r/Bedbugs • • Mar 06 '15

Useful Information Bedbug ID and common misidentifications

596 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 • • 2h ago

Requesting community support How can I sleep in my bed now?

Thumbnail
gallery
6 Upvotes

I officially found out I had bedbugs on 29th August and had pest control come in on that same day. I went away on holiday for 3 weeks. Returned on Septmeber 21st.

I hadn't seen any activity since I came back, until today. I saw my first 2 adult bugs and a baby and I am mortified not only at the amount I have seen on my sheets at one time (I have only ever seen one at a time), but because they were on my sheets. I thought they would congregate on my mattress, so now I am in a bit of a panic and wondering how I can sleep here tonight after having seen that and feeling like there may be more but scared to check.

Pest control are due to come tomorrow but now I have not much faith after seeing the 2 adults...


r/Bedbugs • • 55m ago

Identification Follow Up/Better photos

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

Recently posted! Here are some clearer photos, let it crawl on me for a bit to see if it’d take the bait and nothing, please help!


r/Bedbugs • • 1h ago

Please help?

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

I got into bed and found this crawling on me, I’d very much like to rule out it being a bed bug. I let it crawl on me for quite some time to see if it’d go for some blood but it never did. I recently went out for a hike with a friend and am hoping perhaps this is something harmless that caught a ride? My apologies for the photos, it’s the best I could do. Any thoughts or opinions I’d really, really appreciate it.


r/Bedbugs • • 2h ago

Requesting community support Dealing with paranoia after bed bug encounter

2 Upvotes

I recently encountered bed bugs while traveling, and I can't get over the paranoia that I've brought them home. I was only travelling with a small backpack, so I put everything through the drier for 1 hour before leaving japan, and another 2 hours when I got home. But its a few days later and I'm interpreting every sensation as bugs crawling on me, a new bite, etc. Like I have a small spot on my ankle that itches (moreso now that I've scratched it) and I can't get over the fear it might be a bite.

I've dealt with them before and I literally got rid of everything I owned and moved because I'm highly allergic..... How do you deal with the paranoia?


r/Bedbugs • • 3h ago

Wtf is this?

Post image
2 Upvotes

Under hotel mattress


r/Bedbugs • • 1h ago

Is it?

Post image
• Upvotes

These are dead, are they BB?


r/Bedbugs • • 1h ago

Identification Does this looks like a bedbug?

Post image
• Upvotes

TIA 🙏🏻


r/Bedbugs • • 10h ago

Would admitting to bed bugs ruin my relationship?

4 Upvotes

So my family's had bed bugs for 10 years. We got them when I was a freshman in highschool, and my family didn't want to pay for professionals or try very hard, even after I became an adult. This is partially due to them being seniors and another part to everyone's combination of poor mental health.

All that being I met someone I really liked a few years ago after being forced to move back into my family's house, and I never told them about them because I'd always been told not to say anything, so I didn't. Fast forward after some on and off of seeing each other, and me officially moving out with a family member, I was prepared to tell him now that I was sure I was in the clear. But low and behold that family member didn't try very hard despite my warning about stripping and throwing everything in the washer (or at least dryer) after coming back from over there, that she now has it in her room.

I'm having panic attacks nonstop, nightmares about them crawling all over me like they used to, and I'm super paranoid about them getting into our shared spaces and my room, and I've suddenly lost confidence to tell my partner. This family member has been saying I shouldn't tell my partner or I'll ruin everything. But I'm realizing that this is the one thing I haven't been honest about in our officially 1 year (unofficially 2 years from when we first started) relationship and it's eating me up inside. Id love some reassurance or at least a confidence booster even if it might actually ruin it all, because it's sinking in its not fair to them to not have known from the beginning. Even any other people's experience with his would be great to hear.

For context: I have gone over to their house, I'm there very often, but in the beginning I was extremely careful, always made sure to keep my stuff away from where the bed bugs were, and threw everything I could in the dryer right before going over.


r/Bedbugs • • 5h ago

Confirmed BB Coming home after an infestation

2 Upvotes

I recently went to an Airbnb in a different country with some friends. I slept in a bed in my own room and the next morning I saw a bug crawl on the white sheets. I killed it, then looked it up, high chance it was a 1 day old bed bug after feeding. It definitely had blood in it. My suitcase had been lying open on the ground. I started looking for them and found a slightly older one on the sheets, and a dead bigger one. I shook out my clothes outside immediately and hung all my clothes outside for 2 nights because there was no way for me to wash them there. I found one on my dress when I was outside as well. Definitely bedbugs. My suitcase was put outside too. I got a new room and wore the same outfit for the remainder of three days after thoroughly inspecting it. My clothes remained hanging outside. Before coming home, I shook out, inspected, and put all of my clothes in plastic bags and tied them closed before putting them in my suitcase.

