Zero bugs crawling on my neck is the right number

February 21, 2019 6:17 PM

I’m pretty sure this bug that I literally found crawling on my neck while sitting in bed (why why why) is not a bedbug. Please reassure me. If it is not (carpet beetle maybe?) I still don’t like that! What do I do? Are there more in my bed? Am I going to sleep tonight? HOW?
posted by loolie to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Best answer: Definitely, definitely not a bedbug. That is a beetle. Bedbugs are not beetles, so you're good there. They are hemipterans, totally different order from beetles.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:21 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: And yeah, carpet beetle. Spot on.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:22 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Beetle for sure. One way to prove something is not a bedbug: crush it. If it crunches, it’s certainly not a bed bug. If it squishes, it may or may not be a bedbug. If it squishes and lets out a bloody smear, well that’s pretty good indication that it was a bedbug, but still not foolproof.

Also even in that blurry photo we can see elytra, a sure sign that you have a beetle (Coleoptera) or true bug (Hemiptera).

For the record, no beetle is a Hemipteran, all beetles are Coleoptera.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:26 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: There probably aren't more carpet beetles in your bed. They're eating something dry and animal-derived somewhere protected; do you have some woolen items that you haven't looked at in a while? Do you happen to be wearing a wool sweater? That could get one on your neck.
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:27 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

Sorry, my prior comment is a bit muddled. To be clear: No bedbugs have elytra. Most Hemiptera have elytra. Bedbugs are hemipterans, but the crunchy elytra of most species can help you be sure they are not bedbugs. Hope that helps for future reference.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:36 PM on February 21, 2019 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: You are all wonderful people.
posted by loolie at 7:01 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Don't get worried if you do get bumps or a rash. Some people have allergic reactions to carpet beetles (I know this because I am one of them). It can look similar to bedbug bites.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 8:11 PM on February 21, 2019 [3 favorites]