Several species of flea beetles feed on plants belonging to the mustard family (Brassicacae) grown throughout the Canadian prairie provinces. However, it may not work in heavily infested areas because female bed bugs tend to disperse rather than congregate when there is a large number of bed bugs around.The ability of flea beetles to maintain large overwintering populations has made them persistent spring pests of mustard and Argentine (Brassica napus L.) and Polish (Brassica rapa L.) canola and rapeseed.įigure 1. Flea beetles and feeding pits Introduction It is expected that this invention will be commercialized by late 2015, and will help prevent and even treat minor infestations. In December 2014, researchers at Simon Fraser University announced that they had developed a chemical that attracted bed bugs from wherever they are in a room, thereby allowing them to be counted and killed. In hotel rooms, use luggage racks to hold luggage, and unpack directly into the washing machine when you return home. You should check secondhand furniture careful for signs of infestation and can eliminate hiding spots by using protective covers to encase mattresses and box springs. But bed bug infestations can be difficult to prevent. Fleas on pets should be killed using specially designed products on their fur.įlea infestations can potentially be prevented by washing pet bedding every week. Rugs and pet bedding should be beaten outdoors.
#BUGS THAT LOOK LIKE FLEAS PLUS#
įlea infestations can be treated by vacuuming carpets, furnishings, cracks in floors and upholstery, plus any place pets sleep, to remove fleas and eggs. It is estimated that an average American family spends roughly $5,000 for bedbug treatment. Pesticides designed for indoor use on bedbugs can also be used. Infested areas should be heated to at least 113F for an hour. Suggested treatments include putting bedding and clothing in a dryer at high temperatures (as general washing will not kill bedbugs). The EPA suggest integrated pest management (IPM), which uses both chemical and non-chemical treatments. Fleas can also lead to hair loss as a result of frequent scratching and biting by the animal, and can cause anemia in extreme cases.īed bugs are notoriously difficult to kill or get rid of. The bites often appear in clusters or lines of two bites, and can remain itchy and inflamed for up to several weeks afterwards. Flea bites generally result in the formation of a slightly raised, swollen itching spot with a single puncture point at the center (similar to a mosquito bite). Some people and animals suffer allergic reactions to flea saliva resulting in rashes. In contrast, fleas transmit a variety of viral, bacterial and rickettsial diseases to humans and other animals. However, bed bugs are not known to be a vector for transmitting diseases. In addition, they can have damaging psychological effects. Scratching may lead to secondary infection.
#BUGS THAT LOOK LIKE FLEAS SKIN#
Fleas rarely live on human hosts in the US, although they can bite them.īed bug bites (cimicosis) can cause itchiness, skin rashes and blisters. The most common type of fleas can be found on pets and hiding in the carpet and in upholstery.
In heavily infested rooms, they can also be found in chair seams, between cushions, in curtain folds, under loose wallpaper and in drawer joints. When not feeding, bed bugs can be found near the piping, seams and tags of mattresses, and in cracks in the bed frame and headboard. Their legs are long, the hind pair well adapted for jumping: a flea can jump vertically up to 7 inches (18 cm) and horizontally up to 13 inches (33 cm), making the flea one of the best jumpers of all known animals (relative to body size), second only to the froghopper.Ĭloseups of bed bug bites (left) and flea bites (right) on human skin. They are agile, usually dark colored (for example, the reddish-brown of the cat flea), with tube-like mouth-parts adapted to feeding on the blood of their hosts. They emit a characteristic disagreeable odor when crushed.įleas are wingless insects 1.5 to 3.3 mm long. Bed bugs may be mistaken for other insects, such as booklice, small cockroaches, or carpet beetles, however when warm and active, their movements are more ant-like. Newly hatched nymphs are translucent, lighter in colour and become browner as they moult and reach maturity.
Adults grow to 4–5 mm in length and 1.5–3 mm wide. They have segmented abdomens with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. Their front wings are vestigial and reduced to pad-like structures. Adult bed bugs are light brown or reddish-brown, flattened, oval-shaped and have no hind wings.
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