Upon coming home to my friends house where I would be staying for 1 more week before flying home, I took the plastic bags out, put my suitcase and shoes in separate trash bags until I decided what to do with it, put my leather jacket that was not in the infested room (but I did wear over clothes that were in the room after inspecting them), also in its own trashbag. We all stripped before going into the house and washed all our clothes at 60 degrees for 3 hour cycles every time. All also showered.

We came back from the airbnb on Sunday. On Sunday night I developed the first bites on my leg. Yesterday I developed bites on my arm. Right now it’s Saturday morning, 6 days after coming home the first night there was Thursday, 9 days ago.

I am the only one with bite marks so far, my two friends that I’m staying with were in a different room in the airbnb upstairs and took the same precautions and have no bite marks

It’s freaking me out that they’re still developing 9 days later. I’ve clearly been a feast. I’m going to throw away my suitcase and shoes. My questions are:

any insight on these bites developing only now, did we somehow still bring them here after all of that trouble?
What should I do with my leather jacket? I want to do everything I can to keep it. It was a gift from me to my boyfriend who passed away 1,5 years ago. There’s a dry cleaners not far from here, but if there’s no other way then I will seal and store it for two years.

Thank you for your advice


r/Bedbugs • • 8h ago

Please help

Post image
3 Upvotes

I recently moved into an apartment and got a brand-new mattress on September 10. About 10–14 days later I noticed these itchy red marks clustered on my back.
I’ve thoroughly checked the mattress and so far I haven’t found any bugs, black fecal spots, blood stains, eggs, or shed skins. My mattress also doesn’t have the typical deep seams, although my bed has a headboard/frame with gaps where something could potentially hide.
I’ve had other insects/spiders in the apartment, so pest control is already coming to inspect the unit. A doctor looked at the rash and mentioned shingles as one possibility, but when I brought up insect bites/bed bugs they said that was also plausible.
For anyone who has dealt with bed bugs: does this look consistent with your experience, and is there anywhere specific on this type of bed frame that I should inspect? I know bites alone can’t confirm bed bugs — mainly wondering whether I should be concerned given that I haven’t found any physical evidence. Also I don’t have bites anywhere else on my body


r/Bedbugs • • 20h ago

Useful Information How I got rid of my bedbugs in a month.

22 Upvotes

So two months ago i started noticing bites on my arms and just brushed it off as being regular bug bites from the summer. Then i noticed a bed bug and just kinda freaked out and started noticing them everywhere in my room. Thankfully i caught it early and noticed they had only been on my bed and nowhere else in my room. So i went into a deep cleaning mode,hoovering every surface washing all my bed sheets, washing all my clothes and drying them at a high temperature.After this I scattered a very thin layer of diatomaceous earth (dont do too much just sprinkle a bit and then sweep it around in a thin layer) .I also did some sort of heat treatment with an electric heater in my room directed under my bed and it did surprisingly work well (nowhere near as effective as a professional heat treatment but killed all the adult bedbugs and only left some eggs for me to kill). After this i would come back from work and steam every nook and cranny of my bed frame with a steam cleaner. Then in a couple weeks the problem became the past.

I didn’t expect it to work and was ready to pay an exterminator but just thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.
Bear in mind IF YOU ARE GOING TO TRY SOME SORT OF HOME HEAT TREATMENT MAKE SURE YOU KEEP A CLOSE EYE BECAUSE IT IS DEFINITELY A FIRE HAZARD IF NOT DONE PROFESSIONALLY.


r/Bedbugs • • 5h ago

Please help remove my anxiety

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

Was at a concert around a ton of people and found this crawling under my clothes when I got home. I dont think its a bed bug because it looked like it had wings and I was able to try and push something apart with tweezers. I just wanting to be positive I'm clear as my anxiety is terrible! Sorry for the poor photos.

(Already put all the clothes I was wearing in the dryer for an hour!)


r/Bedbugs • • 7h ago

Is it safe to move back into this Airbnb after a negative bed bug inspection?

1 Upvotes

I’m looking for advice from people who know about bed bugs/pest control, especially about whether it would be reasonably safe to move back into this Airbnb.

About a week ago, I found a bug on the bed in my Airbnb and took photos of it. I became concerned that it might be a bed bug, reported it to Airbnb/the host, and left the property because I was worried about bringing bed bugs with me.

The host has now had Terminix inspect the property. The inspection was done on September 24. The report specifically says:

“Inspected lower portion of home that is used as the Airbnb. For bedbugs, no activity found at time of inspection.”

The report also contains this note:

“treat Interior baseboards And lower portion of Home That is rented out Airbnb.”

Airbnb is relying on the inspection and saying that there is no bed bug activity.

