When you wake up with bites on your skin, you're going to have questions. Lots of questions. The first is, "What's biting me?" If you have fleas, you may immediately know it as you may see them bouncing around inside your home. But it is possible to have fleas and not see them, particularly at the onset of a problem. You might think you have bed bugs if you don't see the fleas or notice bugs crawling on your mattress or tucked away in the seams. Let's look at how these two unique pests operate and what you can do about them.
Flea bite Or bed bug bite?
Both pests are going to bite you. They survive on blood meals. But there are some differences in the way they bite and the symptoms of the bite wounds. It is helpful to know these differences.
Flea bites
- Often on the ankles.
- Often have a scab because flea bites are intensely itchy.
- Look random on the skin because each insect typically bites once.
- A red area of irritation is usually found around each bite wound.
Bed bug bites
- Often on the shoulders, neck, or face.
- May not have a scab because the wounds vary in itchiness.
- Often has a pattern because each insect can bite three times during nighttime feedings.
- A bed bug bite can have a rash that encompasses more than one bite wound, a small rash around each wound, or no rash at all.
Some flea bites look exactly like some bed bug bites. The facts above may help you figure out which of these two pests is causing trouble in your home, but more data may be needed.
When you wake up with bites, it is important to know that you may not even have an indoor insect biting you. It can take hours for your body to react to an insect bite. Some bites take more than a day to develop into an itchy wound. So it is important to know how to find these pests in your home.
How to find fleas
If you're not seeing them leaping up from your floors or off your couch, you can search for them on your pets. When fleas are on a dog or cat, you can use a comb to detect them. The fecal matter of fleas looks like dirt and is often referred to as "flea dirt." Look for this dirt or for the presence of tiny, brownish-red insects that quickly hide as you part the hair with the comb.
How to find bed bugs
It is a bit trickier to find bed bugs. These pests hide in cracks, crevices, and tight spaces. The first place to look for these bugs is your bed. Check the following places:
- Along the seams of mattresses and box springs.
- Underneath mattress or box spring labels.
- Around mattress vents.
- In the frame of your box spring.
- In the frame of your bed.
- Underneath the feet of your bed frame.
- Under the feet of other furniture near your bed.
- Between the mattress and the box spring.
After checking your bed, you should inspect common areas of your home, like your living room. You may find bed bugs in the couch, recliner, or coffee table. You may also find them under your furniture.
Once you've checked every location where you sleep, sit, or lounge, inspect tight spaces around these areas. For example, bed bugs often hide in the tight spaces of picture and painting frames, underneath carpet edges, and inside wall outlets.
If you have bed bugs, you'll find black excrement, brown stains, shed skins, tiny white eggs, or these insects in one of their stages of development. Bed bugs begin life as nymphs, so they're always six-legged insects. But they look quite a bit different at first. While adult bed bugs are reddish-brown and look like apple seeds, baby bed bugs are white specks.
What to do about bed bugs or fleas
If you have an infestation in your home, find out if you're in our extensive service area. Your Miller Pest & Termite service team provides industry-leading solutions in Omaha, Des Moines, and Kansas City, as well as in many Midwest communities. Our solutions include effective bed bug control that eliminates adult bed bugs, nymphs, and bed bug eggs; and home pest control services that target fleas!
Request a free quote below or give us a call to discuss your pest problem and to find out how our locally owned and operated pest control company can help you get rid of biting pests!
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