Eastern Bat Bug Identification Guide

Eastern Bat Bug Identification Guide

Physical Characteristics

Eastern bat bugs are small, flat insects shaped like an oval. Adults are 4 to 6 millimeters long, about the size of an apple seed. They range from light tan to reddish-brown in color. After feeding on blood, they turn a darker red. Fine hairs cover their body. The hairs on their upper body are longer than those on bed bugs.

When unfed, their body is very flat. This lets them squeeze into tiny cracks near bat roosts. After a blood meal, the belly swells and becomes rounder. They have six legs, two short antennae, and small wing pads. They cannot fly.

Eastern bat bugs and bed bugs look almost the same to the naked eye. The best way to tell them apart is by looking at the hairs behind their head. This area is called the pronotum. Eastern bat bugs have longer hairs there than bed bugs do. You need a microscope (at least 20x power) to see this clearly.

How Eastern Bat Bugs Differ from Western Bat Bugs

Two types of bat bugs live in North America. The Eastern bat bug (Cimex adjunctus) lives mainly in the eastern United States and eastern Canada. Its range goes from the Atlantic coast to the Great Plains. The Western bat bug (Cimex pilosellus) lives in western and central areas.

Both types act the same way and feed only on bats in the wild. They look alike and cause the same problems in homes. The main difference is where they live. If you are east of the Rocky Mountains and have bat bugs, they are likely Eastern bat bugs.

Eastern Bat Bug Behavior and Biology

Eastern bat bugs live near bat roosts. They hide in cracks and gaps during the day. At night, they come out to feed on sleeping bats. One feeding takes 3 to 15 minutes. After eating, the bug goes back to its hiding spot.

Lifecycle and Reproduction

Eastern bat bugs go through five growth stages before becoming adults. At each stage, they need at least one blood meal to grow to the next size. Young bat bugs (called nymphs) look like small, pale adults. They are almost clear until they feed.

Females can lay several eggs per day in hidden spots near the bat roost. Eggs hatch in about a week when conditions are right. The full cycle from egg to adult takes 30 to 200 days. This depends on temperature and how often they can feed. With steady access to bats, they can breed all year long.

When Eastern Bat Bugs Become a Problem for Homeowners

Eastern bat bugs rarely bother people when bats are around. Problems start when bats leave. This can happen when:

• Bats fly south for winter
• Bats are removed from a building
• The bat group moves on its own
• Hot weather makes bats seek cooler spots

When Eastern bat bugs lose their bat hosts, they get hungry and look for other food sources. They crawl through walls, along pipes, and through cracks to reach rooms where people live. They will bite humans, but they cannot have babies without bat blood. This means the problem will slowly go away on its own once the bats are gone.

Treatment Methods for Eastern Bat Bugs

Getting rid of Eastern bat bugs means dealing with both the bugs and the bats that brought them in. This two-step approach is what makes bat bug treatment different from bed bug treatment.

Step 1: Humane Bat Removal and Exclusion

The first step is to remove bats from the building in a humane way. All bat species in North America have some legal protection. Killing bats is usually not allowed. Wildlife control experts use one-way doors instead. These let bats fly out but stop them from coming back in.

Timing matters when removing bats. The best time is late summer to early fall. Young bats should be able to fly by then, but bats have not started to hibernate yet. Trying to remove bats in late spring or early summer can trap baby bats inside, where they will die.

After the bats leave, all entry points must be sealed for good. Common entry points include gaps along rooflines, broken vents, open chimneys, and holes around pipes and wires.

Step 2: Treating the Roosting Area

Once the bats are gone, the area where they lived needs treatment. This usually includes:

• Spray treatments on surfaces, cracks, and gaps where bat bugs hide
• Dust products in wall spaces and hard-to-reach areas
• Cleaning up bat droppings and debris that may hold bugs and eggs

One good thing about Eastern bat bugs is that they have not built up resistance to pesticides like bed bugs have. They have not been exposed to these products as often. This means treatments work well against them.

Step 3: Preventing Movement into Living Spaces

While treatment is happening, steps should be taken to keep bat bugs out of bedrooms and other rooms:

• Seal gaps around baseboards, outlets, and light fixtures
• Treat pathways between upper areas and living spaces
• Use sticky traps to watch for activity
• Check often for signs of bat bugs

Why Professional Help Is Important

Getting the right identification is key before starting any treatment. If you treat for bed bugs when you have bat bugs, you waste time and money. The bat problem will still be there. Bat removal also requires special training and must follow wildlife laws.

A pest control expert can correctly identify the pest. They can work with wildlife specialists to remove bats the right way. Then they can create a treatment plan that solves the whole problem. Trying to handle bats without training can break laws or trap bats inside your home.

References

• Eastern Bat Bug - Michigan State University Plant & Pest Diagnostics
• Bat Bugs, Bed Bugs and Relatives - Colorado State University Extension
• Bed Bugs or Bat Bugs - Iowa State University Extension
• Featured Insect: The Bat Bug - NC State University
• Eastern Bat Bug - Maryland Biodiversity Project