Finding a tiny, dark bug crawling on you is enough to make anyone uneasy. If it looks like a tick, your first thought might be to get rid of it fast. But before you panic, take a closer look.
Surprisingly, there are many bugs that look like ticks, and you may mistake them for tiny blood-sucking pests at first glance. Check out our article, where we detail five bugs that look like ticks!
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Carpet Beetles
You spot a tiny bug crawling on your couch or even inching up your arm, and your first thought is, Is that a tick? With their round bodies and similar coloring, some insects look so much like ticks that they can easily be mistaken for these blood-sucking pests. But not every small, dark bug in your home is out for blood.
One of the most common tick-look-alike bugs is the carpet beetle. Unlike ticks, these beetles don’t bite or spread disease. Instead, they snack on furniture, fabrics, and natural fibers, turning your living room into an insect buffet!
However, their small size and dark, oval-shaped bodies make them easy to confuse with dog ticks. So, how can you tell the difference? Ticks have eight legs that stick out from the sides of their bodies, a small head, and a flatter shape.
Carpet beetles, on the other hand, have six thin legs tucked underneath their bodies, giving them a more rounded appearance as they move. While ticks latch onto a host, beetles that look like ticks tend to stick to carpets, furniture, and clothing.
Bed Bugs
At first glance, bed bugs can look a lot like ticks. Both are small, round, and feed on blood, making them easy to confuse. But despite their similarities, bed bugs behave very differently from ticks, and knowing the difference can help you figure out what you’re dealing with.
Unlike ticks, bed bugs aren’t solitary pests. While you may find a tick or two on your clothing or skin after a hike, bed bugs live together in hoards and typically retreat from their hiding spots at night to bite.
Size is another giveaway. Most ticks are smaller than 3 millimeters and can be hard to spot until they bite. Adult bed bugs dwarf all tick species and grow to around 7 millimeters. While not large insects, you can typically set these pests apart by their size alone.
Because bed bugs primarily feed on immobile objects, it’s unlikely you’ll find one crawling on your body during the day. If you lift a cushion or your mattress, you can find groups of bed bugs waiting to take a bite. Ticks won’t congregate in areas like this, and you’ll only get bitten if one hitches a ride from tall grass, branches, roots, or another host like your pets.
Clover Mite
Clover mites aren’t bugs that look like ticks in the traditional sense. Easily spotted with their bright red bodies, clover mites are hard to miss as they crawl atop your plants or inside your home.
Clover mites are much smaller than most tick species, but from a distance, they can look like a tick look-alike bug that hasn’t fed. Unlike ticks, clover mites don’t bite, spread disease, or latch onto people or pets. They mostly infest gardens and sometimes sneak indoors, especially if you have shrubs or brush piles near doors and windows.
If you spot tick-like bugs in the house, don’t panic. If they are tiny, red, and crawling near windows or plants, you are probably dealing with clover mites, not ticks. Wipe them away or contact a pest control service if they keep showing up.
Be careful not to confuse them with harvest mites, another tick look-alike that is much harder to see. Unlike clover mites, harvest mites can bite and leave behind itchy welts that last for days. Knowing the difference between bugs that look like ticks but aren’t can help you figure out whether you are dealing with a nuisance or a real threat!
Fleas
Ticks and fleas often go hand in hand, especially if you own pets. While typically tiny, you may mistake a flea for a tick at first glance.
Like ticks, fleas bite you, leaving you scratching your skin for days. You’ll commonly see cats and dogs scratching at annoying flea bites, but these pests could also bother you! If you have a large infestation or sleep next to your furry friend, you could suffer from itchy bites!
Fleas may have the same color as some tick species and are as small as juvenile ticks. If you’ve caught a glimpse of bugs that look like ticks, take a look at any potential bites to tell what pest is plaguing you.
While you may have a few tick bites, at most, you’re more likely to have multiple marks from a flea infestation. Ticks often leave behind a small hole after feeding, while flea bites mimic the appearance of a typical bug bite.
Similar to ticks, fleas can transmit serious diseases to humans and animals alike. According to the Centers for Disease Control, fleas can transfer the plague or tapeworms, although these cases are rare. If you are scratched by a cat infected by the cat-scratch disease, which is passed along by infected fleas, you could also become sick.
Ladybugs
We all know ladybugs are common indoor nuisances. They swarm around your light fixtures and land on you when you least expect them!While ladybugs are known for their bright red appearance, you can find these small beetles in almost any color!
Some beetles that look like ticks are entirely black, while others have white markings that resemble dog ticks. The ashy gray lady beetle, in particular, can look like an engorged deer tick or dog tick at first glance. However, there are key differences between these pests.
Ladybugs have oval-shaped bodies with smooth, rounded shells, while ticks have rigid, flat exoskeletons. If you spot a round insect with tiny spots rather than a solid-colored body, you are likely dealing with a ladybug infestation, not ticks.
Have Ticks (Or Bugs that Look Like Ticks?) Call proof.!
If you’re finding bugs in your home or yard, turn to a reputable pest control agency like proof. to solve the problem.
Here at proof. Pest Control, we offer tick, flea, and bed bug services! We can lend a hand if you’re having trouble with beetles like pesky carpet beetles or ladybugs.
We have specialized tick, flea, and bed bug treatments that can quickly remove these pests from your property. Whether you have ticks populating your backyard or have bugs that look like ticks roaming around your home, contact proof. to lend a hand.