Protect Your Family By Knowing About Flea Bites vs. Bed Bugs

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April 23, 2023

Flea bites and bed bugs can put you and your family in a stressful situation.

You may even be confused between flea bites vs. bed bugs.

Because they can be either insect bites or flea bites if you discover a cluster of tiny dots on your skin

So, it can be hard to know and tell between them.

But both have a distinction with their sizes and appearance.

You may also differentiate flea bites vs. bedbugs by the appearance of the red dots on your skin.

But getting rid of and preventing flea bites and bed bugs is easy!

So keep reading because we will answer your confusion and curiosity about flea bites vs. bed bugs by covering the following topics:

  • Where Do Fleas Hide?
  • How To Differentiate Fleas Bite vs. Bed Bug
  • How To Prevent Both Fleas and Bed Bugs

 

Where Do Fleas Hide?

Fleas’ eggs are hard to see.

It is because flea eggs are tiny, elongated white particles that look like a grain of salt.

You’ll find flea eggs in any place that your pet cat or dog often visits.

But if you do not see flea bites on your pet dog, you might assume that you’re free of the little flea buggers.

But don’t be so content!

Because fleas are masters at hiding in places where you do not check

So even if you can not conveniently see them, it does not always mean they’re no longer anywhere.

Here is some excellent advice on where fleas hide both on your animal and around your house

Tail of Dogs

Here’s a good visual example of a dog coat with fleas from Pest Strategies

This is the first place you might want to check to where do fleas hide

Fleas love to live on your dog– and they’ll crawl around to do so.

Adult fleas are made to live within the hair layer of mammals.

Because they are ectoparasites

Ectoparasite means that they are microorganisms that stay and feed on various other organisms to survive.

They will jump from one body to another to avoid dangers such as being wet or brushed off.

While any part of a pet’s body can house fleas, they typically conceal in the thick hair near the backside.

This is why dogs with flea allergic dermatitis commonly have indicators of itching and loss of hair, inflammation around the back of their body, including the rump, tail base, and, occasionally the rear of the upper legs and also inner thighs.

The Front Parts of Cats

Fleas often tend to gather together differently in cats.

Cats with flea problems can be seen around the head, neck of cats, numbers on the arm or legs, and tail.

Pet cats with allergic flea dermatitis will regularly have skin inflammation on or around the neck.

Here’s a photo of two adult cat fleas from Pest Strategies

However, finding these fleas on your pet can be difficult,

So try to find “flea dirt”(also called flea poop)

According to Pest Strategies, flea dirt looks like this

Flea poop appears like coffee grounds,

But if you try to place some on a white paper, and dampen it with a little water, you’ll see it has a reddish-brown shade, which is the shade of absorbed blood.

Beds

Fleas create a lot of their eggs during the night,

This is why you’re more likely to locate a variety of eggs and larvae in your animal’s resting place.

But it’s not merely your pet’s bed that’s an attraction for flea multiplication.

Because anywhere your pet goes, so are the fleas go

Also, whenever you see an adult flea, it is guaranteed that there are thousands of larvae, eggs, and fleas around your home where do fleas hide.

Generally, when individuals see their pet, and the pet has fleas, the bed will be infested with fleas

You would want to check!

Couch

Flea pupae commonly conceal in couch pillows, where they’re pleased to stay for long periods.

Here’s a photo from Flea Science

This is a flea pupa

They are frequently immune to colds, drying out, and pesticide medicines, flea pupae are the hardest life phase to eliminate.

They can stay inactive inside for numerous months until they are boosted to hatch out to become adult fleas triggered by, carbon dioxide, and temperature-level modifications.

Carpets

Sometimes, carpets or rugs are where fleas hide.

When flea larvae hatch out from their eggs, they relocate far from lights toward the ground.

They commonly relocate deep within rugs and eat natural particles.

Monitoring of carpets and rugs is needed as it’s part of your home, and you could be ravaged with fleas unwittingly.

Outdoors

Crawl spaces, garages, and locations near garbage bins might nurture “wild” fleas.

Therefore, you must take note to make crawl spaces under decks and structures inaccessible.

You may also protect trash bins by covering and getting rid of standing water.

Fleas are not limited to pets.

They can be in animals such as raccoons, foxes, and prairie wolves, which can be hosts for insects.

Vegetative Areas (Trees as well as Shrubs)

Flea larvae, pupae, and eggs tend to conceal in wet, shaded locations under shrubs, trees, and leaves.

Because flea eggs and larvae are at risk of cold, they are much less likely to be discovered in tropical locations, such as the center of your house lawn.

To remove flea habitats, get rid of loads of raw material, and maintain trees, bushes, and various other greenery cuts.

How To Differentiate Fleas Bite vs. Bed Bug

You already know that bedbugs and fleas are two blood-sucking bugs that can be challenging to manage.

Both have many resemblances that might confuse you.

But the distinctions between them are quite notable

Let’s clear the confusion between flea bite vs. bed bug

Flea Bites

Here’s an example photo by MedicineNet

By now, you know that flea bugs can be discovered in many places around your home.

