Carpet Beetle vs Bed Bug: How They Differ

Becoming a homeowner is an experience that brings many ups and downs. Whether you are just moving in or have lived in a home for years, at some point you will run into pests. Even if you don’t have carpet in your home, you will have furniture, clothes, curtains, and other necessities that will attract a pest called the carpet beetle, along with other bugs that look like carpet beetles. Take this one for example: the carpet beetle vs bed bug. How are they different? What are their similarities? And what other pests give them a run for their money?

Just about everyone has heard of bed bugs, but what about carpet beetles? Carpet beetles are tiny bugs that are highly attracted to fibrous materials such as carpets. These little guys are oval-shaped and are a variety of colors of black, brown, yellow, and orange. They come inside homes to lay eggs so that once the eggs hatch, they have enough food to eat.

Carpet beetle larvae eat a healthy portion of carpet fibers, clothing, furniture fibers, and even curtains. The larvae of a carpet beetle look extremely different from the adult with its furry appearance. Their larva stage is the only stage in which carpet beetles can be a health risk. This is due to the larvae having tiny hairs and the fact that they shed a lot can cause allergy issues in allergy-prone people. Carpet beetles and larvae do not eat household fibers alone; they also eat animal furs and can be found around animal bedding and cages. They can lay 100 eggs in one day, making infestations possible and unwanted. However, a carpet beetle vs bed bug larva seems like a cuddly little teddy bear when it comes to comparing what food they need to survive…bed bug larvae eat BLOOD.

Carpet beetles are not harmful to humans but can do a number on a home if left unchecked. They can’t bite you or spread diseases (other than allergies) but they cause damage to the things that you have spent hard earned money on. Soon, you will start to notice holes forming in your carpet and on your furniture. Clothing items, especially ones that are stored in containers, will have holes in them as well.

It’s true that carpet beetles come in several different types, varied by color, but their shape, eating habits, and breeding habits are all the same. With carpet beetles being tiny, oval-shaped creatures, it’s only natural they could be mistaken for other pests. When comparing the carpet beetle vs bed bug, bed bugs are also oval shaped, but they are more flat and mostly reddish brown to black. Fun Fact: They swell and turn more red as they eat blood. Bed bugs are also larger than carpet beetles by about 2-3 millimeters. Carpet beetles look a bit like really small ladybugs when they are adults. On the other hand, we doubt you’ll ever confuse bed bugs for adorable ladybugs.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs are at the top for carpet beetle look-a-likes. They are tiny with an oval-shaped body and they are no stranger to coming inside your house. The color of ladybugs varies as well and can definitely leave you wondering, “Is this really a carpet beetle?”

Fleas

Fleas are tiny and black and can be easily spotted around animal bedding or anywhere your animal is allowed to roam indoors. Noticing a flea moving around can look like a carpet beetle but a distinguishing factor is that fleas will jump around and carpet beetles will not.

Ticks

Ticks, especially the species of soft ticks, are one of those bugs that look like carpet beetles. Brown carpet beetles and soft ticks look almost identical and it can be very hard to determine which is which.

Baby Cockroaches

Baby cockroaches are constantly mistaken for carpet beetles. They look identical at this stage but the mistake can be a costly one because a cockroach infestation can lead to health risks since they can spread illness around your home.

Colorado Potato Beetle

The Colorado potato beetle closely resembles carpet beetles in size, color, and shape. The difference is that the Colorado potato beetle has distinct stripes on the back, whereas carpet beetles do not have stripes. Colorado potato beetles also prefer outdoors instead of indoors and can be found on potato plants.

Unless you are a bug enthusiast and can recognize the differences in a carpet beetle vs bed bug or other pest, identifying carpet beetles can be hard. A single look can range from a true carpet beetle to a whole other insect species and some of those can come with bigger risks. Bed bugs, ticks, and cockroaches are all insects that look like carpet beetles but actually can be more harmful if left unattended. These other bugs can cause serious health risks and should be properly identified and treated. Several treatment methods can be applied but the overall treatment is…consistently vacuuming your home. Carpet beetles and other tiny insects can be easily vacuumed up on carpet and furniture surfaces. Vacuuming with the hose in corners and window seals will help take care of any carpet beetle breeding areas by sucking up the eggs.

Washing clothes, bedding, curtains, and even your child’s stuffed animals on a regular basis will cut back on carpet beetles. Cleaning them regularly will also help preserve your items from being damaged with holes by carpet beetles’ appetite. Overall cleanliness of your home on a consistent basis can be a manageable solution for carpet beetles.

If things are out of hand and you really don’t know what you are dealing with, it is always best to consult with a professional. Kapture Pest Control is local and family owned. We are always happy to come by your home to take a look to help identify if it’s a carpet beetle or bed bug issue or another type of insect infestation. We have solutions we can apply to help rid your home of carpet beetles and can even treat areas that may be hard to reach. The solutions we use at Kapture Pest Control are eco-friendly and safe to use indoors so you don’t have to worry about your family or animals. Give Kapture a call when you need help identifying pests and carpet beetles, and we will work with you to come up with a plan customized for your needs.