Difference Between Carpet Bugs And Bed Bugs

Adult bed bugs are reddish brown in color and about one fourth of an inch long.

Difference between carpet bugs and bed bugs.

They look like tiny furry caterpillars whereas the bed bug larvae look a lot like the larger versions but just very small. The good news is that this means carpet beetles don t bite humans. The first notable difference is that of size as bed bugs are twice as big as carpet beetles. They have six slender legs and possess two antennae.

Here are some other common bug bites and how to tell the difference. Bed bug larvae look like little worms while carpet beetle larvae look like fuzzy bugs with little spines all over them. You ve noticed that carpet beetles length varies a lot while bed bugs are always the same length. Bed bugs have a long slender mouthpart known as the proboscis that they use to pierce the skin of the host animal and siphon a blood meal.

Therefore they feed exclusively on your and your pet s. So what is the difference between bed bugs and carpet beetles. Carpet beetles look very very different from bed bugs when they are larger. Their bodies are oval and flattened somewhat resembling an apple seed.

Bed bugs are in the family cimicidae while carpet beetles are in the family dermestids. The carpet beetle larvae has white and yellow brown scales and tufts of hair on the back of their abdomen while the adult bed bugs are a reddish brown color and oval shaped much like that of an apple seed. Bed bugs measure of an inch long. Carpet beetles on the other hand measure between 1 16 of an inch and 1 8 of an inch long.

One big difference between bed bugs and carpet beetles that can help you determine which pest you re dealing with is that bed bugs go through an incomplete metamorphosis while carpet beetles go through a complete metamorphosis. Kissing bugs are insects that can be infested with a parasite that causes a condition known as chagas disease. Fleas can t fly but they can jump up to 18 centimeters. Five percent of the flea population lives on pets which is generally how humans get flea bites.

Through all development stages bed bugs require a diet of blood to survive and breed. The difference here is that bed bugs have a mouth made for piercing skin and sucking blood while carpet beetles have a mouth made for chewing on plants and other fibrous material. The biggest difference is in size. The second difference and the biggest nuisance is the fact that bed bugs feed on human blood while carpet beetles feed on animal fibers.

The main difference between bed bugs and carpet beetles is in their diet.