Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
Can someone ID these bugs? [a: beetles and assorted non-bed bug]
(10 posts)-
ireallyhatebugs
newbite
Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 14:05:25
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Ok, started almost 2 weeks ago, I was finishing work when i noticed 2 large red welts on my chest, but since i was at work and i get rather adverse effects just from mosquito bites, that's what i assumed they were. Within a couple days, i had 3 on my right hip, so figured spider. i'm arachnophobic, so inspected the bed with spider raid, found none, figured it left. then i got one on the top of my middle finger and on a heel. so i started sleeping on the couch. i work 7 days straight then get 7 days off, so since i got nothing from the couch and was coming close to my 7 days off, i kinda left it there to research on my week off. (Since, i've only had a couple more on my chest and a few onmy right leg when i started cleaning bedroom)
From what i hear for the bites, sounds like bb, there's usually 2-3 in a row. But my main thing is, if i get that kind of reaction to these bites, and normally it seems to start off with a couple a week and not day after day by what i hear from many posts, how could i get this many that quickly, or how long does it take to have an infestation? cause this has only started barely 2 weeks ago.
So, hating bugs, i decided it's time for spring cleaning anyway, and i'm overdue on buying new bedsheets and needed a new alarm clock anyway (couldn't adjust the minutes on my old one), so buying new is something i was gonna need anyway, and cleaning everything everything, i guess i found a positive way to look at it. now, mattress seemed fine, until i turned it over. small area seemed to have this fecal matter pattern on it (how many are needed to have this, and how long must they have been there to see this? been searching days on a few sites, haven't found this info), but what struck me is, i saw no live bb's in there (tho sounds familiar by what i'm reading), but only these reddish centipede like things, really tiny, crawling around. so, i found a tiny beetle in the kitchen and bagged it (pretty much black, and doesn't seem to have wings but under good lighting i think it does, no obvious antannaes, legs seem to be kept underneath the body unlike most bb pics i can see), also bagged an odd bug that was next to the bed when i was getting ready to go get what i would need to clean up (oh yeah, i've found 99% rubbing alcohol very easy to come by in canada, for all the americans saying they can't find it anywhere. at Zeller's. and 91% from Loblaws. don't know if you can order it or not though), this 2nd bug is reddish black, does seem to be mostly reddish with a few black stripes running across, no visible antannaes, and legs on this one also seem to be kept underneath the body, again unlike what most pics of bb seem to show (basically, front legs seem to be more obvious in bb pics). it has the right size and seems to have right colour, also wingless, but not 100% sure... now, i bagged 2 of these centipede-like things. they ressemble worms, but when you look closely the first 4-5 sets of legs are prominent, the rest are tiny, one has long hairs at the back, the other doesn't, they have catterpillar types of flattened heads, and are bright red but at each section seem to have a lighter coloured stripe. i took photos of them next to a penny to show size, but phone camera sucks, so i also did quick sketches of them. not sure how to upload photos on this site though, will upload or send if someone tells me how...
So, what would these centipede like things be, and could they have been biting me and not bb? -
cilecto
oldtimer
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 3,869offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 14:19:31
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You could be reacting to any number of things in and outside the house. None of the critters you describe sound like bed bugs. You could be reacting to contact with them or to the tiny splinter-like hairs that some insects (like carpet beetle larvae) shed. Or not. Your best bet for identification of specimens or of possible fecal stains is to open a pseudonymous account on Flickr, post pictures and links here.
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ireallyhatebugs
newbite
Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 14:39:02
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[img]http://
the bug on the left, note can't see legs from top, and those are stripe-like marks, not "divided" shell things. little hairs at the back, i think are hairs by sag_mercury, on Flickr[/img][img]http://
photo of all three next to penny by sag_mercury, on Flickr[/img][img]http://
quick sketch of centipede-like bug, looks red/dark brown in colour with lighter colouring in between by sag_mercury, on Flickr[/img][img]http://
this is a sketch of the middle bug in the pic, note no antannaes and legs not visible from top by sag_mercury, on Flickr[/img]
ireallyhatebugs - 30 minutes ago »
Ok, started almost 2 weeks ago, I was finishing work when i noticed 2 large red welts on my chest, but since i was at work and i get rather adverse effects just from mosquito bites, that's what i assumed they were. Within a couple days, i had 3 on my right hip, so figured spider. i'm arachnophobic, so inspected the bed with spider raid, found none, figured it left. then i got one on the top of my middle finger and on a heel. so i started sleeping on the couch. i work 7 days straight then get 7 days off, so since i got nothing from the couch and was coming close to my 7 days off, i kinda left it there to research on my week off. (Since, i've only had a couple more on my chest and a few onmy right leg when i started cleaning bedroom)
From what i hear for the bites, sounds like bb, there's usually 2-3 in a row. But my main thing is, if i get that kind of reaction to these bites, and normally it seems to start off with a couple a week and not day after day by what i hear from many posts, how could i get this many that quickly, or how long does it take to have an infestation? cause this has only started barely 2 weeks ago.
