This guide to identifying bed bugs vs. roaches won't get under your skin
Bed bugs and immature cockroaches look remarkably similar.
While bed bugs feast on blood, roaches love to invade your kitchen.
Both types of pests pose health risks because they can trigger allergic reactions or cause infections.
Getting rid of roaches and bed bugs is difficult without professional help.
Did you feel or see a creepy-crawly intruder skittering across your linens? Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between small roaches vs bed bugs, but it’s important to know which is which so you can take the right measures to get rid of them.
With health and hygiene on the line, it's smart to call a local insect exterminator the moment you spot bed bugs or cockroaches invading your space. This guide to determining the differences between bed bugs and roaches will help you sort it out.
Here’s a quick rundown on the major distinctions between these two household pests.
| Type of Difference | Bed Bug | Roach |
|---|---|---|
| Size | ¼ inch (adult) | 2 inches |
| Color | Reddish-brown body with a flat, oval-like shape | Black-brown insect with a flat, cylindrical body |
| Number of Legs | 6 legs | 6 legs |
| Preferred Habitat | Bedding and textiles | Warm, damp places |
| Disease | Do not carry disease | Can carry bacteria |
| Bite | Bites people | Doesn't normally bite |
So, you've spotted something small and brownish in your home. However, it's hard to get a good read when you're disarmed by the surprise of seeing insects in your home. This rundown will help you pinpoint your unwanted guest.
One of the reasons why people have trouble distinguishing between bed bugs and roaches is that they both have a reddish-brown coloring. However, roaches often veer closer to black in coloring. A baby cockroach will be white soon after hatching and molting.
While both insects have antennas, this feature can be helpful to focus on when trying to differentiate between cockroaches and bed bugs. A roach has a long antenna that's nearly the length of its body. A bed bug has a very short antenna that's only a fraction of its body length.
One reason why people often confuse bed bugs and immature roaches is that they are about the same size. A baby roach is between ¼ inch and ½ inch in size. Full-grown bed bugs are ¼ inch in size. Of course, there's no confusing a full-grown cockroach for a bed bug because these floorboard beasts grow to more than 2 inches.
It’s relatively easy to spot the difference between roaches and bed bugs based on size, but differentiating based on color is a bit trickier. Bed bugs have a reddish-brown body with a flat, oval shape, while roaches are black-brown with a flat, cylindrical body.
Both baby roaches and bed bugs can be considered oval in shape at first glance. However, the cockroach's body will have a more cylindrical appearance compared to the bed bug.
Learn the feeding differences between these household pests.
While it's hard to claim there's good news about having any type of pest infestation, the bright side to having roaches is they generally don't bite humans. Bites typically only happen in a situation where there's an infestation gone wild.
By contrast, bed bugs exist to bite. In fact, having bites on your body is one of the first signs of a bed bug infestation. Bed bug bites typically look like small itchy welts that form zigzag patterns on the skin.
What do bed bugs eat? You might be sorry you asked. Bed bugs survive solely on blood. Yes, that means that they are hanging out in your bed at night in order to have access to your warm blood while you sleep.
Cockroaches have a far more varied diet. As omnivores, they are generally happy to eat whatever they can get their little insect hands on. The reason why cockroaches are often found in the kitchen is because they thoroughly enjoy sweet, starchy foods. They will also go after meats and greasy foods. Even vegetables and fruits are on the table for cockroaches.
Check out where these pests like to hide within your home.
Bed bugs have a soft spot for soft spots. You'll find them in mattresses, couch cushions, curtains, carpets, pillows, and more. Don't forget to shake out your closet if you've spotted a bed bug in your home. These critters are known to also get cozy inside clothing.
While it’s possible to find a roach in your bed, cockroaches generally stay away from bedding and upholstery. They instead gravitate to warm, moist environments. This is why they are often found in basements, garages, piping, and bathrooms when they're not busy raiding the kitchen cabinets.
Both bed bugs and cockroaches have wings. However, bed bugs cannot fly or jump, but they can crawl rapidly. By contrast, cockroaches can fly and jump. It's important to note that a roach will only have wings during its post-nymph stage, meaning you have a very young roach on your hands if your visitor is wingless.
Bed bugs are speedy little things. They can travel about 100 feet per hour. Of course, cockroaches are famous for their ability to disappear in an instant. They can dart away in the blink of an eye at a speed of 8 milliseconds.
While bed bugs and roaches show up at your home to feast, getting rid of them is never a picnic.
With bed bugs, vacuuming every surface of your home, continuously changing bedding, and throwing out contaminated items may help to get an early infestation under control.
If you want to know how to get rid of bed bugs, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends both hot and cold options. Here's a look:
Use a steam temperature of at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Leave items in temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit for at least three days.
Professional exterminators have access to special tools that can kill bed bugs while covering a wide range of space, ensuring that they don’t return. The typical bed bug treatment cost is $1,000 to $2,500 for a whole house.
There are a few ways to kill roaches naturally, such as using glue strips, boric acid, or diatomaceous earth. Of course, cockroaches are notoriously hard to catch, which means you could deal with dead cockroaches and poisonous substances for months before you finally get freedom.
The cost to get rid of cockroaches professionally is between $100 and $600 on average, and it’s typically worth the freedom of roach-free living. Due to the relentlessness of these insects, getting rid of bed bugs and cockroaches often takes several sessions spaced out over several months. An exterminator can advise you how to keep these critters from gaining access to your home again once they're gone for good.
Follow these guidelines to prevent more critters from returning.
One of the best ways to prevent bed bugs from entering your home is by being vigilant during and after traveling. Check the underside of hotel mattresses before jumping into them, and launder your clothes immediately after traveling. If you purchase a secondhand item, especially clothing and furniture, inspect and clean it thoroughly before bringing it inside your home.
Plus, maintaining a clean home can ward off bed bugs. Be sure to keep up with washing linens, decluttering your home, and vacuuming at least once per week.
The best way to ward off a cockroach infestation is to make your home uninhabitable for them. Since roaches are attracted to open food sources, be sure to seal all food containers, close garbage into a sealed can, and avoid leaving pet food out. Healthy cleaning habits can also prevent roaches because clutter, dirty dishes, and garden waste can attract them to your home.
If you’ve ruled out small cockroaches, some other bugs you might mistake for bed bugs are carpet beetles, bat bugs, and booklice. However, they’re usually found in different parts of the home. Carpet beetles are found in fabrics and carpets, bat bugs live in attics, and booklice dwell around books and damp areas.
One of the first signs of bed bugs are reddish stains on your sheets. These stains get left behind when bed bugs get crushed. Some other signs to look out for are small dark dots, small red bites, and pale molted skins.
If you’ve experienced bed bugs more than once, the best way to get rid of them permanently is to hire a professional exterminator near you. Exterminators use powerful treatments that target all stages of the bed bug life cycle. In addition, you can seal cracks in floors or walls, wash fabrics in hot water, and vacuum regularly to prevent them from coming back.
