Parasite bite is harmful to live beings. So, it is necessary to remedy if we have been bitten. But the treatments differ from bug to bug. As a result, it is mandatory to identify the bug bite type. People often get confused between flea bites and bed bug bites. In this article, we are presenting Flea Bites Vs Bed Bug Bites. so that people can easily distinguish between these two bugs after reading this article.
Flea Bites vs. Bed bug Bites: Introducing the Parasite:
If we want to know about Flea Bites Vs Bed Bug Bites, we need to know about the parasite that causes them. Fleas cause a flea bite, and a bedbug causes a bedbug bite.
What is Flea?
Fleas are a mainly wingless parasite that is oval-shaped and around 2 to 8 mm long. It is light to deep brown, has a disproportional small head and six legs. Fleas are blood-sucking insects. It has large hind legs, which enable them to jump up to 18 cm. Three main species of flea infest living beings are-
- Cat Flea (Ctenocephalides felis)
- Dog Flea (Ctenocephalides canis)
- Human Flea (Pulex irritans)
What is Bedbug?
Bedbugs are small, oval-shaped, and brown colour parasite. It lives on the blood of humans or animals. It cannot fly but can move smoothly over floors, walls, and ceilings. Female bedbugs produce hundreds of eggs over a lifetime about the size of a speck of dust.
Flea Bites vs. Bed bug Bites: Feeding Procedure:
The feeding procedures of Flea Bites Vs Bed Bug Bites are unique. At this point, we will focus on their feeding procedures to know the insects in detail.
Blood Feeding by Fleas: Fleas are a blood-sucking insect that survives on animals and humans’ blood. According to a survey, adult fleas can survive for some months without blood. They use their saw-like mandibles to cut through the skin. Flea saliva contains anticoagulants that ensure the continuous flowing of blood. Female fleas are stimulated to lay their eggs after feeding. The eggs are light-coloured and oval-shaped.
Blood Feeding by Bedbugs: Bedbugs (Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) are nocturnal feeding insects. Bedbugs usually feed at night. While feeding, they inject a salivary secretion into the wound to prevent coagulation. Bedbugs use a small tube-like structure named proboscis to pierce the skin.
Comparison Based On Attacking Place:
Every parasite has a comfortable biting place. So it is helpful to identify the parasite based on their attacking zone.
Attacking Place for Fleas: We usually find the bite marks caused by a flea in our lower body part. Flea bites are most commonly found around –
- Waist
- Ankles
- Legs
- Armpits
- Groin
- Folds of the knee
Flea bites usually look like small, red bumps in clusters of three or four or a straight line.
Attacking Place for Bedbug: Bedbugs tend to bite on the upper half of the body. This attacking place mainly include-
- Face
- Neck
- Arms
- Hands
Bedbug bites are generally small and have a dark red spot in the middle of a raised skin area.
Flea Bites vs. Bed bug Bites: Symptoms:
To determine the bite type, knowing the symptoms is the best way. Both bite types show some unusual signs, which help us to distinguish between these bite types.
Flea Bites Symptoms: Flea bites symptoms include-
- Extreme itchiness
- After a day, the weal converts into a blister or small wound.
- Secondary infections caused by scratching.
- If someone has flea allergies, the bite mark can develop hives or rash.
Severe symptoms that require medical attention include-
- Difficulty in breathing
- Nausea
- Swelling on the lips
- Swelling on the face
Bedbug Bites Symptoms: Bedbug bites symptoms include-
- A burning, painful sensation
- A raised itchy bump with an exact centre
- A red itchy bump with a dark centre
- Lightly swollen surrounding bump area
- A zigzag pattern of the small red bump or a line
- Small red bumps surrounding hives
- Papular eruptions with raised or flat patches that may be inflamed
Severe symptoms that require medical attention include-
- Difficulty in breathing
- Blisters
- Fever
- Nauseousness
- Feeling flu-like
- Swollen tongue
- Irregular heartbeat
Compare Based On Treatment Procedure:
The treatment procedure differs based on which parasite is responsible for the bite mark.
Treatment For Flea Bites: In most cases, fleabites do not require medical treatment unless severe. So, to avoid secondary infection, it is recommended to stay away from scratching fleabites. Flea bites can be treated by only using home remedies. Our research team has found some effective home remedies for flea bites for the sake of the readers. These home remedies include-
- Tea tree oil
- Calamine lotion
- Cortisone
- Vinegar
- Antihistamine medications
Treatment For Bedbug Bites: Wounds created by bedbug usually heal on their own within a week or two. But for severe swelling, inflammation, itchiness, it is recommended to seek medical attention. To make the life of our respected readers a bit more comfortable, our research team has found some possible treatments for bedbug bites. Such treatments are given below-
- Cleaning the wound with soap and water
- For itchy bites, use over the counter hydrocortisone.
- For itchiness, use anti-itch creams.
- To get relief from minor symptoms, use antihistamines.
- If there is any allergic reaction, use an injectable corticosteroid.
- For allergic reactions, use epinephrine medication.
- For severe itchiness, use corticosteroid creams and antihistamine pills or liquid.
Comparison Based On Carrying Diseases:
It is known that parasites often act as a carrier of diseases. As a result, parasites are considered harmful to living beings.
