Here in Macon, Georgia, there are a lot of bugs because Georgia has the perfect mixture of moisture and warmth for bugs to not only survive but to thrive. So, when bites start to appear on your skin, it can sometimes be difficult to know just exactly what is eating you. This can be especially problematic if you’re wondering if you have bed bugs.

The first sign that you may have bed bugs is when you start to get bites, but you haven’t been in the woods or outside enough for mosquitoes and other “outside” bugs to bite you. If this is happening to you, there are only a few possibilities. There is a very short list of pests that will bite you inside your home without you knowing it.

If you’re getting a lot of bites, there is a good chance those bites are from fleas or bed bugs. Spiders aren’t blood eaters, so you’re not likely to get several bites from them. Carpet beetles can cause bite-like lesions that look like insect bites, but they’re not bites–even though they may look bumpy and rashy, like insect bites.

Bed Bug Bites vs. Flea Bites

When red, itchy bumps start to appear on your skin, run down through this checklist to figure out what made those bumps.

• Fleas and bed bugs both make bumps that look similar to mosquito bites, but bed bug bites will appear in lines or a grouping. This is because bed bugs feed multiple times. Fleas are not likely to feed multiple times on a human unless you are a very furry human. These insects prefer to live and feed on a host, and it helps if the host has fur they can hold onto.
• Flea bites will usually look like isolated red bites with a dark red center. Bed bug bites appear more like raised welts with a rash around them. The rash from bed bug bites can sometimes be so significant that it makes these bites look like hives or some other kind of skin condition.
• The bites from a flea will begin to itch within the hour, and itch persistently. Bed bug bites can take a few days to show up and will gradually begin to itch more as the anesthetic from the bed bug’s saliva wears off.

If you’re finding red welts on your skin, and you haven’t been outside long enough to get that many bites, give us a call. We can assess your problem and offer you fast relief for your pest issue.

Bed bugs and fleas are both extremely difficult pests to get rid of. Let the pest specialists here at Active Pest Control deal with those bugs.