Insect Identification Guide: Which Bugs Resemble Bedbugs?

Tiny bugs crawling around in your bed that bite and leave behind red, itchy welts? That definitely sounds like the stuff of nightmares. Even if you haven’t had bites, bedbugs are among the many common household bugs, so it’s not unusual to see small crawlers and think you might’ve spotted bedbugs. Use this guide to help determine if what you’ve got are indeed bugs of the bed variety or imposters. 

Bedbugs and Their Appearance

Bedbugs are quite small, but they’re visible to the naked eye if you know what to look for and where to look for bedbugs. Here are some more details about bedbugs:

• About 1/4 inch long

• Have elongated, oval-shaped bodies

• Reddish-brown or brown

• Can be smaller and translucent or whitish-yellow when younger

• Have wings as adults but don’t fly

• Have a distinct odor described as musty (similar to that of stink bugs) 

Below are the most common look-alikes that either hang out where bedbugs are seen or just look enough like them to get mistaken for bedbugs.

1. Baby Cockroaches

These are cockroach nymphs and will only look like bedbugs for a short time before they grow into adults. Here are some more details about baby roaches: 

• Commonly confused with bedbugs because of their reddish-brown color and size

• Have more flattened oval bodies vs. bedbugs’ elongated oval ones 

• Tend to be in moist areas where there’s food, such as kitchens and bathrooms 

2. Carpet Beetles

Despite the name, these little bugs don't like to eat just any drab synthetic carpet. They do, however, like animal materials, like fur, wool, and leather. Here are some more details about carpet beetles:

• Get mistaken for bedbugs because they're dark and oval-shaped 

• Usually bigger than the average bedbug 

• Like furs and feathers, so you might see them in your bed or near or under your carpet 

• Leave behind molted shells, just as bedbugs do

3. Fleas

It’s probably more likely that bedbugs are mistaken for fleas than the other way around, as fleas are more commonly known. Here are some more details about fleas:

• Small in size 

• Blood-suckers and will bite humans as well as cats, dogs, and other warm-blooded animals 

• Can frequently find them in bedding, mattresses, and carpets, mostly having jumped from fur to woven fabrics and hair 

• Often dark brown or black 

4. Ticks

Ticks may well be the most familiar of the bugs on this list, but they still bear mention. Here are some more details about ticks:

• Blood-sucking parasites like bedbugs 

• About the size of bedbugs when they’re young (and not full of blood!) 

• Live outside, though they can come inside on a pet or clothing

5. Booklice

Yes, booklice are actually a thing, but they aren’t technically lice. They don’t even like to eat books—it’s the mold of bookbinding pastes they’re after. You might even find them in wallpaper. If you find them near food, it’s probably best to just throw it away and don’t look back. Here are some more details about booklice:

• Aren’t harmful 

• Range from grayish-white to brown

• Similar in size to adult bedbugs

6. Spider Beetles

If you’re squeamish, these pests may haunt your dreams. Here are some more details about spider beetles: 

• Can look like an engorged bedbug that’s feasted on your blood 

• Brownish in color 

• Bite people

• Look like little spiders and aren’t oblong like bedbugs 

• Tend to infest foods like grains and other pantry items

What to Do if You Think You Have Bedbugs

You can take several steps to try to get rid of bedbugs on your own, but you may want to consider hiring a local pest control service as soon as possible. Bedbugs can spread fast, so the sooner you act, the better.