Help, I'm getting bit! A Guide to identifying bug bites.

Bugs are real jerks. They’re gross and having them crawling all over the place isn't so much a nuisance as it is just unnerving. Worst of all, they like to bite people when they get upset or when they need food, leaving you covered in frustratingly itchy little bites. Oftentimes a small spider or fire ant is to blame for a couple itchy red bumps on your body, or maybe you've just returned from a camping trip. But if you’re seeing abnormally large amounts of bites or bites surfacing in strange ways, potentially there's an issue. Here are some ways to identify what’s eating you up at night.

Click here for our visual guide for identifying bug bites

Bed Bug Bites

Let’s just get this one out of the way. Bed bugs are the worst pest to deal with. They’re difficult to get rid of, they often hang out in one of the areas we spend most of our time and they’re total jerks with a big appetite. Bed bugs feed on the blood of their hosts, mostly an unsuspecting person asleep at night. Unusually, it’s not uncommon for bed bugs to prefer one host over another, making for some strange revelations as spouses realize that they’re getting bitten while the other isn't. This is totally normal, and often a sign that bed bugs are to blame.

A typical group of bed bug bites

Bed bug bites can have the appearance of a skin rash at first glance. Bites will appear as small, flat bumps that are slightly raised and red in color. The area where the bite is located will only have one mark as opposed to the 2 marks that spider and ant bites leave. Bed bug bites do not require any kind of special treatment as they are not poisonous and usually itch-free. The bites tend to collect on areas that are left exposed when sleeping, such as the face, hand and feet areas.

If you think you may be getting bitten by bed bugs, please check out our bed bug page here on the website.

Spider Bites, Ant Bites, Stings and more

General creepy crawly pests tend to feed mostly on each other or vegetation. But it’s not uncommon for them to take a couple chomps out of us when it suits them. Luckily, it’s usually not a sign of any severe spider or ant infestation in your home and can often be attributed to a wandering pest on the prowl at night. These bites look like one little bump that can reach unholy levels of itchiness if rubbed the wrong way. These bites can be treated by washing the affected area with soap and water, applying an anti-itch/bug bite cream and by refraining from scratching it as that will only make the bite worse.

If bites persist and you are sure that it’s from regular pests and not bed bugs or fleas, it would be a good idea to wash all your bedding on a hot setting, cleaning up any food or liquid spills from around your sleeping area and knocking down any spider webs nearby. Maybe even pull the bed frame away from the wall and see if there are any spider webs between the bed and the wall.

Flea Bites

Flea bites can spell relief for someone who fears they are dealing with bed bugs. Fleas have similar biting patterns as bed bugs in that they will chew up a particular area on a person’s body. Fleas will mostly bite your feet, ankles and lower calf. This is usually because it’s the only area they can reach if they are infesting your whole home and are isolated to the floor.

Flea bites after hiking in an infested area

Flea bites don’t have the rash-like appearance of bed bug bites and bear a little resemblance to mosquito bites with their low red bumpiness and the ease at which they scab and blister. Unlike Bed bug bites, flea bites typically leave an itch or burning sensation where the bite took place. Anti itch creams and balms are your friend here, the more you scratch, the worse they’ll get. To learn more about fleas, please check out our flea page.

Identifying the root of your bites is always the best first course of action in getting the problem taken care of. It’s also a good first step to wash all your bedding on the hottest washer and dryer settings as it tends to kill whatever mites or pests present.

Avoiding Bed Bugs While Traveling

There are a few species of pests, namely ants and spiders, that wander into our homes looking for food and a place to nest. But there are other pests that have to be brought in from an outside source to be any kind of prominent issue. Bed bugs are are what we would call a “source based pest.” This source can include a slew of seemingly harmless events or even just dumb luck situations, but most of the time bed bugs are brought in by returning travelers. Here’s what you can do to defend yourself against bed bugs while traveling.

Know what a bed bugs looks like

Easy enough, here's a bed bug.

