Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like Mosquito Bites
Having itchy, irritated skin is one thing, but not knowing the cause is another. It can be frustrating finding a bite, and not the culprit. The best way to treat certain bug bites is to know exactly what bug went in for a snack, but sometimes it isn’t so easy. Different bugs can cause different types of reactions for different people. These reactions can range anywhere from skin irritation to anaphylactic shock from an allergy. When it comes to bed bugs and mosquitoes it’s best to know just what type of pest you’re dealing with. Although bed bugs can’t carry diseases like mosquitoes can, they can quickly become an uncontrollable nuisance due to their high reproduction rates. Mosquitoes on the other hand not only transmit life threatening illnesses, they have also been known to cause severe allergic reactions in certain individuals.
First we will discover how these two insects differ from each other by their life processes, followed by how their bites differ in a general sense, to symptoms and sensitivity. Lastly we’ll touch on the possibility of disease transmission and infection rates of these two pests and their bites.
The life cycles of both bed bugs and mosquitoes are similar, yet different. Bed bugs will go through three life stages, whereas mosquitoes will go through four. Bed bugs will go through their growth processes from eggs to nymphs to grown adults, and mosquitoes transform from eggs, to larvae, to pupae to finally reach adulthood. One of the major differences between these two insects is in which gender feeds on blood. With bed bugs both male and female nymphs will feed on blood, whereas with mosquitoes, only adult females feed.
Why Is It Important To Know If You Were Bitten By A Bed Bug Or A Mosquito
Generally speaking, when comparing bed bug bites to mosquito bites there are a few distinct characteristics one could look for. Bed bug bites can appear with no observable symptoms at first as they can take a couple hours to a day to develop. Mosquito bites tend to be visible within a few minutes after the bite. Bed bug bites can appear as red, itchy bumps that may cause a burning sensation; bites from a mosquito will appear as a puffy reddish-white bump which may lead to small blisters depending on the sensitivity of the individual’s skin.
The bite from a bed bug is painless at first and sometimes goes unnoticed, but can appear as an itchy welt on the skin. It is typical to have more than one bite from a bed bug and they will usually show up in a straight line or circular cluster. The bite from a mosquito will appear as a single bite, or in a random manner all over the body. Their bites can range in their pain and irritation levels depending on how an individual reacts to the insect’s saliva. Bed bug bites and mosquito bites tend to be opposites when it comes to sensitivity. Although bed bug bites typically go unnoticed at first, the more a person is bitten, the more sensitive they become. In contrast, the more a person is bitten by a mosquito, the less sensitive their skin becomes. The difference between bed bug bites and mosquito bites can also be determined by the area of the body the skin was bitten as well as when the bite occurred. Mosquitoes will bite any exposed areas of the skin, whereas bed bugs will bite exposed areas as well as through clothing.
Why Bed Bugs Feed At Night Mosquitoes During Dusk
The time at which these bites occur can tell a lot about where they may have come from. Bed bugs will feed at night, sometimes leaving small blood stains on sheets due to the pest’s inability to digest its meal fully. Mosquitoes are typically more active from dawn to dusk, but can feed at any time of day. Healing time can help you determine whether or not the bite was caused by a bed bug or a mosquito as well. Bed bug bites may last a few days compared to mosquito bites which tend to clear up in a day or two.
Can Bed Bugs & Mosquito Bites Give Me A Disease?
It is important to understand just which bug has caused a bite because of the possibility of disease transmission. Both bed bugs and mosquitoes are pest issues that should be addressed by your local pest control company. Mosquitoes can transmit life threatening diseases to their hosts so it’s always best to take precautionary measures such as using insect repellent. Bed bugs are not known to transmit diseases but their bites can become infected.
