Control
      • Fly Control
      • Carpet Beetle Treatment
      • Fogging Insect Control
    • More Pest Control
      • Bird Control
      • Fox Pest Control
      • Bed Bug Heat Treatment
      • Bed Bugs Steam Treatment
      • Heat Treatment Moths
      • Pest Inspection
      • Pest Proofing
      • Solar Panel Pigeon Proofing
      • Fumigation Service
      • Dead Animal Removal
    • Business Pest Control
      • Restaurant Pest Control
      • Office Pest Control
      • Warehouse Pest Control
  • Prices
  • Fantastic club
  • Pest Library
  • About
    • Contact us
    • Blog
    • Careers
    • About us
    • Coverage
    • FAQ

Get the GoFantastic app

  • App Store
  • Google Play
  • HUAWEI AppGallery
020 3746 0579
London local number
033 0320 0547
Nationwide number (toll free)
Be the first to get fantastic pest control tips! Curious bug facts, best ways to deal with pests and even special deals. No, Thanks
Home » False Alarm! Bugs that Look Like Bed Bugs

False Alarm! Bugs that Look Like Bed Bugs

Jordan Foster Published: Feb 01/2018 Last update: May 15/2025 Did You Crawl?
Views: 45,674
bugs that look like bed bugs


You peacefully lay on your bed, just minding your own business… when suddenly, you feel something crawling up your left forearm. You immediately bolt off the bed, convinced that you’ve just had an unpleasantly close first encounter with a bed bug.

But was this really the case?

For all you know, you may have been visited by a bug that looks like a bed bug, but isn’t! Below, we will examine 7 insects that look like bed bugs and whether or not they are just as unpleasant to keep around your home (spoiler alert: they are). Let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

  • First Things First – Check the Bite
  • What Does a Bed Bug Look Like?
  • Bugs that Look Like Bed Bugs
    • The spider beetle
    • The cockroach nymph
    • The book louse
    • The carpet beetle
    • The flea
    • The bat bug
    • The tick

First Things First – Check the Bite

If you suspect that you have been bitten by a bedbug, check your arms, legs, and torso for mosquito-like marks arranged in a line. If you notice any and you have a pet, take it to the vet first to eliminate the possibility of a flea infestation since they leave similar bites.

Typically, bed bug bites vanish in a few days, and many people will not immediately feel the urge to scratch them, so make sure to also check your sheets for tiny blood spots.

However, if you happen to be allergic to the protein released by the bugs during feeding, you may also develop red weals that will usually itch terribly for about a week before subsiding.

Read more about the difference between flea and bed bug bites.

What Does a Bed Bug Look Like?

Are bed bugs visible to the naked eye? With just ⅕ of an inch in size, bed bugs are near-invisible, nocturnal creatures with a reddish-brown appearance. They have a flat and oval body which is almost completely transparent, as well as a set of protruding red eyes and short, thick antennae.

They also seem to have a pair of wing-like appendages, which thankfully serve a purely cosmetic function. Now that you know what a bed bug looks like, it’s time to expose the 7 most widespread bugs that look like bed bugs

Read more about bed bugs.

Bugs that Look Like Bed Bugs

The spider beetle

spider beetle

Even smaller than bed bugs (1/7th of an inch) spider beetles are similar to them in that they:

  • Are oval and reddish-brown in appearance;
  • Like hiding in secluded and dark areas;
  • Only come out to feed at night.

It’s easy, then, to see how someone could mistake one for the other. However, what distinguishes the spider beetles from the bed bug is their shiny and humpbacked body. If this is the bug that crawled on you on that fateful night, fear not.

These beetles rely on your wheat, rice, barley, and other food grains for their survival and will not bite humans under any circumstances, so their presence in your bedroom was purely coincidental.

The cockroach nymph

cockroach nymph

While roaches do look reddish-brown during their nymph stage, this is where all similarities with their distant bed bug cousins end. They are cylindrically shaped in appearance as opposed to bed bugs whose bodies closely resemble apple seeds.

Roaches are also notable for hiding in impossibly tight cracks and crevices that provide just enough warmth and moisture for them to survive.

While they generally run at first sight of danger and do not bite humans, their mere presence can trigger asthma and spread dangerous diseases, so you should immediately call a cockroach pest control specialist if you’ve spotted any crawling about.

The book louse

book louse

Also known as psocids, these insects are strikingly similar to bed bugs in their “baby” (nymph) stage. They come in a wide range of colours, from translucent white to grey and brown, and can often be spotted under wallpapers or near the edges of windows and windowsills.

The good news is that they do not snack on human blood but on mould, pollen and other fungi, as well as on (don’t read this if you’re eating) dead insects. They also do not transmit any known diseases, although you should probably take action if you start seeing them too often.

What if it is actually a bed bug?!

Bed bugs are hard to get rid of. Don't rely on DIY solutions, book a professional bed bug control service.

Call us
Trustpilot

The carpet beetle

carpet beetle

Out of all the bed bug look alikes on this list, the carpet beetle resembles them the least if you don’t count their antennae and hard exoskeletons. Their bodies are dyed in dark brown or black and are covered with tiny hairs. Carpet beetle larvae, in particular, have a very “hairy” appearance.

That’s great and all, but do they bite humans? Fortunately, they do not. Instead, they stick to a strict animal fibre diet, feeding on the keratin proteins found within the organic fabric, furniture, carpeting, and clothing.

Needless to say, a carpet beetle infestation, while not as bad as a bed bug one, can ruin your wardrobe almost overnight. Some people are also highly allergic to their tiny hairs.

