What is this bug?

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tarnished Huntington Station, NY Jun 28, 2018

For the last few weeks I’ve been finding these bugs in and around my bed. At first I thought they might have been tiny spiders because I found a few climbing on walls near spiderwebs, but now I’m worried they might be bed bugs. So far I haven’t been bitten, but once or twice I found one crawling on me.

I know these aren’t the best pictures (obviously it was taken after I already killed the bug), but it’s the best I could do. If anyone could help to identify it, I would really appreciate it – they’re driving me crazy! I can’t even sleep at night anymore.

(The weave in the background of the photo is a paper towel, just to give you an idea of how small they really are.)

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Post #10372434
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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Jun 29, 2018

Very difficult to identify for certain from these images, but definitely not a bed bug. Are there any bird nests on/near your dwelling that may have been abandoned recently? Also, if you see another one, try to capture it, place it in a small container in your refrigerator for an hour or so, then take it out and get a clear image of it before it warms up and starts to move.

Post #10372447
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tarnished Huntington Station, NY Jun 30, 2018

Quote from Flapdoodle :
Are there any bird nests on/near your dwelling that may have been abandoned recently?


Not that I’m aware of, but maybe about two months ago I found an abandoned bird egg on my front lawn. Don’t know if that helps you at all...

I did manage to take some better pictures tonight. These bugs are so tiny that they’re really difficult to photograph alive, but you might at least be able to make out some identifying features here.

Thanks for your help! It’s a relief just knowing it’s not bed bugs I’m dealing with.

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Post #10372569
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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Jun 30, 2018

Much better images - this definitely is a tiny spider such as a wall spider in the family Oecobiidae. These appear to feed primarily on ants, and are completely harmless to humans.
http://spiderbytes.org/tag/oecobius/

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