Identifying a bat bug infestation in your home involves recognizing the subtle differences between bat bugs and their closely related counterparts, such as bed bugs. Bat bugs, or Cimex adjuncts, resemble bed bugs but have longer hairs on their thorax. This difference may require magnification, but it’s a crucial identifier. Bat bugs primarily feed on the blood of bats; hence, an infestation is often tied to a current or previous presence of bats in the building, such as in attics, walls, or chimneys. Signs of a bat bug infestation include seeing the insects, which are small, brown, and flat-bodied, near bat roosting areas or even in living spaces if bats have moved out. Unlike bed bugs, bat bugs are less likely to stay close to human sleeping areas unless their primary food source has disappeared. Additional indicators include small, reddish-brown fecal spots on surfaces, moulted skins, and, in severe cases, bites on humans that resemble bed bug bites, which occur when bat bugs cannot access their preferred bat hosts and turn to feed on human blood. Inspecting for signs of bats in conjunction with bat bugs is essential, as controlling the bat population humanely and legally is often the first step in managing a bat bug issue. I