No one likes to find any type of bug in their home but what do you do when you find one that is very small and you suspect it might be a big problem?
There are two types of bugs that are found in homes across America in one type is more dangerous to humans than the other but both are nuisances that you will want to get rid of right away.
The two types are carpet beetles and bed bugs and this article will tell you a lot of information about each so that you will know the difference between the two and how to get rid of them.
When it comes to carpet beetle vs bed bug, let’s start with what they look like.
Bed Bugs are part of the Cimicidae family while carpet beetles are members of the Dermestids family. This means that the two types of bugs look very different from one another, including in their size. Bed bugs are about 1/4 of an inch long wall carpet beetles are about 1/16 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch long.
This means bed bugs are bigger and have flatter bodies than carpet beetles do. In other words, carpet beetles can vary in their sizes while bed bugs are all the same size.
Also, there are several species of carpet beetles which means they can look different from one another. Keep in mind, too, that carpet beetles have wings and can fly while bed bugs do not have wings and cannot fly.
Carpet beetles also lay larvae that are actually bigger than the adult bugs so if you find carpet beetle larvae, you can bet you have a carpet beetle infestation and not bed bugs in your home.
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What Do They Look Like?
Let us look at the difference between the two, starting with a photo of a bed bug:
Here is a photo of a carpet beetle:
Bed bugs drink human blood and bed bug bites will leave your skin itchy, much like flea bites, while carpet beetles will not bite you or do any harm to you directly.
The carpet beetle larva will eat animal hair, silk, fur, sweaters, scarves, towels, and carpet so they can and will do a lot of damage to your home. Infested items can also include upholstered furniture.
The larvae from carpet beetles, though, can cause an allergic reaction in some people, which is known as carpet beetle dermatitis. The rash you get from this will be more painful while a bed bug bite will leave you itchier.
Bedbug bites are much more common than the rash you get from carpet beetle larvae.
Where are They?
Bedbugs like to stay close to their victims which if you have them in your house , that will be you. They only attack at night so they will hide in your mattress and under it, dresser drawers another drawers, floorboards, cracks in your wall , an even electrical outlets.
They only come out at night to start feeding. Since bedbugs do not fly like carpet beetles do , they can only get into your house through contaminated items , such as a mattress you bought at a yard sale or from another person who had bedbugs.
Locally where I live, there was a huge bed bug infestation throughout our town, including at our schools.
Some schools even have to close down for a few days well they called pest control to come and to spray to get rid of the horrible little bugs. Bed bug eggs also must be eliminated to avoid re-infestation.
Carpet beetles are easier to find in your home than bed bugs and will be close to their food supply which means, closed dark places, such as basements or attics, where items are kept that they can feed off of, including wool rugs or the dead carcasses of a mouse or rat.
An adult carpet beetle may also be found near a window since that is the main way they get into your home. While carpet beetles can be found throughout the United States, they are more prevalent in the south due to the warmer climate which promotes their breeding times.
Both are Dangerous
While carpet beetles are much more dangerous to your carpet and other items, if you have an allergic reaction to the larvae, it can affect your health.
A bed bug problem is much worse for your health since they can carry diseases and the rash you get from them can become infected if not treated right away.
How Do You Elimate Bed Bugs and Carpet Beetles?
There are plenty of home remedies and you can spray insecticide to get rid of both carpet beetle infestations and bed bug infestations in your home but having your home exterminated seems to be the safest, quickest, and most efficient way to get do it.
A professional exterminator will know exactly what he or she is doing and their work is normally guaranteed which means if the problem is not resolved, you do have a recourse to get all or at least most of your money back and call someone else.
Also, you need to ensure that the bed bug larvae and carpet beetle larvae are also eliminated or your problem will not be solved and you will quickly find that out.
Basically, when it comes to both bed bugs and carpet beetles, the best insects are dead insects since either one will cause havoc and stress in your home and in your life. You will want to eliminate an insect, such as a carpet beetle or a bed bug as soon as you find out there is an issue.
Do carpet beetles crawl on you?
Carpet beetles like to eat the oils that are found in human hair which will cause them to come to your bed in the night to chew on your hair. If they walk across your body to get to your hair, it can give a person who is allergic to them a very bad rash.
Can you have carpet beetles and bed bugs?
It is possible for someone to have both bedbugs and carpet beetles in their home at one time but it is very rare and highly unlikely.
Can boric acid kill bed bugs and carpet beetles?
Using boric acid in your home in a gel, spray, dust, bait, paste, or liquid can help get rid of many types of bugs, including bed bugs and carpet beetles, but only if they ingest it.
Many times they will be it may take several applications over a period of time for this to occur. This method is also ineffective on bed bug eggs which means your home will eventually be reinfected.
What is a stink bug?
Stink bugs are not part of the beetles family or the bedbug family and are actually shaped like a shield that usually has bright colors or bold markings. If you kill a stink in your house it will emit a horrible smell.
I just killed one not very long ago and it stunk for days so I do not recommend it. It is better to grab it up with a cloth or something and put it outside.
