Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
Please help, is this a bed bug?
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paulaw0919
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Joined: Jul '07
Posts: 997
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 19:03:41
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Definitely not a bed bug. Looks very much like a tick though.
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Thank you for the quick reply!
Our dog did have a bad tick problem last summer, so I suppose it could be that. I just have numerous bites on my body, and some seem to have shown up when I wake up in the morning. I'm going to the dermatologist on Monday to see what they think.
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What about this:
This is embedded in a piece of styrofoam that has been under our bed for a year. I thought it might be some skin that was shed.
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Joined: Sep '08
Posts: 113
Posted 5 months ago
Fri May 29 2009 19:24:48
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Looks like a dermestid beetle larvae, not a big deal, not a bed bug.
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I confirm:
First two pics: a tick, probably Riphicephalus sanguineus (dog tick)
Third pic: a carpet beetle (Anthrenus) cast skin -
buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 5 months ago
Sat May 30 2009 5:10:04
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Since you're sort of new around here, MTX, I thought I'd mention that EffeCi is a professional, so if he says it's a tick and a beetle, you can feel confident that you're clear for now if those are the only samples you've got in your home.
I'm curious, though. What, if anything besides those bugs, makes you think you've got bed bugs? I ask because we seem to be getting more people on the boards lately worried that they have bugs when, in fact, they have a lot of carcasses of things that aren't bed bugs. Most people here with bed bugs, even the folks with really hard to find infestations that are moving around large buildings from unit to unit, have signs beyond the bugs themselves.
Although, if David were around, he'd probably take this opportunity to remind you that getting into a reasonable habit of inspecting your bedroom, esp. if you travel a lot and/or live in an area with a widespread infestation, is a good idea.
However, if you're prone to being overly anxious about bugs, you don't want to inspect too frequently either. People here can tell you that once you start getting really anxious, lint can scare the daylights out of you.
By reasonable, I mean: once a month, strip the bed completely and check the mattress, box spring, and bedding for any tell-tale signs: fecal traces, cast skins, live bugs, eggs.
Of course, this is most useful if you know exactly what you're looking for. If you haven't had a confirmed sighting of those things, this can cause a lot of anxiety.
However, as the bed bug problem becomes more endemic, I suspect regular inspection will be the first line of defense for more and more people. If you think you can cruise around the site and learn from the photos here and linked to from here on other sites, and you think that you can keep yourself to inspecting once a month, and you have no other current signs besides those two bugs above, I would say, inspect once a month as a preventative precaution, but don't worry about it.
If you're not seeing the distinct fecal traces that bed bugs leave (trust me, they look like nothing else bug related I've ever encountered), and you have no bites, I'd consider yourself lucky and relax a bit.
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I believe it may be bed bugs because I do have bites. Sometimes the bites appear first thing in the morning, sometimes in the evening. I don't think they're mosquito bites either. I have some on my back, upper thigh, calf, and three in a row on my foot.
I'm going to a dermatologist on Monday to see what they think. I may just pay another PCO (who have a K9 detector and seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject) to do a thorough inspection as well, just to give me peace of mind.
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 5 months ago
Sun May 31 2009 14:23:41
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Do know that the beetles that EffeCi identified can cause bite like responses in many people. (We're apparently allergic to the little bristly bits on the larvae if I recall correctly.) And I just noticed that they are not listed specifically in the FAQ on other things that might be biting you. (I guess that's true since they don't really bite although they do cause bite-like reactions.)
And understand that docs cannot conclusively diagnose what pest you have from bites alone. There are exceptions, like scabies, but those are usually diagnosed by taking skin scrapings.
IF you can find a good dog/handler team in your area, that may be a good way to help rule bed bugs out.
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Hi,
I did not add to this earlier because when someone gets it right first time there is little more I can add.
The first two pictures are a type of tick or louse and 100% not bed bugs.
The third image is the shed skin of a carpet beetle larvae.
Either or neither could be responsible for the "bite" symptoms you have reported but that said it could also be mosquitoes or something else.
With regards bite locations I am building enough evidence to put together some data on what things are likely to be but it is only of value when bed bugs can been ruled out be either an experienced inspection or diagnostic tool. Given where you have said you can take scabies off the list, it is very much a fingers, groin and arm pit problem with a related issue that also affects around the mouth.
With regards inspections, as pointed out above in normal domestic settings self inspection while cleaning once a month is optimal. If you are in a high risk location or lifestyle then once a week will suffice, more than that is actually counter productive. I am working on a new method of control based on passive monitor replacement on a 10 day cycle which has been developed from some field results we have seen in hotels.
If you look too frequently you tend to over obsess with lint and fluff and the slightest little thing becomes a potential bed bug. This is not healthy and can I feel contribute to some of the post bed bug issues that people sometimes report.
In your case I would probably suggest monitoring for a few days with a plug in flea trap as the next step. I say this not because I want to add fleas to your list but because I have had some success with them capturing the odd rogue mosquito and biting gnat. A passive monitor would help as well but given shipping times the flea trap is more accessible at this time and yes I am more than a little biased as far as that technology is concerned.
At this stage though I suspect you are more likely to be looking at non bed bug issue than something that is BB related but my gold standard of detection is and will most likely be personal inspection.
Hope this helps.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited -
Thanks for the response. The dermatologist said they are bug bites, so I can at least rule a rash out. I emailed the same pictures I posted here to the PCO guy I have been communicating with (his company does K9 detection and treatment) and he thought the bug looked like a bed bug or bat bug. I told him that it may be a tick and he agreed with that, I'm mailing him the sample because lives one city over from me.
He then said that the skin in the styrofoam was a carpet beetle, but that in alot of cases of bed bugs they have treated there has been carpet beetles as well. Something about carpet beetles feeding on bed bugs or vice versa. Not very reassuring! He then offered to do the K9 and visual inspection for free when he is in the area. Do you think that is suspect? He originally quoted $125 for K9 or $50 for just visual inspection.
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 5 months ago
Tue Jun 2 2009 16:07:39
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You cannot really trust a dermatologist's opinion on this particular issue. (It's not that I generally distrust dermatologists. I generally do.) The reason you can't trust dermatologists on this is that all a dermatologist can tell you is whether your skin is reacting like something has bitten you.
Carpet beetles do not bite. But many people develop a skin response that looks just like a bug bite when they come into contact with carpet beetle larvae. A dermatologist doesn't know enough about bugs to know that there are things like carpet beetles that can cause something that looks exactly like a bug bite but isn't.
Now, does that mean you absolutely don't have bat bugs or bed bugs? No. However, if I were you, I would make sure to get rid of the carpet beetles first. They're must easier to eradicate than bed bugs.
Once they're gone, if your problem goes away, there's your answer: no bed bugs.
As to whether it's suspect or not, I'd wait to see what he says about your samples. He might just be a genuinely helpful person who senses your anxiety. But you won't know until he inspects and tells you what the current situation is and whether that turns out to be your problem or not.
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