We strongly recommend getting a dog inspection for bed bugs even for customers who say they've seen live bed bugs in their residence. Why? It is not uncommon to confuse carpet beetles for bed bugs. If no dog bed bug inspection is done, customers would have to go through the entire bed bug treatment, which is costly and inconvenient, for no reason. Below are some ways in which carpet beetles can be distinguished from bed bugs.
Carpet beetles and bed bugs do share some similarities. For one, they look similar. They are both small, have a rounded appearance, and climb on furniture. However, upon closer examination, you should be able to tell the difference between a bed bug and a carpet beetle. While a bedbug's color reddish brown, carpet beetles tend to be either black in color or a mix of yellowish brown, black, and white. Additionally, carpet beetles are more rounded, while bed bugs are flatter. See the pictures below to compare.
Also, while both bugs are disgusting, only bed bugs bite. So if you are receiving bites, you probably have bed bugs. In rare cases, carpet beetles cause allergies that may look like bites, but in general, bites are a sure sign of a bed bug problem.
Finally, carpet beetles and bed bugs have very different life cycles. While bed bugs look pretty much identical throughout their life cycles, carpet beetles change drastically throughout. When they hatch from their eggs, they look like small, hairy worms. Bed bugs, on the other hand, look like-bed bugs, just smaller.
These tips should help you distinguish between carpet beetles and bed bugs. Either way, the problem should be treated-but each bug requires different treatment so it is important to know what you are dealing with!
From http://www.resteasypestcontrol.com/blog/bid/292924/Bed-Bug-Detection-NYC-Are-They-Bed-Bugs-or-Carpet-Beetles