Here at Arceneaux Pest Management Service, our pest exterminators in Baton Rouge receive regular calls from people who find bugs in their beds. While seeing a bug in your bed can be a cause for concern, it doesn’t automatically mean that you have a bed bug infestation on your hands. It could be a tiny bug wandered into your bed, or you may have a different type of pest problem going on.

Let’s cover some simple tips for identifying bed bugs, as well as explore other types of bugs that look like bed bugs. If you’re concerned about a pest infestation, be sure to schedule an inspection with Arceneaux Pest Management Service. Our pest control experts will conduct a full evaluation and determine exactly what’s lurking in your bedroom.

How to Find Bed Bugs

When people find a bug or two in their bed, their mind typically goes straight to bed bugs. However, bed bugs generally don’t just crawl around the bed, visible to the naked eye. Instead, they’re a bit harder to detect, especially in low-level infestations.

One of the first signs of bed bugs is itchy, red bumps on the skin. These bites are typically found on the neck, arms, hands, legs, and face, and they often appear in clusters or zigzag lines. It’s important to note that not everyone has symptoms, which is why it’s important to look for physical signs as well. These include:

• Rusty or reddish stains on bed sheets or mattresses caused by crushed bed bugs.
• Dark spots from the bugs’ blood and feces.
• Eggs and eggshells, which are tiny and pale yellow in color.
• Live bed bugs hidden in the mattress, box spring, bed frame, and headboard, as well as other areas like drawer joints, electrical outlets, loose wallpaper and wall hangings, and the seams of chairs and couches.
• Musty odors that start off faint and intensify over time.

What Other Bugs Look Like Bed Bugs?

There are a few other bugs that can be mistaken for bed bugs based on their color, size, and activity. These include:

• Carpet beetles. These bugs look very similar to bed bugs. They commonly live outside, but they can get indoors and feed on carpet, clothing, and other materials.
• Spider beetles. These small beetles are usually found in places with lots of moisture. They are sometimes mistaken for bed bugs because of their size and color.
• Fleas. Fleas are tiny, reddish-brown colored pests that also feed on blood. Infestations typically begin when a dog or cat brings them indoors. They also leave behind small and red, itchy bites.
• Ticks. Ticks are small, bloodsucking pests, just like bed bugs. However, they have 8 legs instead of 6, and they expand quite a bit after a blood meal.
• Baby cockroaches. Due to their similar size and appearance, baby cockroaches can be mistaken for bed bugs. They are typically found in warm, moist environments.
• Booklice. Booklice are small, wingless insects with soft bodies that can be mistaken for baby bed bugs. But unlike bed bugs, they are slender and more elongated.
• Pill bugs and sow bugs. These terrestrial isopods are also referred to as woodlice or roly-polies. They can look like bed bugs in terms of size, shape, and color. They normally live outdoors but can make it into the home through small cracks and gaps.

Managing a Bed Bug Infestation in Baton Rouge

If you believe that you have bed bugs in your bedroom, don’t wait to address the situation. Minor infestations are easier to treat than severe ones, though they are harder to detect. If you don’t treat a bed bug problem, it will spread throughout the home. They will even affect others, such as coworkers, friends, and extended family, as bed bugs are known to hitch rides on clothes, backpacks, luggage, and more.

Our pest exterminators in Baton Rouge know how stubborn bed bug infestations can be. These pests can survive up to one year without a blood meal, which contributes to their hardiness. We use a combination of treatments to remove bed bugs from the home based on the size and severity of the infestation. It usually takes at least two treatments to get rid of these pests, and we may recommend additional steps such as vacuuming and washing sheets in hot water.

To have your home inspected for bed bugs, contact Arceneaux Pest Management Service today. We can handle the situation every step of the way so that you can rest easy once again!