Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
Could this be a bed bug?
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 15:44:46
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So a few days ago we found an interesting looking bug climbing up the wall in our kitchen. It resembles a bed bug in that it's pear shaped and almost the size of an apple seed and brown/black in color. It has front antennae and 6 legs I think..no wings. But the body does not have ridges like a bed bug and has a very interesting marking on the front of it's body of four yellow or brownish dots..one near the top, one near the bottom and one on each side. No real defined head like a bed bug either. I'm going to give it to our PCO for identification. I was trying to take a picture of it and it's not really coming out well on our camera. If you have any suggestions for photographing it so I can upload it, they are welcome. Also, if you have an ideas about what it could be, I'm all ears...just was curious if there are any species of bb with these four small yellow dots as I describe. Thanks!
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spideyjg
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 15:49:00
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Slap a magnifying glass up against the lens.
Little futzing around but it will work.
Jim
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 16:09:00
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ahh, okay..thanks for the tip. what kind of magnifying glass do you recommend or how much magnification? right now I only have my 2yr old's toy one..it helps slightly..lol but not the real thing so I have been planning to get another soon.
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spideyjg
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 16:21:06
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A good glass one for inspection then a 10X loupe for detail.
Check in the useful stuff for a Bausch & Lomb 5X-20X I like. On the cheap and quick Radio Shack has a 5-15X that is adequate.
Count the antenna segments. BBs have four and no more, no how, no way
Jim
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 16:53:02
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okay thank you. so the irony of this. as i'm sitting on my couch on my laptop i just found another one of these same type bugs crawling next to me. freaked out of course..luckily my husband works from home so we bagged it and started to inspect it more. we kept looking at it thinking oh boy this could be it... the evidence we have been looking for to explain my bites, but then all of a sudden we noticed this sample does have wings! so...when i get a chance to buy a magnifying glass..i will try to take a decent photo and post it to see what everyone thinks it could be. thanks jim for your input.
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 17:30:43
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yeah, i had thought that previously as I read they can be confused with bb's and cause bite reactions? also we have only wood floors but do have 2 carpet area rugs in our townhome and that's it. Can you still have carpet beetles w/out much carpet in your home?
So our two findings the body is mostly dark brown/black...more than the photos of adult varied carpet beetles...there are a few slight specs on it's body but nothing like in the images. could be though. Our Pest Control Guy is coming out tomorrow to inspect it here with his microscope. I will keep you updated...see what he thinks and try my best to take a good photo maybe while he's here.
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 19:24:03
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had another question actually....will bed bugs die in a plastic ziploc bag after a few days? our first sample did die but only after probably 3 days or so.
also...this bug upon inspection only has the shape of a bed bug but the body doesn't resemble anything I've seen of bed bug adults on this website. is that only b/c it's not magnified? or should i be able to see the ridges of a bed bug without a magnifying glass still?
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buggyinsocal
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 22:19:13
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You know, there's nothing like a brush with bed bugs (either actual bugs or just a fear you have 'em) to make you start wondering why any pest has the common name it has.
After all, while bed bugs prefer to feed on people while the people are in a bed, the bugs often do not live in beds.
Ditto with carpet beetles; yes, you can have carpet beetles without having carpet.
Lifted from "How to Get Rid of Carpet Beetles", carpet beetles will eat the following:
carpets, furniture, lint, hair, garments, blankets, pet food, animal nests, animal carcasses (think: dead mice), dead insects, leather, even pollen from those flowers your significant other gave you on a whim
The good news is that if the problem is carpet beetles, they're a lot easier to get rid of than bed bugs.
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 22:58:01
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Thanks Buggyinsocal...going to start a new thread and post the photos in a few minutes when I figure how to
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Tue Feb 23 2010 23:38:40
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Okay..here we go..bed bug, adult varied carpet bettle, or what else could it be? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0029.jpg&newest=1
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0035.jpg&newest=1
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0036.jpg&newest=1
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0037.jpg&newest=1
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0041.jpg&newest=1
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0044.jpg&newest=1
http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz343/scaredsayscared/?action=view¤t=IMGA0045.jpg&newest=1
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your host
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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Feb 24 2010 2:34:45
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scaredsayscared,
Sorry your posts went into the spam filter. PLEASE read this post which explains that it happens sometimes, that multiple links are one of the things that sometimes tend to trip the spam filter, and that I check it at least once a day to release posts.
Don't hesitate to post links, I am just pointing out this can happen sometimes. It does not happen most of the time!
Also, if it happens that your post "disappears," please do not repost repeatedly. Subsequent posts will also look like spam and get filtered.
Thanks!
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your host
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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Feb 24 2010 2:36:16
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scaredsayscared,
ps -- does NOT look like a bed bug (good news!)
I will leave the exact identification to the pros.
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spideyjg
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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Feb 24 2010 2:40:39
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A species of beetle. Got elytra, got beetle.
Not a typical pantry pest type though. Great quality pic and EffeCi or one of our pros can likely tell you the species.
Jim
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Feb 24 2010 2:44:06
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Thanks guys...glad it was a beetle! And thanks for the tips on posting multiple links...I get it now
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oldtimer
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Posted 3 years ago
Wed Feb 24 2010 20:02:43
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As I said in my MP, they're bean weevils (I suppose Callosobruchus sp.)
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your host
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Feb 25 2010 4:28:33
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Isn't weevil a great little word?
thanks, EffeCi!
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buggyinsocal
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Feb 25 2010 6:30:53
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So what you're saying is that compared to bed bugs, scaredsayscared has the lesser of two weevils?
(Sorry. I just couldn't resist the pun.)
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scaredsayscared
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Posted 3 years ago
Thu Feb 25 2010 22:52:31
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lmao! oh buggyinsocial, thanks for that comment, I think that was the best laugh I had all day
Thank you so much EffeCi for identifying them. I hope we also don't have bb's. Starting not to think so anymore but I had mystery bites from back end of December and end of January that seemed like bb bites, but we have seen nothing except bean weevils
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