You may wake up and find out bug bites all over you, but have no idea who to blame.
What exactly bit you? Was it a flea? A mosquito? A Chigger? A spider? We are going to identify them one by one so you can tackle them with specific pest control:
What Do Flea Bites Look Like?
Flea bites are typically round in shape and red in color. They’re bumpy and may be surrounded by a halo shape. These bites can be incredibly itchy, but the intensity of the itch depends on the person. Bites usually come in groups of three or four, or in a straight line, locating around the ankles or legs. Fleabites are also common around the waist, armpits, breasts, groin, or in the folds of the elbows and knees.
Chigger vs Flea Bites
Flea bites can also occur in clusters, but the biggest difference here is the color of the bites. Chigger bites tend to be very red in color, and may even have a ring of redness around the raised bite mark. While fleas can bite in clusters as well, you tend to get a lot more bites with chiggers in one area. Check the location and number of bites. If you have clusters on the waist or ankles, there’s a good chance you were bitten by chiggers. If you have just one or two bites, there’s a chance it could have been fleas. And if the bites occurred after hanging out in a sandy area, the chances of the bites being from fleas is even greater.
Spider vs Flea Bites
Most spider bites, though may be itchy and painful, are harmless and not poisonous. There are only two spider bites that you really need to be concerned about: the brown recluse and the black widow. Bites from black widow spiders can lead to severe cramping and pain in the abdominal area. Brown recluse spider bites can cause sharp pains or a stinging sensation, similar to bee stings. When bites are severe, it can lead to skin necrosis around the affected area.
Spider bites will be larger than flea bites, and they do not itch – they’re painful. Most people are well aware that they were bitten by a spider because these insects typically only bite out of self-defense.
Mosquito vs Flea Bites
Finally we got to talk about the most familiar pest - mosquitoes. It can be very difficult to tell the difference between flea bites and mosquito bites. Mosquito bites, like flea bites, are incredibly itchy and typically swell. Mosquito bites are usually bumpier, and for some individuals, not as red in color as flea bites.
Paying attention to the location of the bite and the time of day the bite occurred can help you determine which insect bit you. If the bites occurred outdoors in a humid environment around or after dusk, there’s a good chance it was a mosquito that bit you. If the bite was higher up on the body, it’s less likely to be from a flea. Fleas do not fly and cannot jump that high – unless you were laying on the ground or kneeling down.
See original article and learn more with PestWiki here.