It's important to generally know what bed bugs look like. They are pretty small and brown and flat. Here is a picture of one close up: 

Check your Bed

How to check a Bed for Bedbugs

Though at times bed bugs can be elusive, most of the time bed bugs can be detected with a minute long search:

First, remove the top blankets, revealing the sheets of the bed. A quick glance should reveal any stains left by bed bugs feces or blood from victims. I know, gross right? If the sheets are all clear, check the seams of the mattress. Lift up the seams, keeping an eye out for more feces or blood spots. This is also one of the spots where live bed bugs can be seen crawling around looking gross. It’s also a good idea to check the headboard of the bed as well as the flooring around the bed. Bed bugs often will leave all their poop and eggs with an area surrounding the bed. Those areas can just look like a really dirty spot under the bed, but it shouldn’t be difficult to realize that something is amiss. If there are any signs of bed bugs, immediately let management at the hotel know. Better yet, find somewhere else to stay!

Keep your dirty clothes separate from the fresh ones

This pretty much goes without saying, but in the event that contact with bed bugs was unknowingly made, this will help temporarily quarantine any bed bug material that may have latched onto your clothing. It is also a good idea to take any dirty clothes to a laundromat during your travels and wash them all on the hottest settings. Bed bugs perish at temperatures of 140 degrees and up.

Avoid Bed Bugs While Unpacking

This is probably the most important part of traveling when it comes to preventing a bed bug situation. When arriving back home, it is extremely important that any luggage remains outside the house before being cleaned and inspected for bed bugs and any other creepy crawlies. This is important when traveling outside of the country, especially if visiting a third world country. When unpacking, immediately throw any clothes, even unused ones, into the washer and dryer on maximum heat. Unpack the rest of the luggage, keeping an eye out for any anomalies like bug droppings, shells and eggs. 

Leave luggage outside home until everything is washed. Next, visually inspect the luggage itself. Check the seams of the upholstery, the linings of zippers and any small crevices or slots for evidence of bed bugs. If the luggage is also machine washable, we would definitely recommend washing it on the hottest temperature as well. We did not make this video, but it is a very good tool for ensuring your safety when traveling. 

Be cautious and aware during these trips, and there shouldn’t be any issues. Don’t forget to have a good trip!

Preparing For The Heat Wave

Right now the bugs are keeping it a bit on the down-low during these supposed Southern California “winter months.” While it may not seem like it’s that much cooler, the weather really does affect the frequency of pest infestations. As we make our way to the warmer spring months, it is important to take a bit of preemptive action against pests. Here are some simple, non-chemical ways to prepare for the impending heat wave and pest rush here in Southern California

Keep Living Spaces Clean

Bugs need food and protein to live, that goes without saying. That means that ants will target that cheese crusted pizza box that got left on the kitchen sink, flies will buzz around all that dog poop in the backyard and cockroaches will sneak in from the dark to pick at all those dirty dishes in the sink. Keep your foods sealed tightly in the cupboards and make sure that the trash is taken out consistently and completely. Flour weevils will specifically target all those unsealed baking goods in the pantry, finding those guys while baking bread would just be disgusting.

There’s a reason why there’s a lot of bugs and pests in and around the trash, that’s because it’s filthy, and filth contains a lot of proteins that bugs like to go for. By neglecting to take out the trash or letting trash accumulate, the door is essentially opened up for creepy crawlies to come and clean it up for you.

Do Not Leave Standing Water

As things start to heat up, Southern Californians typically start to be around a lot more water. Water sports, swimming pools, playing in the sprinklers and water slides are all great ways to cool down in 110-degree weather, but tracked water in the house could lead to another open door for heightened pest infestations. Make sure to keep tracked water from the kids dried up inside the house and the bug water park will be closed for good.

Knock Down Webs

Imagine this: you leave home to go grocery shopping, picking up the basic necessities, dropping off the kids, all that good stuff. When you come home, your house is gone. Just plain gone. That’s what it’s like for spiders when you knock their webs down. They have no where to go, no where to catch food and all their babies are probably dead. It’s grotesque, but that’s how you can get rid of spiders, just wreck up the place.

Travel Cautiously

With Spring and Summer breaks on the horizon, thousands of people are already planning trips and vacations. Which is great, I hope they have a lot of fun, but travelling can increase the chance of taking some of those nasty pests home and having them infest their lives. When travelling, it is important to check your bags, wash your clothes in hot temperatures, and inspect any of those nifty souvenirs for evidence of pests, specifically bed bugs. One helpful tip is to leave all your bags outside when you get home from the trip, bringing them inside one at a time as your inspect and wash your belongings. It can be tedious, but I’ll take an hour of tedium over a bed bug infestation any day.