Do you have a pet at home, either a cat or a dog? Has your pet been itching itself recently? Have you been noticing small black insects limping from the couch onto your body or flea bites on your skin? No need to panic, with these step you can be in control of the situation.

1. Call your Vet

Have you placed your pet on a flea control program? If you have, then the program insist yielding positive results. Consult your vet and ask that he/she recommends an action that you could yield positive results. You are in search of a solution that would tackle fleas at all stages right from the flea eggs to the adults, and it should be ideal for your climate. Usually, a single flea dosage lasts for a month, and this is enough to keep the fleas away.

If for any reason your current flea treatment isn’t yielding any result, you could request your vet tries something else. Also, do not forget to treat every single pet in your house.

2. Use the Vacuum Cleaner frequently

For those who rarely use the vacuum cleaner, I suggest its time you change your approach and increase the frequency of usage. Vacuuming helps to reduce the number of fleas and flea eggs around the house; they eliminate fleas from wooden floors, carpets, curtains, and household furniture both in and out.

Also, always remember to vacuum areas where your pet stays. When you are done vacuuming, ensure you empty the vacuum bin immediately in the garbage bag outside your house to prevent the fleas from coming back in.

Ideally, ensure you clean your house and places where your pet frequents daily and for other location in the house weekly. If you have been experiencing severe flea infestation, ensure you get your carpet steam-cleaned. The heat from the steam would kill the fleas. However, it might not kill all the flea eggs, and as such you might have to repeat your steam cleaning.

For highly extreme cases, you might have to call in the services of an exterminator or treating the entire house with a flea bomb. Ensure that whatever steps you take, you and your pets are safe.

3. Wash your Bedsheets in Hot Water

To eliminate fleas in bed, ensure you wash your bedsheets and other bedding in hot, soapy water. Also, remember to wash your cat or dog’s weekly. If you have kids in the house and they sometimes sleep together with their pets in bed, endeavour to wash their beddings as well.

4. Make use of a Flea Comb

This may look outdated, notwithstanding, a flea comb may come in handy when getting rid of fleas from your pet. It is important this action of combing your pet with a flea comb is done outside the house. When combing, try as much as possible to focus on areas around the base of the tail and the neck region. It good you have a cup of soapy water close to you, so you can get deep your comb inside to allow the fleas drown inside.

Combing regularly with a flea comb would allow monitoring the effect of other flea treatment on your pet.

On a final note, when all flea treatment steps have been taken, it is important that you give your pet a warm bath. Bathing helps to rid your home and pet off fleas. Normal soaps can help get rid of all type of fleas’ even sand fleas, so need for a flea bath. However, it is important to verify that the soap is safe for use on pets.

You might belong to the group of people who like to finish bathing their pets with a nice-scenting oil; these may also help to prevent fleas.

Below are some oils that your pets might not be comfortable with:

D-limonene
Eucalyptus
Citrus
Clove
Cinnamon
Geranium
Linalool
Bay
Tea tree
Pennyroyal
Rue
Lavender

Below are some oils that your pet may be comfortable with:

Cedarwood
Lemongrass
Rosemary
Peppermint
Thyme

Flea Bites vs Bed Bug Bites: Symptoms and Differences

It is possible to differentiate between flea bites and bites as a result of bed bugs. Most insect bites around the house are usually a result of either fleas or bed bugs.

It isn’t so easy to eliminate infestations that occur due to these bites, and they tend to leave a lasting spot on our skin. Some of these insects could also be disease carriers which could make them potentially dangerous. Being able to differentiate between bed bugs and flea bites helps you know the kind of insect you are dealing with and the steps to eliminate these insects around the house.

Except you can pre-emptively catch the insect just before it bites, the only way you can identify the type of insect you are dealing with is to have a look at the bite mark. Insects have different ways of feasting on the human skin, and they can be easily identified by the type of mark they leave on the skin.

Bed Bugs vs Fleas

There are a ton of differences between bed bugs and fleas. The table below would help identify the type of insect you may be dealing with.

Bed Bugs vs Fleas
	Bed Bugs	Fleas
Looks	Small, reddish-brown, oval in shaped and flat	Either brown or red; thin; long legs and typically small
Size	Length: 4 – 5 mm; Width: 1.5 – 3 mm	Length: 1.5 to 3.3 mm
Parasitic Potential	No	Yes
Bite Behaviour	No instant pain during biting; becomes itchy and rashes appear later	Instant pain during biting and later swelling occurs.
Identifiable signs	Rust like stains on bedsheets; dark spots on the bed; bite spots on lower legs; funny odour	Can be seen on the body and pets
Hiding Place	Bed frames and mattresses, cracks on floors and in walls. Can be transported easily.	On furniture and pets.

Symptoms of Flea Bites vs Bed Bug Bites

Flea and Bed bug bites have their special symptoms that makes it easy to identify which is which and gives you an idea of what type of insect you are dealing with. It is important to point out that these symptoms are not peculiar to an insect alone and as such, it is necessary for a doctor to examine insect bites to give a detailed diagnosis.

