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Finding a small, reddish-brown bug in your home can be concerning, especially when it resembles a bed bug. However, not every bug that looks like a bed bug is one. Bat bugs (Cimex adjunctus) are close relatives of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) and can sometimes be found indoors, making identification important.
Traveling to far areas of the globe shrinks our world and allows pests to travel in our belongings home with us. Bed bugs are common in many areas of the world, and many people never think about what is in bed with them.
Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and feed on blood.
These small wingless insects are not known to transmit disease and tend to hide in furniture, beds, box springs, outlet covers, rugs, etc.
Adults are elongated and flat, but when they are gorged, they become round. You may discover them in sheets (they are attracted to warm bodies), and they scurry away quickly.
Evidence is dead bodies, cast skins, black fecal markings that are dried blood and bites with reactions. Welts and bumps can arise.
Bed bugs are difficult to eradicate, as they can hide in drawers, stuffed animals, dolls and other toys, clothes, etc. Contact a reputable pest control specialist for diagnosis, plan of action, and costs associated with extermination.
Bat bugs, though they resemble bed bugs, are a different story.
They are primarily associated with bats, which may roost in attics, barns, wall voids and other areas of homes, using these spaces to rest and raise their young.
When bats leave or are removed from a structure, bat bugs may move into living areas in search of an alternate host to feed on which on occasion, may include humans.
Now for the comparison. These insects look the same to the naked eye, but upon closer inspection, one can see differences. First, look at the length of the hairs on the sides of the pronotum (the thorax). Bat bugs have longer hairs, while bed bugs have shorter hairs. Another way to distinguish them is to compare the length of these hairs with the width of the eye. Bed bug hairs are shorter than the width of the eye, while bat bug hairs are longer than the width of the eye.
This is why you should contact a professional for identification.
A professional can monitor your home and explain the procedures to be used. Remember, although both bat bugs and bed bugs can bite humans, neither are known to transmit diseases to people.