So, hating bugs, i decided it's time for spring cleaning anyway, and i'm overdue on buying new bedsheets and needed a new alarm clock anyway (couldn't adjust the minutes on my old one), so buying new is something i was gonna need anyway, and cleaning everything everything, i guess i found a positive way to look at it. now, mattress seemed fine, until i turned it over. small area seemed to have this fecal matter pattern on it (how many are needed to have this, and how long must they have been there to see this? been searching days on a few sites, haven't found this info), but what struck me is, i saw no live bb's in there (tho sounds familiar by what i'm reading), but only these reddish centipede like things, really tiny, crawling around. so, i found a tiny beetle in the kitchen and bagged it (pretty much black, and doesn't seem to have wings but under good lighting i think it does, no obvious antannaes, legs seem to be kept underneath the body unlike most bb pics i can see), also bagged an odd bug that was next to the bed when i was getting ready to go get what i would need to clean up (oh yeah, i've found 99% rubbing alcohol very easy to come by in canada, for all the americans saying they can't find it anywhere. at Zeller's. and 91% from Loblaws. don't know if you can order it or not though), this 2nd bug is reddish black, does seem to be mostly reddish with a few black stripes running across, no visible antannaes, and legs on this one also seem to be kept underneath the body, again unlike what most pics of bb seem to show (basically, front legs seem to be more obvious in bb pics). it has the right size and seems to have right colour, also wingless, but not 100% sure... now, i bagged 2 of these centipede-like things. they ressemble worms, but when you look closely the first 4-5 sets of legs are prominent, the rest are tiny, one has long hairs at the back, the other doesn't, they have catterpillar types of flattened heads, and are bright red but at each section seem to have a lighter coloured stripe. i took photos of them next to a penny to show size, but phone camera sucks, so i also did quick sketches of them. not sure how to upload photos on this site though, will upload or send if someone tells me how...
So, what would these centipede like things be, and could they have been biting me and not bb? -
ireallyhatebugs
newbite
Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 14:43:53
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quick sketch of centipede-like bug, looks red/dark brown in colour with lighter colouring in between by sag_mercury, on Flickr
photo of all three next to penny by sag_mercury, on Flickr
the bug on the left, note can't see legs from top, and those are stripe-like marks, not "divided" shell things. little hairs at the back, i think are hairs by sag_mercury, on Flickr -
ireallyhatebugs
newbite
Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 14:45:27
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already have mattress cover on mattress, but will try to find a pic that ressembles what i found, i don't think i have the nerve to reopen that cover!
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cilecto
oldtimer
Joined: Aug '08
Posts: 3,869offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 15:59:48
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Compare your specimens' characteristics to these. Yours do not seem like BB. I'm not good at ID, but would guess, some kind of beetle and some sort of larva, rather than a centipede.
For one who hates bugs, you draw them nicely! How about taking on the BB examples in the above link and getting a feel for their unique characteristics?
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oldtimer
Joined: Apr '07
Posts: 6,823offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 16:08:20
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Hi,
It's very hard to be certain from sketches but my bet is on confused flour beetles, fire brats and carpet beetle larva.
Have a look at them and compare.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
loubugs
old timer
Joined: Mar '07
Posts: 1,692offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 16:57:56
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Look like carpet beetle larva (elongate creature with hairs at rear) and probably adults, too, the black colored beetles.
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ireallyhatebugs
newbite
Joined: Jun '12
Posts: 6offline
Posted 1 year ago
Mon Jun 11 2012 18:07:37
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ya, you called it, carpet beetle, while looking for pics, i found some of the saaaame friggin larvae i found on google images (comes up as third image from the left for me when i type it in) (i still have 2 larvaes bagged with 2 adults, 1 dead, the other suffering trying to walk around in a ziplock bag, made it easier for me) i had no idea beetles could be that small! the smaller one is the one that made me think bb, but the larvae is what made me go, i don't know??? so finally looked at them, it's a beetle. all of them. huge stress reliever in a way. thank you soooooooooooooo much, you have no idea!!!!! easier to deal with the problem when you have a better idea what it is.
as for the nice drawings, thank you, but they'd be nicer if i actually wanted to look at the stupid critters. (i used to sell comissioned paintings, i know how to draw way better than those sketches!)last question. the only larvae i found in my cleaning so far anyway were on the mattress. i think the source was a wool blanket on the bed, their lovely "nesting grounds" was right next to where that blanket usually was. i just shoved a mattress cover over top of it all (wearing gloves and going omg omg omg omg omg), but i'm thinking of just getting a new mattress, cause i'm just grossed out (this whole week has been gross, looking at bugs, reading about bugs, but very happy some people enjoy that, you guys saved me a hell of a hassle! i guess this whole thing forced me out of my laziness of getting my new bedsheets i've wanted for couple years and new alarm clock i've been needing almost a year! (i barely lose power here, if ever, but try setting the time when you can't fix the minutes...)
THANK YOU
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