There are some images that just immediately give you a visceral reaction. It comes on screen and you can literally feel your skin crawling, as if the bug is right there, burrowing into your arm, leaving its eggs in your body, slowing taking you over…

Wow. Scary. It’s a good thing this isn’t a Halloween article. But we imagine as you read those words or looked at our main image, maybe you felt just that. And trust us, bed bugs are nasty and once they take over a room or house, it’s a pain to get rid of them. But this isn’t a bed bug.

It’s worse. Or better, depending on how you encounter it. There are several, mostly really tiny, bugs that look very close to bed bugs.

Bat Bugs

First let’s start with the one that could potentially do you a teensy bit of harm.

Bat bugs are darker and slightly larger than bed bugs. Like bed bugs, they feed on blood. But in a twisted horror movie, they might be the heroes, feeding on the blood of bats. Hence the name. Yes, bat bugs will bite humans, but only if they’re terribly hungry and you’re hanging out in a cave after dark on the wrong side of the tracks.

We don’t see bat bugs much in Florida – but they are prevalent in the Midwest, where many of you go to escape the heat and humidity. Or that’s where you “actually live,” only “visiting” the Gulf Coast of Florida from December through March.

Regardless, bat bugs prefer to stick close to their primary nocturnal food source, which, if you got your bat exclusion done before maternity season started, is far from your home. They aren’t going to follow you home from vacation like bed bugs do.

Mold Mites

Now this is one of the creepier ones – and yet, is also one of the most helpful. It’s all a matter of perspective.

Mold mites are not only super tiny, they’re also transparent. You can see them with the naked eye, but you have to look really closely. Like from a scene from a scary movie, most people notice mold mites when they see little white dots that appear to walk across the ground or countertop.

While you may wonder why you should stay after freaking out at such a sight, maybe it’s because the we know there’s a purpose for them. You see, mold mites eat mold. That’s why they show up. They also breed rapidly. In the 9 to 20 days a mold mite lives, she can lay 500-800 eggs. That’s the fast track to a mold mite infestation. We shouldn’t have to mention this, but… you won’t want to eat any food with mold mites on it. The mold itself should scare you away, but some people are risk takers.

Technically, you could let the mold mites eat all the mold – it’ll take a while, as it spreads to other foods. Or – PLEASE – just grab some bleach or disinfectant wipes and clean that up. No more mold, no more mold mites.

Mold mites do sometimes affect people with allergies, but so does the mold. Again, just clean it up.

Book Lice

This one’s especially scary to book owners. Not only do you have to contend with silverfish eating your precious pages, now you have these guys munching on the paper and sometimes the binding glue of your favorite reads.

Book lice, or Psocoptera have a look very similar to the mold mites. They’re tiny, virtually transparent and can also eat mold, fungi and other starchy materials. But it’s that book paste that takes, er, IS their cake.

But other than their literary attacks, book lice are not a danger to humans or pets.

Fleas

The same cannot be said of our final look-alike contender. Fleas are not as often mistaken for bed bugs, but they do have some resemblances. Of course, both feed on blood. Fleas are typically more of an issue for your dogs and cats, but once they’re in your house, you’re fair game too.

While we can’t lock our pets indoors 24/7 – okay, the cats might prefer that – it’s a good practice to get into, especially in summer months or if you live in a wooded or overgrown area, to do a flea check when they come in. That’s good for finding ticks too.

The easiest way to control fleas, is plenty of cleaning. Using a vacuum or steam cleaner works well on the pets’ bedding, toys, kennel and/or primary sleeping place. Anything you can’t launder, wipe down with an oatmeal-based soap. We do the same for bed bugs, but they’re a lot harder to get rid of and require a lot of heat. Also, don’t forget to empty that vacuum bag or collection chamber outside. Otherwise, flea larvae and eggs can continue the infestation.

If you really have a problem, call a professional. Here at Good News Pest Solutions, we use a proprietary strategy to eliminate all adult fleas and then apply a residual to all fabric and carpeted areas within the infested zones. There’s nothing to fear. It takes us a few hours to complete the process while the family and pets are away.

For more details, or if you have a flea problem, please give us a call!