The flea

flea

Fleas are just ⅛ inches big, making them appear as tiny jumping black dots. With black to reddish-brown bodies, oval and flat shapes, and a lack of wings,  there are almost no similarities to be drawn between them and bed bugs.

Except for one disturbing feature – their insatiable appetite for blood.

Granted, most fleas will only feed on canine and feline hosts and will only rarely resort to biting humans. However, their bite mark patterns can at times, look almost identical to that of bed bugs, so before calling an exterminatort, check your pet for fleas first.

The bat bug

bat bug

In the academic fields, this insect also goes by the name of Cimex pilosellus. Their interesting name is derived from their main activity, which is living next to bat nests and using the animals as hosts. In human environments, they will usually inhabit attics where bats are present but may also venture into human-only territory if the bats are either exterminated or chased away.

Here is the kicker, though – bat bugs are essentially indistinguishable from bed bugs without the proper equipment! So, how do you know it’s not bed bugs? To identify the bug, you would have to catch a sample and call an entomologist, who will then observe the insect under a microscope to check if it has:

  • An oval-shaped body;
  • Long fringe hairs just below their head.

If those descriptions match the bug in your jar, then you have a bat bug infestation on your hands. However, unlike bed bugs, they cannot survive for months on end without a blood host, so leaving the property for a few weeks and then coming back should do the trick.

The tick

tick

These tiny creatures are reddish-brown in appearance and have 8 long legs, which make them look like miniature tarantulas when examined under a microscope. Unlike tarantulas, however, they lead their parasitic existence by sucking the blood of mammals and birds.

During their feeding time, ticks can transmit a range of dangerous diseases, which is not something that can be said for bed bugs. Ticks also cling to their hosts until they are fully fed, so you should immediately visit a hospital if you discover this parasite anywhere on your body!

So, to recap – bed bugs are transparent, blood-sucking creatures. They usually leave welts or mosquito-like bite marks that are often arranged in a line. They prefer to hide in narrow cracks and crevices (usually under mattresses) and come out to feed only at night.

These insects are incredibly resilient to homemade treatments, and their prolonged presence often leads to severe anxiety and depression. So, if you happen to see a bug around your bed, always make sure to trap it in a plastic or other container and submit it for expert analysis!

Check also:

Signs of Bed Bugs Infestation

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs at Home Fast

If the specialist confirms that you have a bed bug infestation, you will need to:

  • Dispose of all infested items or wash them on a high-temperature setting;
  • Call a certified pest controller to treat the infested area with suitable insecticides.

Hopefully, by now, you have learned to identify bed bugs and their clones and will be able to take appropriate action to finally enjoy a good night’s sleep. And if you need any further help, just ask – the Fantastic Pest Control team is always standing by to assist you!

Are you dealing with a pest infestation?

You don't have to be alone in the battle against pests. Hire a professional pest expert!

Call us
Trustpilot

Source: Akos Nagy/shutterstock.com

bed bugs list

Sign Me Up for Fresh Updates I want to have fantastic stories delivered straight to my inbox for free.

Be the first to get fantastic pest control tips! Curious bug facts, best ways to deal with pests and even special deals. No, Thanks

One Response

  1. Jim Allen says:
    11/09/2022 at 9:33 am

    Whats in the picture?

    Reply

Leave a Reply

« Previous post Next post »
  • Top posts

    • how to keep rats away from the garden How to Get Rid of Rats in... Rats can rapidly become a major health risk and not jus...
    • How To Avoid Cockroaches When Moving How To Avoid Cockroaches... Are you moving out of a cockroach-infested home and eag...
    • horsefly bloodsucking vampire how to deal with it How to Get Rid of Horsefl... Horseflies can quickly ruin a relaxing day by the pool...
    • holes on wood furniture made by wood boring beetles How to Stop the Woodworm... Image by: allispossible.org.uk / License: BY 2.0 Althou...
    • False Widow Spiders: How... False widow spiders are among the most commonly misiden...
  • Categories

    Did You Crawl? Did You Crawl? Fun with Bugs Fun with Bugs Local Buzz Local Buzz Pest Peeves Pest Peeves S.T.O.P the Pest S.T.O.P the Pest
  • ants bed bugs bees carpet beetles cockroaches dust mites fleas flies FPC team guide holidays how to infestation infographic list mice mosquitoes moths pests pets pigeons rats spiders squirrels wasps woodworm

  • Follow Us

    Follows
    • Facebook
      14.1k Followers
    • Pinterest
      1.5k Followers
    • Instagram
      4k Followers
  • Need pest control?

    Fantastic pest controller will be happy to help!

    Learn more

    Need pest control?

    Fantastic pest controller will be happy to help!

    Learn more
Useful Links
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Write for us
  • Contact us
  • Disclaimer
Categories
  • S.T.O.P the Pest
  • Did you crawl?
  • Local Buzz
  • Pest Peeves
  • Fun with bugs
Handyman Franchise

9 Temsford Close, North Harrow, London, HA2 6LB

020 3746 0579

  • App Store
  • Google Play
  • HUAWEI AppGallery
© 2013 - 2025 fantasticpestcontrol.co.uk All rights reserved
  • T&C
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy

Need help?

X

  • You have a very specific pest question? Let us give you a pro answear.

    All fields marked with an asterisk (*) need to be filled.

  • You can upload images and files up to 10MB each and 1 video up to 10 seconds.

    0/10 uploaded

    Drag files to upload or

      All your files have been successfully uploaded
      Upload is in progress please wait ...
      0/10 uploaded

    Pin It on Pinterest

    Share This
    • https://www.facebook.com/FantasticServicesUK/
    • https://twitter.com/FanPestControl
    • https://uk.pinterest.com/fantasticservices/fantastic-pest-control/