What do bed bugs and their bites look like? Bed bug, or cimex lectularius is found worldwide. These insects adapt well to human environments and typically live in temperate climates. A number of other related pests resemble bed bugs in habits and appearance. Proper identification usually requires magnification and experience with distinguishing the different species.
Although there are many kinds of bed bug bite pictures and prescriptions online, people who don’t realize they have a bedbug infestation may attribute the itching and welts to other causes, such as mosquitoes To confirm bedbug bites, you must find and identify the bugs themselves. Here are some main types of bed bugs:
Flea
Fleas and bed bugs are tricky to control indoors. Once inside, bed bugs or fleas will reproduce and feed on human or animal blood. These parasitic pests use their small size and ability to enter homes undetected by hitching rides on:
- Clothing
- Luggage
- Mattresses and box springs
- Pets that are let outside
- Used furniture
Flea and other bed bug infestations can be hard for homeowners to tell apart. Since both pests bite, it quickly becomes important to discover the culprit and find a solution. Knowing specifics about these parasitic insects aids in effective control.
This pests are reddish brown and large enough to see with the naked eye. Normal bed bugs are flat and oval-shaped, while fleas have long, narrow bodies, which appear flattened from the top to bottom of their body.
Fleas consume the blood of mammals. Other bed bugs prefer humans and rarely bite animals if people are nearby. On the other hand, fleas would rather feed on cats or dogs, but may settle for humans when necessary.
Keep in mind that simply finding bites on people or animals is not a sufficient way to identify bed bugs, nor is the appearance of the bite. Since everyone reacts differently to the pests, not all bed bug or flea biteslook the same.
Because fleas live on or near their hosts or in homes, getting rid of either pest presents some challenges. Cleaning mattresses and bathing pets may reduce populations but will not stop an infestation.Contact the specialists for help with identification and removal.
Lice
As they’re both small parasitic insects that feed on human blood, liceand bed bug infestations can seem similar. However, these pests require different methods of control. It’s important to know whether the pest problem is caused by lice or bed bugs before coming up with a plan of action.
Keep the following in mind when differentiating between normal bed bugs vs. lice:
- Size: Bed bugs tend to be bigger than lice, measuring about a quarter of an inch in length. In contrast, lice are smaller than an eighth of an inch long. Coloration is an important differentiator since bed bugs are brownish-red or mahogany colored, while lice are somewhat light whitish or gray in color.
- Shape: While bed bugs have flat, oval bodies, lice are oblong.
- Location: The most common type of home infesting lice, the head lice, lives on the human scalp. People often wonder, can bed bugs live in hair, too? Although the pests bite anywhere on the body, residents are less likely to find bed bugs in hair. Instead, a bed bug retreats to a hiding place, like the seam of a mattress, after it takes a blood meal, while head lice remain on their host unless dislodged by scratching the scalp or when removed by haircutting or trimming the scalp area.
Lice generally need blood every day or so to survive. These pests stay on their human host, causing itchiness and skin irritation shortly after they feed. Not only are people able to see adult and immature lice if they look closely, but they can also see the pests’ small, light colored eggs stuck to strands of hair.
Others usually feed for a few days before any sign of skin rash appears on those affected, although in some cases a rash may show up shortly after a bed bug takes a blood meal. It’s unlikely that residents will even see, let alone feel bed bugs since they feed mostly at night and their bite usually goes unnoticed. Blood flecks or fecal matter stains on mattresses and sheets are often the first sign of infestation.
Whether the problem is lice or bed bugs, the result is always unpleasant and demands action. Several shampoo treatments are available for lice, but other types of bed bug infestations are usually much harder for homeowners to control.
Scabies
Scabies rely on human hosts for survival. Normal Bed bugs are insects that hide in mattresses and headboards, sucking blood from unaware hosts at night. After feeding, they go back into hiding. Though they usually take regular blood meals, the pests have been known to go over a year without eating. The rashes they can leave behind are blotchy and itchy, appearing on the exposed skin where the bug has bitten.
Scabies mites don’t feed on blood, but they cannot live for more than three days without a human host. They burrow under flesh in order to lay eggs, which take about 10 days to hatch, and stay there for up to two months. Scabies rashes tend to look streakier and scalier than those of bed bugs and commonly affect the armpits, stomach, and genital regions.
Scabies have lived alongside humans for thousands of years. Close contact with infected individuals, such as hugging, is enough to spread both of these pests. Shared towels, clothing, and bedding also puts people at risk of infestation, and the pests can travel to homes from hotel rooms by latching onto luggage and personal items.
Unlike other bed bug infestations difficult to contain, scabies can be eliminated in a few days with a topical cream prescribed by a doctor.
The marks created by scabies can be hard to see and they can also be confused with a number of other skin-related issues. Scabies mites die within days if not latched on a human, but normal bed bugs can go months without feeding. This is the main reason why bed bugs are generally tougher to get rid of than scabies.
If you suspect scabies, please consult with a medical professional for diagnosis and treatment. If bed bugs are causing problems in the home, turn to professional and effective pest control assistance.
Tick
To deal with a tick or bed bug problem, the first steps are to correctly identify the pest and to find the source of the issue.
While the differences between other bed bug and a tick can seem small, qualities like breeding habits, preferred habitats and the ability to spread diseases distinguish the two pests and make identification crucial. To deal with a tick or bed bug problem, the first steps are to correctly identify the pest and to find the source of the issue.
Since ticks and bed bugs are wingless, oval-shaped, and somewhat flat, it can be tough to tell them apart. Upon close inspection, ticks have eight legs, while bed bugs have six. However, because the pests are small, this may not always be the best way to recognize them.
The easiest time for tick identification is after the pests feed. Ticks full of blood inflate, making them easier to spot. Normally a reddish-brown color, bed bugs appear darker after a blood meal.
Ticks can’t jump or fly, so these pests hitch rides on people, pets, and objects to travel long distances. People and pets usually pick up ticks while walking in tall grass or other tick habitats. Identifying a tick bite vs. other bed bug bites by sight alone is difficult. Since bites often affect each person differently, the look or location of bumps on the skin is not a good way to determine the pest responsible. A much more dependable differentiation regarding bites is the fact that while ticksattach themselves to the skin of their host, bed bugs will take a blood meal and then retreat to their nesting site. Regardless, the results of these pests’ feeding can be serious and should not be taken for granted.
There are no scientifically proven diseases that are transmitted by bed bug bites to humans, though some people are allergic to the insects’ saliva. On the other hand, ticks carry a variety of illnesses, including Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis spotted fever, and Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI).
If you suspect an infestation, remove all bedding and check it carefully for signs of the bugs or their excrement. Remove the dust cover over the bottom of the box springs and examine the seams in the wood framing. Peel back the fabric where it is stapled to the wood frame. Also, check the area around the bed, including inside books, telephones or radios, the edge of the carpet, and even in electrical outlets. Check your closet, because bedbugs can attach to clothing. If you are uncertain about signs of bedbugs, call an exterminator, who will know what to look for. If you find signs of infestation, begin steps to get rid of the bugs and prevent their return.