Diseases Carried By Flea Bites: Fleas carry some human diseases. The most famous disease carried by fleas is the plague, which created the whole world’s pandemic situation. Fleas are known to televise tapeworm larvae and the disease named murine typhus. They are also most notorious for transmitting bubonic plague from wild rodents to humans in certain parts of the world. Fleas are harmful to animals too. They even bite cats and dogs. Mycoplasma haemofelis is transmitted to cats through flea bites. Cat scratch disease, which is mainly caused by Bartonella henselae, is also shared by fleas.
Diseases Carried By Bedbug Bites: Bedbugs are not known to spread disease. Bed bugs can transmit Trypanosoma cruzi that causes Chagas disease.
Juxtaposition Based On Effect On Children:
The children’s physique is different from the adult, and the children’s immunity is also low. So parents always feel worried about the children.
Flea Bites On Children: Flea bites are not considered that dangerous in children. The bite mark looks like a little red bump on the infant’s skin. But like adults, scratching is harmful to the children also in this case. So, I suggest to cut off the nails of the children to prevent scratching.
Bedbug Bites On Children: In some cases, children do not react towards bedbug bites like a mosquito bite. Like flea bites, bedbug bites are also less harmful for children. But it is recommended to keep an eye on the children whether they are scratching or not as scratching cause skin infection, such as impetigo and cellulitis.
Flea Bites vs. Bed Bug Bites: Finding Place:
Not all parasite uses the same spot as an habitant. Different parasites prefer different places.
Habitants Of Fleas: According to Wikipedia, the fleas population consists of roughly 50% eggs, 35% larvae, 10% pupae, and 5% adults. The adult fleas, which are mainly bloodsucker, live on animals and human beings. The remaining population inhabits near surrounding areas and environments of the potential host species. These areas are usually warm, shady, and humid and therefore usually indoors in regions with a cooler climate.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Our research team has collected some frequently asked questions on fleas and bedbugs. This article will try to answer those questions and try to clear our reader’s doubts.
Question 1: How can I get rid of fleas and bedbugs?
Answer: Fleas and bedbugs are both harmful to human beings as well as animals. So, we must get rid of these parasites as soon as we locate them in our surroundings. Here are some methods regarding this-
Let’s Get Rid Of Fleas: To get rid of fleas, we can maintain the following procedures-
- Using a powerful vacuum on floors, upholstery, and mattresses. We need to focus on cracks and tight spaces as they are right hiding spots for fleas.
- For carpets, upholstery, and pet beds, we can use a steam cleaner. The combination of high heat and soap is deadly for fleas.
- We also need to wash all bedding in hot water, especially pet beds.
- Aerosol spray or such chemicals that contains permethrin, Methoprene, pyriproxyfen to kill fleas.
- Fleas like to hide in tall grass. So, it is recommended to mow the lawn regularly.
- We need to remove all debris and expose as many areas as possible to sunlight.
- We also need to spread cedar chips on the areas where the pet likes to lie down.
Let’s Get Rid Of Bed Bug: To make our surroundings bedbug-free, we need to follow the following steps-
- Clean bedding, linens, curtains, clothing in hot water.
- Use a stiff brush to clean the mattress to remove bedbug eggs.
- Get rid of clutter around the bed.
- Repair cracks and potential hiding spots of the bedbug.
- Vacuum the bed and surrounding area regularly.
- Immure mattress and box springs with a tightly woven, zippered cover so that bedbugs can neither enter nor escape.
Question 2: What are the signs of infestation?
Answer: We often get confused about whether there are any parasites in the house or surroundings. Some signs help us to be sure about this matter.
Signs Of Fleas Infestation: The signs regarding fleas infestation such that:
- Seeing fleas hopping on drapery, carpet, or furniture
- Multiple dots like insects in a pet’s fur
- Seeing pets scratch, lick, or bite their fur excessively.
Signs Of Bed Bug Infestation: The signs that help us to figure out whether there are bed bugs in the house or not demonstrate below-
- Waking up with brand new itchy areas
- Bloodstains on sheets and pillowcases
- Dark or rusty spots on sheets, mattresses, bedclothes, and walls
- The musty odour from the bed bugs’ scent glands.
Question 3: What are the symptoms of animals and also preferred treatments?
Answer: We have previously discussed that fleas and bed bugs both attack animals also. Like humans, animals are again living beings, and we need to sympathize with them.
Flea Bites Symptoms On Animal: Fleas prefer to live on dogs or cats, but they can also take up residence on another animal. The occurring symptoms are-
- Tiny red bumps on pet’s neck, belly, lower back, on the base of the tail
- Sometimes form a red circle around red bumps.
- The telltale sign is a lot of scratching.
- Missing areas of fur
- Redness on animal’s skin
Bed Bug Symptoms On Animal: Though bed bugs prefer to feed on humans, they can also bite animals such as dogs, cats, rodents, and birds. The symptoms are as follows-
- Tiny red bumps on belly and limbs
- Presence of red bumps in a straight line, in groups of two or three
- The appearance of bug rash
Conclusion
The parasite usually lives on the host body and complete their life cycle by feeding on the host body. But in this process, they typically bring harm to the host. In this Flea Bites Vs Bed Bug Bites, our focus lies solely on fleas and bed bugs, and we have tried to eradicate the confusion on the readers regarding this. Flea and bed bugs both live on blood, and sometimes they also carry some harmful diseases to the living being. Thus, we wish that our readers understand the importance and take necessary steps if they notice such incidents around them.