{"id":14519,"date":"2025-02-12T10:52:10","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T10:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog?p=14519"},"modified":"2025-02-27T19:06:13","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T19:06:13","slug":"know-fleas-bed-bugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/know-fleas-bed-bugs\/","title":{"rendered":"How do I know if I have fleas or bed bugs?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to the warm and humid summers we\u2019ve been experiencing in the UK, pest experts are warning that homes and offices are at much bigger risk of suffering a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/bloginsects\/fleas\/\">problem with fleas<\/a> and bed bug infestations.<\/p>\n<p>While you may think that your clean home is safe from these pesky intruders, unfortunately this isn\u2019t necessarily the case. Fleas and bed bugs can enter buildings in a number of ways \u2013 even if you don\u2019t have pets.<\/p>\n<p>How do you know if you have an infestation however?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Bed bugs<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/bloginsects\/bed-bug-control\/\">Bed bugs<\/a> can be hard to spot physically. They\u2019re small and oval-shaped with brownish coloured, flat bodies about the size of an apple seed. After feeding, their bodies swell and become a reddish colour.<\/p>\n<p>Chances are you won\u2019t notice them if you\u2019re not looking but if you conduct a thorough search, you should be able to spot them. If you can\u2019t see any but still have a feeling you have an infestation, there are a number of other signs to look out for.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bed bugs don\u2019t just live in beds and mattresses. They can also be found on luggage, clothing, couches and headboards. If you\u2019ve purchased any second-hand items, check for signs of bed bugs before bringing them into your house.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You\u2019re being bitten. Most bed bug bites are painless at first but later turn into itchy welts. They\u2019re most commonly found around the ankles or any other area of skin which is exposed while you sleep. They usually appear in a linear, row-like arrangement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There are blood or dark stains on your sheets, pillowcases or pyjamas. This is usually either bed bug faeces or blood spots. The blood spots tend to occur as a result of blood-filled bugs being crushed when you roll over while they\u2019re feeding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bed bugs tend to gather and hide in large groups so you may notice patches of faecal matter, egg shells or shed skins around the house.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bed bugs produce an offensive and musty odour so if there\u2019s a strange, unexplained smell in the house, it could be an infestation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blogwp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bedbug.detail.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2545 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blogwp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bedbug.detail-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bedbug.detail.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bedbug.detail-177x142.jpg 177w, https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/bedbug.detail-147x118.jpg 147w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The places you\u2019re most likely to find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/bloginsects\/bed-bug-control\/\">bed bugs<\/a> include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bed frames and headboards<\/li>\n<li>Carpets<\/li>\n<li>Drawers and cupboards<\/li>\n<li>Wardrobes<\/li>\n<li>Bedside cabinets<\/li>\n<li>Mattress seams<\/li>\n<li>Skirting boards<\/li>\n<li>Floorboards<\/li>\n<li>In cracked or broken plaster or behind peeling wallpaper<\/li>\n<li>Inside electrical sockets and fittings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Fleas<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Contrary to popular belief, cats and dogs aren\u2019t entirely to blame for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/bloginsects\/fleas\/\">flea infestations<\/a>. These pests can parasite many animals including chickens, rabbits, squirrels, rats, ferrets, mice and even humans.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, 95% of the flea population in the home is actually found within carpets and soft furnishings.<\/p>\n<p>Fleas aren\u2019t just a nuisance to their hosts, they can also cause acute irritation, infection and transfer of other parasites, such as tapeworms.<\/p>\n<p>Common signs to look out for in your pets include:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blogwp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/fleas-insect-detail.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-2238 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blogwp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/fleas-insect-detail-300x240.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/fleas-insect-detail.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/fleas-insect-detail-177x142.jpg 177w, https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/fleas-insect-detail-147x118.jpg 147w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Droppings or flea dirt in fur<\/li>\n<li>Allergic dermatitis<\/li>\n<li>Excessive scratching, licking or biting at skin<\/li>\n<li>Hair loss<\/li>\n<li>Scabs and hot spots<\/li>\n<li>Pale gums<\/li>\n<li>Tapeworms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you suspect you have an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/bloginsects\/\">insect infestation<\/a> in your home, there are a couple of effective tests you can carry out.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Put on a pair of long white cotton socks and walk around your house. Shuffle your feet to create warmth on the floor and linger in spots you suspect they\u2019re inhabiting. If you do have a flea infestation, you will notice brown or black specs on your socks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you\u2019re unsure whether you\u2019re noticing flea dirt or normal dirt, rub the area with a moistened white towel. If it\u2019s flea dirt, it will appear as tiny red streaks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you need help containing a flea or bed bug infestation, please don\u2019t hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blogcontact-us\/\">get in touch with Prokill<\/a> today.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thanks to the warm and humid summers we\u2019ve been experiencing in the UK, pest experts are warning that homes and offices are at much bigger risk of suffering a problem with fleas and bed bug infestations. While you may think that your clean home is safe from these pesky intruders, unfortunately this isn\u2019t necessarily the [&hellip;]<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[192,114],"class_list":["post-14519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-bed-bugs","tag-fleas"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How do I know if I have fleas or bed bugs? - Prokill UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prokill.co.uk\/blog\/know-fleas-bed-bugs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How do I know if I have fleas or bed bugs? - Prokill UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thanks to the warm and humid summers we\u2019ve been experiencing in the UK, pest experts are warning that homes and offices are at much bigger risk of suffering a problem with fleas and bed bug infestations. 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