How to Tell Fleas vs. Bed Bugs?

Fleas and Bed Bugs are tricky parasites. Once they enter your house, they will start to reproduce and feed on any mammal (humans or animals ) on site. It can be difficult for homeowners to distinguish between flea and bed bug infestations because they have many similarities. Keep reading to learn how you can differentiate between fleas and bed bugs to ensure effective management.

What does a Flea and Bed Bug Look Like?

Fleasare really little and it’s easy to overlook them if you don’t know what you’re looking for. These parasites are usually discovered crawling about in the hair of a white-furred dog or cat. Their yellow, red, or dark brown hue contrasts nicely with brightly colored dogs. You will, however, need to examine attentively. They are barely approximately 2.5 mm long.

If you have a pet with light-colored fur, wet it down and use a comb for hunting for fleas. The belly button is a good location to start. Fleas appear to the human eye as little, black, oval-shaped insects with hard shells.

As you comb, you’ll probably notice them swiftly threading their way through your pet’s fur as you part it. It’s also possible that you’ll find them clinging to your pet’s skin. These are bloodthirsty insects. A female flea may devour up to 15 times her body weight in blood every day.

Bedbugs are little, round, brownish insects that feed on animal or human blood. Adult bedbugs are roughly the size of an apple seed and have flat bodies. However, after eating, their bodies enlarge and turn a crimson tint. Bedbugs cannot fly, yet they can travel fast across floors, walls, and ceilings.

Throughout a lifetime, female bedbugs can produce hundreds of eggs, each approximately the size of a particle of dust. Immature bedbugs, known as nymphs, shed their skins five times before reaching adulthood, and each shedding requires a blood meal. Under ideal conditions, the bugs may mature in as little as a month and generate three or more generations every year.

Are There Any Similarities Between Fleas And Bed Bugs?

If you observe a cluster of little spots on your skin, these might be bedbugs or flea bites. It can be difficult to distinguish between them. Flea bites are most commonly seen on the lower part of your body or in warm, damp locations such as the elbow and knee bends. Bedbug bites are most commonly seen on the top half of your body, particularly around the face, neck, and arms.

How Do You Know if it’s a Flea Bite or Bed Bug Bite?

Fleasare blood-sucking insects that are only a few millimeters long. Pets are home to 5% of the flea population, which is how most people receive flea bites. Fleas are unable to fly yet can leap up to 8 inches. They begin biting as soon as they latch on to a host.

Symptoms of Flea Bites

The most common flea bite symptoms are small red marks on the skin and intense itching. These bites sometimes occur in clusters of three. Flea bites generally occur in these areas:

• Feet and lower legs.
• Waist.
• Ankles.
• Armpits.
• Elbows and Knees (in the bend).
• Other skin folds.

BedBugs, like fleas, feed on blood. They are tiny, oval, and reddish-brown. Because they lurk in dark spots, you may not notice them during the day. They have a habit of biting individuals while they are sleeping. They are drawn to your body’s heat, and the carbon dioxide released when you exhale. Bed bugs like to hide in:

• Mattresses.
• Box springs.
• Bed frames.
• Carpets.

Bed bugs are usually found in crowded places such as hostels or hospitals, but they can also be found in houses and apartments.

Symptoms of Bed Bug Bites

Bed bugs tend to bite the upper half of the body such as the face, neck, arms, and hands.

Bites from bedbugs are small and have a dark red spot in the middle of an elevated skin area. These lesions may occur in clusters or lines, and they can worsen if they are scratched.

How Do You Know if You Have Bed Bugs or Fleas?

If you spot a small bug moving about in your bedroom and assume it’s a flea or a bed bug, here’s one method to tell them apart: bed bugs seem flat and wide when seen sideways, but fleas are narrow.

Both pests’ adults are brown (bed bugs turn reddish-brown after a blood meal). Adult bed bugs are about 3/16 inches long, while fleas are around 18 inches.

Bed bugs and fleas grow in distinct ways. Bed bugs gradually transform (eggs, nymphs in multiple stages, then adults). Fleas undergo full transformation (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults). Here are some other facts regarding bed bug and flea stages:

• The nymphs of bed bugs resemble their adult counterparts, but they are paler and smaller in size.
• A cat flea larva resembles a maggot.
• White eggs are the eggs of bedbugs. Pearly white eggs are the eggs of cat fleas.

How to Prevent Bed Bugs and Fleas?

It is preferable to prevent becoming infested with bed bugs or fleas in the first place. Bed bug activity causes a lot of tension, especially if you own a company where people sleep, such as a hotel or apartment complex. It’s never nice to watch your pet infested with fleas.

When staying in a hotel room, inspect the headboard of your bed for bed bugs and the seam of the mattress. Look for indicators of bed bugs before moving furniture into your house. Have your veterinarian administer frequent flea medications to your pet for flea prevention.