The carpet beetle and bed bug not only leave similar looking bites but there are other similarities.
Booklice carpet beetles bugs that look like bed bugs.
Where bed bugs are solid mahogany carpet beetles are black with a white pattern and orange or red scales.
They also dwell in cracks and crevices and less in your bed so they are close to food moisture and warmth.
However there are more bugs that look like bed bugs than you might expect.
While carpet beetles don t bite or feed on humans their larvae can irritate the skin.
Carpet beetles and bed bugs are both found throughout the world.
Also knowing you have a bug problem can cause you to feel like there are things on you even when there aren t.
Differences between bed bugs and carpet beetles.
The cockroach nymphs appear white right after hatching but turn reddish brown in color making them look like bed bugs.
They look like tiny furry caterpillars whereas the bed bug larvae look a lot like the larger versions but just very small.
Bed bugs and carpet beetles are both very small.
The difference between the two is nevertheless that cockroach nymphs do not specifically bite humans.
However the carpet beetle is the smallest of the two and averages 1 8th of an inch in length while the bed bug is about 1 4th of an inch long.
If you spotted a tiny bug wandering around your bedroom your first instinct might have been to assume that it is a bed bug.
Carpet beetles vary in size from 1 16 inch to inch.
Both bed bugs and carpet beetles are oval shaped.
If you notice bed bug like red spots and discover that you have carpet beetles but not bed bugs then they may be the cause.