Quick comparison
| Bed bugs | Bat bugs | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks | Flat, oval, reddish-brown, wingless | Nearly identical to the naked eye (NC State) |
| Key ID feature | Fringe hairs behind the head shorter than the eye is wide | Fringe hairs as long as or longer than the eye is wide (Univ. of Tennessee; Colorado State) |
| To see that hair-vs-eye feature | Magnification. NC State recommends a 20x to 50x stereoscope or USB microscope (NC State). We don't check specimens that way; we go by the evidence on site. | Same |
| Main host | People | Bats (Penn State) |
| Reproduces on human blood? | Yes | No (Colorado State; Iowa State) |
| Where they're found | Beds, chairs and sofas where people rest | Attics, eaves, wall voids, chimneys and under shingles where bats roost, and upper floors near the roost (Colorado State; University of Minnesota) |
| How they're usually seen | In groups (aggregations) | Usually one at a time (Colorado State) |
| The fix | Bed bug treatment of the living space | Get the bats removed or checked first, then the bugs can be treated the same way. We don't treat bats or roosts. |
Why bat bugs get mistaken for bed bugs
They're in the same insect family (Cimicidae), and even a trained eye can't separate them without magnification (NC State). Both bite people. Neither is known to transmit disease to humans (Iowa State).
The mix-up is common. Iowa State's Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic reported that most suspected bed bugs sent to it in 2023 turned out to be bat bugs, and it warns that treating a bat bug problem as a bed bug problem can waste hundreds or even thousands of dollars (Iowa State). The EPA makes the same point about look-alikes in general: getting the ID right is the first step, so you don't pay to treat the wrong bug (EPA).
Bat bugs are also found in Virginia's neighboring states. Penn State lists the Eastern bat bug (Cimex adjunctus) in Pennsylvania (Penn State), and the University of Tennessee says Tennesseans could encounter it too (Univ. of Tennessee).
We've only run into them a couple of times here in Virginia, but the pattern was consistent. If people start seeing bugs coming from a ceiling vent, or from somewhere high up where a bed bug infestation doesn't really make sense, that's when we start looking into bat bugs.
Clues it might be bat bugs, not bed bugs
None of these proves it on its own, but together they're worth a closer look:
- You know or suspect bats are in the attic, walls or chimney. Bat bugs are found in buildings that harbor roosting bats, including attics and eaves (Colorado State; University of Minnesota).
- The bugs show up on the top floor or near the ceiling, attic access, a chimney, light fixtures or vents. That's the tip-off we've seen in the field: bugs coming from a ceiling vent or from high spots where bed bugs wouldn't make sense. NC State says bugs coming down a chimney or out of an attic should be identified right away (NC State).
- You find single bugs, not clusters. Bat bugs are typically spotted one at a time; bed bugs tend to group up (Colorado State).
- The bats just left or were just sealed out. When bats leave, die or are excluded, bat bugs start moving into the living space to find another host, according to NC State within one to four weeks (NC State; Univ. of Tennessee).
- Timing. Colorado State notes bat bugs tend to turn up in living areas in early autumn and mid-spring, when migrating bats leave and return (Colorado State Cimicid ID guide). In Virginia, most attic bat colonies leave in the fall (Virginia DWR).
Clues that point back toward bed bugs: groups of bugs, shed skins and dark spotting along mattress seams, box springs, bed frames and headboards, and recent travel, used furniture or a neighboring unit with bed bugs. See signs of bed bugs and can bed bugs spread between apartments.
One more wrinkle: both can be in the same building at the same time (Univ. of Tennessee). That's why the location and the rest of the evidence matter more than a single bug in a photo.
How we tell them apart
We don't check specimens under magnification. We go by the evidence we see and gather: where the bugs are showing up, whether you know or suspect bats in the attic, walls or chimney, and whether the pattern looks like bed bugs around a bed or couch.
If you want a laboratory identification, save a specimen in clear tape or a sealed zip bag and take it to your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office. They can send it to Virginia Tech's Insect Identification Lab. One customer sent a bug she found to Virginia Tech to have it identified. A photo usually isn't enough for the hair-versus-eye comparison, because that needs magnification (NC State). Note where you found it — bed, couch, ceiling vent, attic hatch or chimney. Location is half the answer.
For what bed bugs look like at every stage, see our bed bug identification guide.
Why the bats have to be handled first
Bed bugs reproduce on people, so the infestation lives where people sleep and sit. That calls for a bed bug treatment of the living space, such as whole-home heat treatment or Aprehend. See heat treatment vs Aprehend vs chemical spray for how the options compare, and why DIY bed bug treatments fail.
Bat bugs are killed the same way as bed bugs. The difference is the source. If the bats stay, the bugs can come back.
- Get the bats handled first. We don't treat bats or roosts. If we suspect bat bugs, we'll tell you and have you get the bats removed or checked before we treat. Search for a local wildlife removal company — we don't recommend a specific one. Follow Virginia's rules on timing and exclusion, below. University sources agree that long-term control starts with getting the bats out and keeping them out (NC State; Univ. of Kentucky).
- Then treat the bugs. Once the bats are gone, we treat bat bugs the same way we treat bed bugs. NC State also recommends treating bat roosting areas after exclusion (NC State). We don't treat attics or roosts; our work is the bugs, after the bats have been handled.
- Expect stragglers. After the bats are gone, bat bugs can keep wandering for several months looking for a meal. Colorado State says they can live seven or eight months without feeding and, in certain conditions, over a year (Colorado State). NC State says it isn't unusual to see them in living areas for several weeks after treatment (NC State).
Treating only the bedroom while bats stay in the attic misses the source. If we have any suspicion it could be bat bugs, we won't start a treatment until the bats have been checked or removed.
Bats in Virginia: rules and timing
If bats are the source, how they're removed matters. Here's what Virginia's Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) says:
- No poisoning or relocating. In Virginia it's illegal to poison any animal other than rats and mice on your property, including bats, and illegal to transport or relocate a bat anywhere other than the property where it was caught (Virginia DWR).
- Exclusion is the long-term fix. The only effective way to keep bats out of an attic is to close off every entrance. That usually means one-way doors so the bats can leave, then sealing the openings (Virginia DWR).
- Timing matters. From May through August, flightless young may still be in the roost. Don't seal openings until you're sure no young are left. DWR says the best time to exclude bats is before they arrive in spring or after they leave in fall (Virginia DWR; Virginia DWR).
- Guano. Bat droppings can harbor histoplasmosis spores, and DWR recommends professional cleanup (Virginia DWR).
- While you wait. If a maternity colony stays until fall, DWR suggests closing off access points from the attic into the house until the bats leave (Virginia DWR).
For landlords and property managers
A tenant report of bugs on a top-floor unit near the attic or roofline should get a closer look before a bed bug treatment is scheduled. If it might be bat bugs, units below a bat roost can keep getting visitors until the bats are excluded. If it's bed bugs, the usual rules apply. See are landlords responsible for bed bugs in Virginia and our apartment and property manager services.
When to call us
Call if you've found a bug you can't identify, especially if it's near a bed or couch, or if you've already had bites. We respond the same day, and if it's bed bugs, our treatments come with a 6-month warranty and payment plans through Wisetack. If we suspect bat bugs, we'll tell you and have you get the bats handled first, before we treat.