Bed bugs and fleas are blood-sucking insects that can be difficult to control. Both bedbugs and fleas are two of the most common pests in homes. Therefore, it is necessary to know its characteristics and how to combat them. Today we will show the main similarities and differences in case you aren’t sure what type of plague you are facing.
Pictures of Fleas and Bed Bugs
At first glance, these insects are very similar. However, fleas tend to be smaller than bed bugs and have a more oval shaped body. In addition, their bodies are long and narrow, they appear flattened from top to bottom. Bed bugs, on the other hand, usually have a flattened, seed-shaped body, which is doubled when they feed on blood.
Bed bugs don’t have wings, and neither do fleas. So they cannot fly. On the other hand, bed bugs are slow to walk and cannot jump, while fleas have strong hind legs and move by jumping long distances.
Another difference is the habitat. If they are not near a host, they generally live in areas where domestic animals have been, and also on sand or gravel.
These pests use their small size and ability to enter homes undetected. They usually enter clothes, luggage, or pets when they go out. Both pests are reddish-brown in color and large enough to be seen with the naked eye. However, bed bugs are more reddish in color and are much larger than fleas when they are adults.
Bed bugs hide in a wide variety of places in the home including mattress seams, sheets, headboard indentations, carpets, damaged furniture, drawers, cabinets, nightstands, and inside outlets. Even you can find them in the cracks of the walls. Fleas prefer some places to hide like rugs and rugs, sofa cushions, and bedding. Although their preferred hiding place is the body of pets.
Pics of Bed Bugs and Fleas
The first sign that will indicate a bed bug infestation in the home will be the presence of bites all over the body. These insects mainly attack at night, so it is common to wake up with a high number of bites or get up at dawn due to the discomfort caused by the bumps. Fleas are more easily detected since you can feel them when they bite. You can also detect them when your dog scratches.
Fleas and bed bugs consume the blood of mammals. Bed bugs prefer humans and almost never bite animals when people are nearby. Whereas fleas prefer to feed on pets, but they can attack humans when necessary. If your pet scratches himself too much, may have a flea problem.
Both bed bugs and fleas can be itchy because need a host’s blood to survive. Additionally, both can live for quite a long time without blood from a host, fleas for up to 100 days, and bed bugs for up to a few weeks. Although bed bugs usually feed every 3 days. Fleas feed whenever they can.
Fleas and bed bugs are considered nocturnal pests, as they are generally most active at night. However, the night is more unique to bed bugs, as fleas can also bite during the day if the opportunity arises.
The bites of both insects are red and small, although they have certain differences that we will see later in another post. Furthermore, it is well known that fleas transmit several serious diseases such as plague and typhus, while bed bugs do not transmit any diseases.
Treatment for bites is a combination of oral antihistamines along with topical corticosteroid lotions or creams. You can also use calamine-based creams. In cases of pain you can take analgesics.
How To Prevent These Plages
To prevent these pests from entering your home, it’s important that you follow these recommendations:
- Vacuum the floor and furniture regularly
- Avoid food residues on rugs and carpets
- If you have pets like cats or dogs be sure to keep them indoors
- If possible use a flea powder
- Wash pet bedding weekly
With these images and this information, you can easily differentiate fleas and bed bugs. See you soon!
