Bed Bug Bites vs. Flea Bites: Instantly and Easily Spot the Difference

Bed bug bites vs. flea bites—Bed bug bites are larger, fewer, and often form a line, while flea bites are smaller, more numerous, and appear in a random pattern.

In this blog, we’ll explain the differences and more to help you identify and manage these bites.

What Do Bed Bug Bites vs Flea Bites Look Like

Let’s start by talking about what the bites look like:

• Bed Bug Bites: These bites usually show up as small, red, itchy bumps. They might be in a straight line, cluster or zig-zag pattern. You’ll often find them on parts of your body that aren’t covered by your clothes when you sleep, like your face, arms, legs, and neck.
• Flea Bites: Flea bites are smaller and also red and itchy, but they usually have a tiny hole in the middle where the flea bit you. Fleas tend to bite on your legs and feet because they jump up from the ground.

How Bed Bugs and Fleas Look Different

Now, let’s look at the bugs themselves:

• Bed Bugs: Adult Bed bugs (5-7mm) are small, oval shaped, flat, and brownish-red insects. They’re about the size of an apple seed, so you can see them without a microscope. They like to hide in your bed, like in the seams of your mattress or cracks in the bed frame.
• Fleas: Fleas are even smaller and dark brown. They’re really good at jumping and are often found on pets like dogs or cats. Fleas hide in carpets, pet beds, and couches, and they’re quick to hop onto you or your pets.

Bed Bug Bites vs Flea Bites Picture Gallery

In the pictures, you’ll notice some key differences between bed bug bites vs flea bites.

• Bed bug bites are typically bigger and often appear in smaller numbers than fleas, forming a line, zig zag or cluster on your skin. This pattern happens because bed bugs tend to bite multiple times in one area as they move along.
• Flea bites, on the other hand, are usually smaller and show up in greater numbers. They don’t follow a specific pattern and are more scattered across your skin, reflecting the way fleas hop around and bite wherever they land. These differences can help you identify which bites you might be dealing with.

Click on the image to enlarge

How Bed Bug Bites vs Flea Bites Feel

Here’s what it feels like when you get bitten:

• Bed Bug Bites: Bed bug bites can make you itch a lot! The bites can get swollen and red, and it might take a few days for them to go away. Some people might even get blisters or have a strong allergic reaction.
• Flea Bites: Flea bites are itchy, too, but they usually stay in one small area, like your ankle or leg. Sometimes, the bites can turn into a rash if you scratch them too much.

Where Do Bed Bugs and Fleas Bite You?

The spots where you get bitten can give you a clue about which bug it was:

• Bed Bugs: Bed bugs like to bite you where your skin is exposed while you sleep. You might find bites on your face, neck, arms, and hands.
• Fleas: Fleas usually bite you on your legs and feet because they jump from the ground. If you have pets, they might get bitten around their necks, bellies, and behind their ears. If you have fleas on your couch they can bite other parts of your body when lying down.

What Do Bed Bugs And Fleas Look Like

In the picture, you can see the clear differences between bed bugs and fleas.

• Bed bugs are flat, oval-shaped, and reddish-brown, about the size of an apple seed. They move slowly and are usually found hiding in your mattress or bed frame.
• Fleas are much smaller, with a thin, dark brown body that’s designed for jumping. Unlike bed bugs, fleas are quick and often found on pets or in places where pets sleep. These visual clues can help you identify which pest you’re dealing with.

Bed Bug vs Flea

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs and Fleas

Getting rid of these pests is super important so they don’t keep biting you. Here’s what you can do:

• Bed Bugs: The Isolation Method involves securing your mattress with a bedbug cover to trap bed bugs, steaming and dusting the bed frame with Diatomaceous Earth, and setting up barriers or tape around bed legs; by isolating and using these barriers, all bed bugs in the room will die when they try to access the bed legs where the powder is.
• Fleas: To get rid of fleas, start by treating your pets with flea tablets. Wash their bedding and any blankets they use. Vacuum your house carefully, especially where your pets like to hang out. You can dust (DE) around pet sleeping areas to kill fleas in the bed.

How to Prevent Bed Bug Bites vs Flea Bites

Here’s how you can treat the bites and get rid of the bugs:

• Bed Bug Bites: To stop the itching, you can use cold packs, ice or anti itch creams that you can buy at the store.
• Flea Bites: Flea bites can also be treated with anti-itch creams.

Conclusion

Telling the difference between bed bug bites vs flea bites can be tricky, but now you know what to look for! Whether it’s bed bugs or fleas, it’s important to treat the bites and get rid of the bugs so they don’t keep bothering you.

If you need help, check out our bed bug products or contacts us.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Bed Bug Flea Bites On Humans

1. How Do You Tell If Bites Are Bed Bugs or Fleas?
   Bed bug bites are small, red, and itchy, often appearing in a line or cluster on exposed areas like your face, neck, or arms. Flea bites are smaller, red, with a tiny hole in the centre, and usually found on your legs or feet.
2. What Is the Difference Between a Bug Bite and a Flea Bite?
   Bed bug bites are bigger, often in a straight line or cluster on exposed skin. Flea bites are smaller, with a central puncture, and usually around your ankles and feet.
3. What Is Biting Me at Night, If It’s Not Bed Bugs?
   If it’s not bed bugs, it could be fleas, mosquitoes, mites, or spiders. Fleas bite at night if they’re in your bed. Mosquitoes leave itchy welts, mites cause intense itching, and spiders can leave red, swollen spots.

Are You Looking for an Easy to Install DIY Treatment?

DIY Bed Bug Treatment Video For An Ensemble Bed

DIY Bed Bug Treatment Video For A Bed with Slats

If you have enjoyed our blog about “bed bug bites vs flea bites”, you might like to check out our homepage.

Sources:

Health (bed bug bites vs flea bites), Very Well Health (bed bug bites vs flea bites), Medical News Today

Tony Abrahams

Tony pioneered a non-toxic, eco-friendly solution for bedbug infestations. His innovation won the ABC TV show “The New Inventors” in 2009. In 2012, he successfully registered Diatomaceous Earth for bedbug control in Australia.