In appearance, carpet beetles and bed bugs share a few common traits. They are both small and oval-shaped, but their similarities stop there! Carpet beetles can be found in various colors, have shorter antennae, and are usually a bit smaller than bed bugs.
Bed bugs are reddish-brown in color and less rounded than carpet beetles, about the size and shape of an apple seed. It’s also easier to see bed bugs’ eyes than carpet beetles’. The most obvious difference is the appearance of each insects’ larvae: Bed bug larvae are longer and worm-like, while carpet beetle larvae look like little fuzzy caterpillars.