Fleas are little, blood-sucking bugs that may infest your pets, family members, or even you.

But five percent of the flea populace survives on family pets, which is how people get flea bites.

Fleas can not fly; however, they can lift up to 18 centimeters.

As quickly as they latch on to a host, they start damaging.

You might want to check your family members and your body parts for these signs and symptoms:

  • feet and legs
  • waistline
  • ankle joints
  • underarms
  • knees and arm joints
  • skin folds

The usual signs and symptoms of flea bites consist of little red marks on your skin and also extreme itchiness.

Fleas can fill your skin.

Burrowing fleas can create a problem called tungiasis.

It usually happens around the toes and also the feet.

This subtropical or exotic flea can dig under your skin to feed.

The flea will certainly pass away after two weeks.

However, it typically creates a problematic skin infection later.

The infected body part might likewise swell and be sore.

It might lead to an infection if severe damage shows up.

Be careful not to scratch your bites

Because you might additionally obtain a new infection from the bites and damage open the skin.

Here’s a good video from Life’s Needs on how you can treat flea bites on humans and pets!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vW2C9dHh9I

 

Bedbug bites

 

Bedbugs likewise survive on blood.

Here’s an example of a bed bug bite from Medical News Today

They are little, reddish-brown, and also oval-shaped.

Since they conceal in dark locations, you might not see them throughout the day.

When you’re asleep, they tend to bite and affect you.

Because they’re drawn into your body warm, and the carbon dioxide generated when you breathe out, this is.

Bedbugs like to hide in cushions, bed frames, and also carpeting.

Unlike flea bites, bedbugs often bite on the upper body, including our face, neck, arms, and hands.

Bedbugs are little and have a dark red place in the middle of a raised skin area.

They might show up in a collection of a line, and they commonly worsen if you scrape them.

Some individuals might have a severe response to bed bugs.

The affected area might swell or end up being inflamed, leading to a sore.

You might also create hives or a much more extreme breakout.

Here’s a video by The Guardians Choice on how you can treat them!

 

Differentiating flea bite vs. bed bug

Bedbugs and fleas have different physiques and speeds.

Take a look at this photo from INSIDER 

Fleas often tend to be smaller sized than bedbugs and have even more of an oval-shaped body.

Unlike fleas, bedbugs typically have a level, seed-shaped body.

The method they move from host to host is somewhat different too– fleas can leap far away, while bedbugs creep.

Another distinction between flea bites and bedbugs is that flea bites can cause the spread of some illnesses.

While both bugs’ bites are tiny as well as red, flea bites usually are gathered or alone, and they include extreme itchiness.

Flea bites are likely to be on the lower parts of your ankle joints and legs.

With their bites, fleas can spread out plenty of illnesses, such as typhus, and cat-scratch conditions.

Bedbugs aren’t known to pass down health severe conditions and viruses.

And they usually look like an elevated area of the skin, comparable to a bump.

Therefore, these bedbugs are not associated with passing on viruses or pathogens, unlike fleas.

How To Prevent Both Fleas and Bed Bugs

Bedbugs reproduce quickly. The quicker you can contain the bugs or fleas, the less complicated you’re going to have to handle getting rid of them and protecting your family.

Right here’s whatever you need to protect yourself and your loved ones versus these bugs!

Search The House

Examine your whole house for bugs

See to it that every area that is infected is blocked.

Do not transfer materials or furnishings from one space to the various other, as you run the risk of spreading out the bugs.

Commit an entire day to getting rid of your bed bugs or fleas

Maintain your household, precisely little spaces

Keep off your family members and pets throughout the procedure, as you do not desire the bugs to get on them

Warm Washing

Bed bugs and fleas can not endure severe heat,

Place all your ravaged bed sheets, clothing, and drapes in the cleaning maker, clean in hot water (140 ° F), and dry out for at the very least 20 mins.

Enclose your Mattress

Your cushion usually is one of the most prominent areas to discover bed bugs.

A bed mattress covering is an equipped sleeve that your bed mattress gets on, securing the existing bed bugs

The bugs secured inside can not bite with the covering.

Consequently, they can not bite you and will ultimately die from the absence of food and air.

Vacuum

For small and hard-to-reach areas in your home, make sure to use the hose of your vacuum cleaner

Make sure to run through the places where you know bedbugs and fleas infested- areas like your sofa, carpets, and rugs

Using this method might be much more reliable for fleas than attempting to capture them with your hands.

Toss them Out

This last action has to do with ensuring that the bugs that leave your home are.

Ensure that every vacuum cleaner and trash can leave your residence secure to stop any jail-breaker fleas or bugs.

Conclusion

Flea bites and also bed bugs can place you and your household and also in a demanding circumstance.

So, knowing the information provided above helps you create a plan and protect your loved ones against further harm caused by fleabites and bed bugs.

Is there anything more you could suggest to protect and prevent flea bites and bed bugs?

Let us know in the comments below!

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