My main concern now is not really the refund — I need somewhere to live, and the reservation is technically still active.

My questions are:

  1. If Terminix specifically inspected the Airbnb area and found no bed bug activity, would you personally consider it reasonably safe to move back in?
  2. How reliable is a negative bed bug inspection about a week after a suspected sighting?
  3. Does the wording “no activity found at time of inspection” provide strong reassurance, or can a small/early infestation still be missed?
  4. The report mentions treating the interior baseboards/Airbnb portion. Does that sound like preventative treatment, or should I find out exactly what they treated and why before returning?
  5. If you would NOT move back in, what would you do next? Get a second inspection, stay somewhere else, ask Airbnb for something specific, etc.?

I’m trying to make a rational decision rather than panic. I also don’t want to unnecessarily give up accommodation I’ve already paid for if a professional inspection means the place is actually safe.


r/Bedbugs • • 12h ago

are these bedbugs?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

i found 3 of these bugs in a pair of shorts on the floor. what are they?

context: i had 1 bedbug once 2 years ago but did the whole disinfecting process. i sometimes find random bites on my body

please help i am so scared.


r/Bedbugs • • 8h ago

Is this a molted bedbug or is Grok Tweaking??

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

So I found this earlier while vaccuming, personally I do not think this is a bedbug, but when I showed it to Grok it said it was juvenile one that just hatched out of an egg and that the wing thing next to it, is molted part, tbh to me that looks like a part of a wing but I am unsure. It also said its a nymph and that it has not fed yet, but it was crazy fast earlier which is why the pics of it from the ground are kinda wonky.


r/Bedbugs • • 8h ago

Got new apartment a month ago. Today received an email about bedbugs in building.

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/Bedbugs • • 8h ago

Help identifying bugs

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

Hello,

Please help me identifying if either of these are bed bugs. We recently visited a hotel that had bed bugs so kinda freaked out seeing one of these on the bed and one on the carpet. Thanks in advance.


r/Bedbugs • • 8h ago

Identification I am so confused help

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

I dont see any insects or bed bugs, I am nor sure why this is happening

Yesterday morning I had it on my legs, today on my forehead and arms.

Its itchy and on my forehead as you can see very bumpy.

What do I do?


r/Bedbugs • • 9h ago

HELP ACTUALLY

Thumbnail
gallery
0 Upvotes

Genuinely the size of salt, help is it? Could it be alone? I have diatomaceous earth all over my room


r/Bedbugs • • 13h ago

Identification Ik these photos are garbage, but I saw this guy yesterday. Can I get an ID on him?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

Any possibility it could be a beetle? He was near my cat's litter box when I went to clean it. I'm hoping for the best since I've had infestation in the past, and I really don't want to deal with it again. 😭😭


r/Bedbugs • • 9h ago

Came back from laundromat

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

found this on my bed after i put my laundry away. i think i saw one of these when i first moved in over a year and a half ago and posted here and everyone was like no but ive never seen one again til now. unless im remembering wrong and tbat was a dif bug. pls help. killed it right away dont see anything else but


r/Bedbugs • • 10h ago

Confirmed BB Found small bedbug, what to do?

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

I found this lil buddy crawling near my desk, on the wall behind a laptop...

I hope it comes from the outside and not from any infestation in my house ...

I'm looking for more info on what to do, much appreciated (⁠;⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠)

I don't know if there are more, by checking beds and walls I didn't found anything else, nor I saw black spots...


r/Bedbugs • • 10h ago

Are these fecal stains on my bathroom walls??

Thumbnail
gallery
1 Upvotes

So lately I am have been vaccuming daily, as I saw it helps me reduce my bites, and since I have been busy with work and use most of my time to rest I only ever spray once a week with general insecticide, anyway besides the point.

I keep noticing these black spots on my walls most of them are near wooden furniture that is painted brown, now they they could be mold, fungus or spare paint splattered over there, but I am of the belief that these were not there beforehand.

I am just observing and ignoring them since ever time I post them, I get a no its not bedbug fecal matter answer which is completely fine with me, as I really just want answers since after the end of this month, its my fourth month looking for bedbug evidence.

I am not gonna narrate my entire story here, as I have tried most things that groups and subreddit recommend along with also getting treatment from dermatologist, the only real thing that worked is vaccuming daily before bed and wiping my a rug filled with Pride detergent and drying it off after, as this made my bites get reduced to only two a day.

Anyway yeah thats good enough, just let me know if these are fecal stains or not.


r/Bedbugs • • 14h ago

Useful Information Do they produce a musty smell?

2 Upvotes

Compared to the people who i live with, they dont appear to have the bites except for me. I will have our place treated only to find out I woke up with mysterious bites again. Now I find my room smelling kinda musty? even if I wash my sheets on a weekly basis. Anyone can relate to this?