Difference Between Carpet Beetle And Bed Bug

There is a lot of difference between a moth and a carpet beetle.

Difference between carpet beetle and bed bug.

Bed bug larvae look like little worms while carpet beetle larvae look like fuzzy bugs with little spines all over them. They are not just limited to ruining your carpets. 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. Bed bugs and carpet beetles are both very small.

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. An important detail when understanding the difference. In order to prevent the damage they cause you have to identify the signs of their infestation. Bed bugs eat human blood and carpet beetle larvae feed on wool and animal based materials.

However the carpet beetle is the smallest of the two and averages 1 8th of an inch in length while the bed bug is about 1 4th of an inch long. The first notable difference is that of size as bed bugs are twice as big as carpet beetles. Bed bugs are bigger and have flat bodies than bed bugs. The carpet beetle and bed bug not only leave similar looking bites but there are other similarities.

Differences between bed bugs and carpet beetles. Here s how to tell the difference. Many people confuse the common and relatively harmless carpet beetle with bed bugs. The official name for the varied carpet beetle is anthrenus verbasci they are small about 3mm in length and flat in their shape.

For those of you who are a little bit more impatient i ll say that there are 5 main differences between carpet beetles and bed bugs. The main difference is the color. Bed bugs are in the family cimicidae while carpet beetles are in the family dermestids. Also once magnified the varied carpet beetle larvae actually look like tiny furry caterpillars with little spines on them whereas the bed bug larvae look like little worms.

Varied carpet beetles do have brown on their backs but they look more spotted or striped with white and light colored patches mixed with brown. Carpet beetles are found in almost every region of the world. The second difference and the biggest nuisance is the fact that bed bugs feed on human blood while carpet beetles feed on animal fibers. But the main difference is that the varied carpet beetle does not feed on blood.

If the bug you have crawling around in your bed is black brownish or red it may be a bed bug but if it is white gray and tannish it is most likely a carpet beetle.