Bed bugs or body lice? Help ID [a: mites] « Got Bed Bugs …

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Hi everyone. I'd love some help ID-ing these as bed bugs, body lice, or carpet beetles. Sorry for the poor quality of the images, and thanks for any help you can provide.

Set of images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/102295490@N03/sets/72157635656040473/ Best image with no blood: http://flic.kr/p/fXSita Best image with blood: http://flic.kr/p/fXSCg8 Video of bug crawling on green bedsheet: http://flic.kr/p/fXTX9X

The basics:

The smaller ones are smaller than the "O" in the word "DOLLAR" on the front of a U.S. quarter. I caught 37 of these small guys in my bed, on my bedside table, and on my legs this morning. They looked like flecks of dirt crawling around. They're about the size of poppy seeds, which makes me think lice. I'm pretty sure the large ones are carpet beetles.

The story:

My roommate in Los Angeles began getting bites a few weeks ago, thought it was lice, treated it, and stopped getting bites. I returned home to LA from out of town and started getting bitten shortly thereafter. The bites seemed to happen while I slept and I got them a few nights in a row. Then he began getting bites again.

We found a few bugs in the seam where the carpet meets the wall. We taped them to index cards and thought they were bed bugs. We called an exterminator. He seemed very unprofessional, said the bugs we caught were bed bugs, and quoted us at $840 for the whole unit (it's a 2-bedroom coach house).

Our landlord asked us to get a second estimate, so I called Isotech because they came highly recommended on this forum. The inspector came, looked at my initial index card with the larger bugs, said they were carpet beetles, and told me to clean and vacuum the room thoroughly. I was relieved. This guy seemed much more knowledgeable than the one from the other company.

However, I thought I might still be getting bitten, and this morning at 5AM I caught the 37 much smaller bugs. I put them on new index cards and called Isotech again. The guy asked me to text him some photos, which I did. He thought body lice and double-checked it with their expert who confirmed lice.

Basically, I'd like confirmation of lice here on the forum, just to be sure. To be clear, I'm really happy with Isotech. The guy came once, correctly identified my first specimens as carpet beetles, and correctly noted no signs of bed bugs (no obvious fecal matter). Then, he helpfully spent time looking at my photos and talking to me on the phone. He's been great.

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Bed bugs or body lice? Help ID [a: mites] « Got Bed Bugs ...

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