Are these bedbugs?
January 5, 2018 11:42 AM Subscribe
Help me bugfilter, you’re my only hope.
I just bought a used bookcase from Goodwill and foolishly did not check for bugs and just opened a compartment and found a bunch of dead little bugs and what looks like borax treatment. They are tiny, oval, have a singly bifurcated carapace with wings, and are not flat. I am still terrified and itchy. Here is an imgur album of them. Whatever these guys are, they have been in the back seat of my car. Help?
I just bought a used bookcase from Goodwill and foolishly did not check for bugs and just opened a compartment and found a bunch of dead little bugs and what looks like borax treatment. They are tiny, oval, have a singly bifurcated carapace with wings, and are not flat. I am still terrified and itchy. Here is an imgur album of them. Whatever these guys are, they have been in the back seat of my car. Help?
These bugs look a bit too rounded to be bedbugs. And bedbugs do not have wings. They crawl from nest to host to feed and then crawl back. So I would say your are safe.
posted by brookeb at 11:46 AM on January 5, 2018
posted by brookeb at 11:46 AM on January 5, 2018
When I had a bug-related questions previously, someone suggested reddit and I found /r/whatsthisbug really helpful.
posted by Cogito at 2:57 PM on January 5, 2018
posted by Cogito at 2:57 PM on January 5, 2018
Best answer: I am an exterminator. That is definitely not a bedbug. The pictures a bit small for a positive ID, but considering you found them in a bookcase, I'm guessing they are powder post beetles. Is that a little sawdust I see in one of the pictures?
posted by ambulocetus at 4:11 PM on January 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by ambulocetus at 4:11 PM on January 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
Those look like dermestid beetles to me. Annoying, but definitely not bedbugs. The worst they are likely to do is eat your sweaters.
posted by aecorwin at 5:14 PM on January 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by aecorwin at 5:14 PM on January 5, 2018 [1 favorite]
I bought a table from a junk shop once and it had some kind of bug in it. Seeing we were on the front end of a very cold weather pattern, I wrapped it in black plastic and set it outside in the coldest corner of my yard for three days. It was small enough to fit in a large yard bag. Brought it in, cleaned it up with vinegar and water, and never saw a bug again.
posted by raisingsand at 6:45 AM on January 6, 2018
posted by raisingsand at 6:45 AM on January 6, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 11:45 AM on January 5, 2018 [4 favorites]