Symptoms of Flea Bites

Bites from fleas mostly occur around the legs, waist, feet, or armpit region. In other cases, they could occur anywhere these fleas can reach. Flea bites are typically reddish and swollen. They also tend to itch a lot and are somewhat blotchy. Rashes usually accompany flea bites. Bites from fleas usually form in small clusters and typically possess a white “halo” shape which forms right close to the puncture spot.

You can easily identify the halo when your skin is stretched or when you press on the location of the bite. In some cases, days after flea bites, a blister forms although this isn’t a certainty.

There is the possibility of developing a secondary infection as a result of scratching and with time could lead to hypersensitivity to flea bites.

Symptoms of Bed Bug Bites

Bites from bed bugs are quite different from bites from fleas. They are usually hard, swollen and small, much like bites from mosquitoes. They appear on the hands, arms, and neck region of the body.

Similar to bites from fleas, bed bug bites could lead to itching. However, they do not lead to rashes.

It is important to point out that bed bugs feed linearly, so it possible for their bites to appear linearly than in clusters like those from fleas. The bites from bed bugs do not have the halo shape, although they can form blisters overtime and look inflamed.

Depending on your skin type, some people experience no form of irritation or itching while others experience serious blisters, hives, and develop serious itching.

Another important characteristic to take note of is the frequency at which these insect bites occur. Fleas eat regularly and continuously, and as a result, their bites may frequently occur if the insects aren’t exterminated. On the other hand, Bed bugs eat once in a few days and as such their bites do not occur as frequently as those of fleas.

There are several other ways to identify the type of insect you are dealing with asides looking at the physical symptoms. For instance, fleas are very small and as such are very difficult to identify. If you feel you have been able to identify one, it is important you take a close look at the shape of the insect and the legs. Fleas are usually thin and flat with brown bodies; they have no wings although their back legs are strong and big enough for jumping.

Health Risks of Fleas and Bed Bugs

Asides rare skin allergies, bed bug and flea bites are more of a nuisance than having serious consequences. Bed bugs, in particular, aren’t known to be disease carriers. Flea bites, on the other hand, could be more harmful since they are known to carry tapeworms, plagues, typhoid to mention a few, irrespective of the fact these diseases aren’t common in the United States.

A potential danger could be a cat combined with a flea infestation; this is because fleas could transmit a condition known as cat scratch fever. If you happen to be scratched by a cat that is infected, it could lead to a sore throat, loss of appetite, headaches and swollen lymph nodes. It could be a lot more severe if your immune system has been compromised.

Bites from bed bugs and fleas could itch a lot, and constantly itching your skin could lead to skin tear which could give rise to other infections and diseases. It is essential that you try as much as possible to avoid itching.

Treating Flea Bites and Bed Bug Bites

Applying Calamine lotion or making use of a cold compress can help reduce itching and also soothe insect bites. If you have an exposed blister as a result of scratching you should endeavour to rinse the area with clean, warm soapy water and dry carefully to prevent infection. There are other natural solutions that can help to stop itching;

Cover bites with aloe.

► Apply a mixture of baking soda and water paste to bites and leave for an hour or thereabouts before washing with warm water.

► Use half a cup of peppermint oil, “Alka-Seltzer”, Baking Soda or Epson Salt in warm water to take your bath.

► Use cotton balls immersed in lemon juice, St. John’s wort or witch hazel to dab at the insect bites
The treatments listed above are usually helpful to deal with symptoms of bed bug and flea bites, there are other peculiar ways of treating the main causes.

Prevention Guides

Preventing Flea Bites

▪ Consume a lot of meals with garlic to prevent fleas from coming close.

▪ Ensure you apply shampoos and collars for your pets.

▪ Cleans pets often and ensure you check for fleas from time to time.

▪ Use Water and apple cider vinegar to attract fleas to a trap for fleas. Place liquid in a glass and position it around the area with the highest population of fleas.

▪ Mix water with lime or citrus fruit overnight and spray around the legs or ankles.

▪ Use of one of either lavender, cedarwood or Eucalyptus oil on your skin or put a few drops in water to prevent fleas from climbing the skin.

Preventing Bed Bug Bites

▪ Check your luggage and clothes carefully when back from an overnight camp or trip

▪ Do not place your luggage on top of the bed in hotels, always use the rack provided

▪ Check your room often for infestation signs

▪ Do away with infested mattresses, bed frames and box springs

▪ Ensure you wash every cloth taken on a trip either worn or not.

▪ Use vacuum cleaners in crevices and cracks in your bedroom and everywhere around the house where they could be bed bugs.

▪ Keep clothing in bags frozen for some days ideally four days.

Eliminating Fleas and Bed Bugs

The most difficult part of dealing with bedbugs and flea bite is eliminating the source of the bite. Like we have mentioned previously, flea bites are a lot different from bed bug bites. Bed bugs do not have a main nest like ants and as such killing requires serious attention and effort. Fleas also tend to grow a lot quicker and multiply rapidly.

It is important that you hire the services of a pest control expert to inform you about the choices you have. You necessarily do not have to result to fumigation in all cases.