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There are a lot of tiny, brown insects that infest homes. Below, we will compare two pests that can cause a lot of trouble: drugstore beetle vs. bed bug.
Finding small, brown dots milling all over your beds and carpets? Before you panic, take a closer look! Tiny, crawling insects over your bed may not necessarily be bed bugs.
In fact, almost 84% of ‘bedbug’ reports to pest control end up actually being some other form of infestation.
There are many other impostors who have similar aesthetics and behavior – a common one being the drugstore beetle.
While both pests should be taken seriously and investigated, drugstore beetles do not usually bite or feast on your blood like bed bugs.
What Are Drugstore Beetles?
These beetles belong to the family of Anobiidae – known for burrowing into wood. Two types of beetles, however, have developed unique tastes.
This includes the cigarette beetle and the drugstore beetle, which choose to attack food products.
Drugstore beetles commonly infest drugstores (hence the names), pharmacies, bakeries, or places with packaged food items.
Large food manufacturing units are especially susceptible to their infestation, and they can cause significant economic losses.
These pantry pests eat pretty much anything – be it chocolates, sweets, grains, or even books and wood.
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What Are Bed Bugs?
Bed bugs are parasitic bugs that feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They commonly burrow and infest carpets, beds, and other upholstery – lending them their name – bed bugs.
They are fast movers and an invasive species. Moreover, they are ‘hitchhikers’ – picking up rides and spreading over from home to home.
The only way to completely get rid of them is through professionals who will thoroughly fumigate your place. They might even have to throw out some unsalvageable items.
Bedbug infestations can often be mistaken for that of other insects. Common signs of bed bugs are::
- Brown color fecal spots on upholstery
- On biting, they leave two dots close to each other on the skin, which might show swelling after a few days.
- Their young leave behind pale white, broken eggshells
What Are The Differences Between The Two?
While bedbugs and drugstore beetles may seem the same to an untrained eye, there are many ways through which you can differentiate between the two. Some key points include their appearance, food habits, and dietary preferences.
Appearance
Adult bedbugs grow up to 1/4th of an inch. Their body is segmented into three parts, with the abdomen being almost circular and flat (when unfed).
They have six legs and two antennae. Generally, bedbugs have a mahogany-brown color, but they change their color to reddish-brown after feeding on blood.
Young bedbug nymphs have a yellow-white color.
On the other hand, adult drugstore beetles are reddish brown in color with an elongated, oval-shaped body.
They grow up to 1/7th of an inch. Hence they are significantly smaller when kept side by side with bed bugs.
They also have six legs and two antennae, but their body has a singular vertical ridge running through the center.
Their larvae (or grubs) are white in color. The biggest difference between the two is that drugstore beetles have wings and can fly, whereas bed bugs cannot.
Life Cycle
Bedbug eggs are pearl-white and hatch into a nymph instead of larvae. There are five stages of growth as a nymph, during which it feeds on hosts and increases in size.
It also changes in color from yellow-white to brown and finally emerges as an adult bedbug. Adult bedbugs may live for 4 to 6 months.
Drugstore beetle eggs are usually laid inside food items such as grains and dry pet food. They hatch into hairy, white grubs that tunnel through the material and finally build pupae.
After around 18 days, they emerge from the pupae as an adult that may live for up to 65 days.
Their entire development cycle is dependent on the temperature as these beetles hatch only when the outer temperature is warm.
Diet
Bedbugs solely feed on blood. Some, like the Cimex lectularius, are partial towards human blood.
However, any warm-blooded animal, such as dogs, cats, and rodents, can be fair game for bedbugs.
Drugstore beetles mostly feast on and are found only in dry food sources. This includes flour, grains, pet food, packaged food, and cereals.
Apart from this, they can easily chew through tin and aluminum. They are also fond of pills and drugs found in drugstores.
A running anonymous joke about these beetles is that they can chew through anything except cast iron!
Habitat
Bedbugs tend to stay close to humans. They are commonly found in niches and cracks of wood, metal, and other surfaces.
They can also burrow within thick mattresses and upholstery. Other areas may include behind pictures, bedframe cracks, and paneling.
Drugstore beetles can be found in a variety of places. While they are mostly found in food items, they are also a common occurrence in pigeon nests.
In earlier times, they used to frequent apothecaries and pharmacies. They prefer warm areas and are not restricted by what material they are feeding on.
Which is More Dangerous To Humans?
Bedbugs use a structure on their mouths called a proboscis to pierce and draw blood from humans and other animals.
They are especially harmful as they can cause allergic reactions and rob you of a peaceful night of sleep.
While they are not fatal, these infestations are very hard to get rid of.
Drugstore beetles, on the other hand, do not harm humans. They tend to burrow into food, and this makes them a huge pest for pantries and other food storage units.
A drugstore beetle infestation makes the stored food unviable. You might even need to do a complete pesticidal solution if they are present in large numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you tell the difference between a bed bug and a beetle?
A simple way to differentiate between a bed bug and a beetle is based on how they look and act.
Bedbugs are rounder and bite, whereas drugstore beetles are longer and do not bite. Carpet beetles bite but only grow to only 1/8th of an inch.
Why are there drugstore beetles in my bedroom
There are two things that attract these beetles – light and female drugstore beetle pheromones!
If you do not have food in your room but still see a drugstore beetle infestation, it could be that they are in the kitchen but have come here attracted by light.
Moreover, these critters have wings, which makes it very easy for them to infest one room if they are already present in another.
Does the drugstore beetle bite?
The drugstore beetle does not bite, but sometimes parasitic wasps may co-exist in their colonies, and these do bite.
However, both bedbugs and drugstore beetles may cause an allergic reaction. For drugstore beetle, this is due to the hair on their larvae, whereas for bed bugs it is their bite that can cause the problem.
Is there a bug that can be mistaken for bed bugs?
Due to their small size, many other insects can be commonly mistaken for bedbugs.
A few common culprits are – spider beetles, stinkbugs, carpet beetles, and drugstore beetles.
But closer visual observation is quite enough to distinguish between them if you know what to look for.
Wrap Up
Due to their small size, identifying bedbugs vs. beetles is a common confusion point. So keep an eye out for other clues that point out to their habitat or eating habits.
It is important to know the distinction between various insects and their infestations so one can identify the best course of action against them.
We hope this information helped you identify them more easily. Thank you for reading!
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