You wake up itchy and discover that some bug has used your arms and legs for target practice. But did these mystery bites come from mosquitoes? Or, ugh, bed bugs? Our guide can help you identify bed bug bites vs. mosquito bites and offers tips on treating bites as well as how to avoid them. Be sure to check out our section below where we ask the experts about these pests!
- About Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes
- What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?
- What Do Mosquito Bites Look Like?
- How Do Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes Bite?
- Where Am I Most at Risk for Mosquito or Bed Bug Bites?
- How to Check For Bed Bugs
- When Do Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes Bite?
- How to Treat Bed Bug Bites
- How to Treat Mosquito Bites
- FAQ
About Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes
It can be hard to see bed bugs — they’re small, about the size of an apple seed. Adults are flat, brown or reddish-brown, and have six legs. Young bugs can be white or yellow. All bed bugs need to eat on a regular basis (about every four to five days), so people are a target for both males and females.
Mosquitoes are also small — about ¼ to ½-inch long, though the females tend to be larger. Most are brown or black with tan or white markings. They have three sets of long legs and narrow wings. While males don’t bite people, females want your blood in order to produce a new batch of eggs.
What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?
Bed bug bites can look a lot like mosquito bites. The most common presentations of bite sites are:
- Raised bumps in a line or zigzag pattern.
- A pimple-like bump with a dark red center surrounded by lighter-toned skin.
- A round bump with a blister.
Bed Bug Bite Symptoms
- Itchiness
- Burning
- Mild pain
Where Do Bed Bugs Bite?
They’ll bite any part of your skin that’s in contact with your bed or other furniture. So, you may find bites on your:
- Arms
- Back
- Face
- Neck
- Legs
Note: Bed bugs won’t bite through your clothes, but they will crawl under them to bite you.
What Do Mosquito Bites Look Like?
Mosquito bites commonly look like:
- A puffy, red bump that shows up immediately.
- A hard, itchy, reddish-brown bump or multiple bumps that show up a day or two later.
- Small blisters.
- Dark, bruise-like spots.
Mosquito Bite Symptoms
You may feel the sting of the bite, but the most common symptom is itching — your body’s reaction to mosquito saliva. (Though allergic reactions are possible.) It’s difficult, we know, but try not to scratch: Bites can become infected.
Where Do Mosquitoes Bite?
Mosquitoes, lured by your body odor, will bite any exposed skin they can find, be it your arm, ankle, or behind your knee. And they can bite through your clothes, so avoid loosely woven or tightly fitting clothing.
How Do Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes Bite?
Mosquitoes and bed bugs have a couple of things in common: They’re out for your blood, and they have similar feeding habits. But their anatomy is very different.
Mosquitos: A mosquito’s mouth (called a proboscis) is made up of six spears with specialized jobs: Some pierce the skin, others probe for a blood vessel, others take your blood and add a bit of saliva that includes an anticoagulant so that they can more easily feed on you.
While we might consider mosquitoes to be pretty good marksmen, that’s not the case. A French study determined that many have lousy aim — less than half of the 200 mosquitoes used in an experiment couldn’t get a blood meal from mice. (This means you may still be bitten, but the mosquito will come up empty.)
Bed bugs: Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs have a single mouthpart (stylet) shaped like a straw that does double duty. During a bite, the stylet injects an anesthetic and an anticoagulant into the site, then it’s used to feed on your blood. Unlike mosquitoes, bed bugs take their time: The feeding process can take up to 15 minutes.
Where Am I Most at Risk for Mosquito or Bed Bug Bites?
Photo Credit: Seney Natural History Association / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0
Either of these bugs can be found in odd places (bed bugs can hide in electrical outlets and loose wallpaper, for example). But there are places where you are most at risk:
Bed bugs. You’re more likely to be bitten inside. While a bed and box spring are the most obvious hiding places, you can find bed bugs in other places, too:
- Bedding (including pillows and pillowcases)
- Headboards
- Bedside tables
- Curtains
- In the seams of upholstered furniture (sofas, recliners, chairs)
- Sofa and chair cushions
- Carpets and rugs
Mosquitoes. While mosquitoes can get in your house, you’re likely more at risk outside, especially near standing water. Female mosquitoes only need a small amount of water in which to lay their eggs. But inside or out, there are a few other places where mosquitoes like to hide:
- Carports and garages
- Under patio furniture
- Under sinks
- In closets
- In dense vegetation
How to Check For Bed Bugs
Bites may be the first indication of bed bugs in your home. But to be sure, it’s best to look for signs that they’ve taken up residence. What to check for:
- A sweet, musty odor. This is from the chemical that the bugs produce to communicate.
- Blood stains. Tear your bed apart to look for these as they can be in any part of the bedding. Take a good look at upholstered furniture, too.
- Tiny black specks. While you’re looking for blood spots, check for these, which are bits of excrement.
- Skin castings. Bed bugs molt several times before they become adults.
When Do Bed Bugs and Mosquitoes Bite?
Bed bugs are most active at night. Scientists believe that bed bugs are attracted to the heat and carbon dioxide that a person gives off while asleep. If you see bed bugs during the day, they may have been hit with pesticide, or they haven’t fed for a while and are looking for a host.
While some species of mosquitoes will bite during the day, most are active from dusk until dawn. If you’re outside at those times and not using repellent, their receptors can target you by the carbon dioxide from your breath or the scents that you give off or wear.
How to Treat Bed Bug Bites
If there are no signs of a serious reaction, the American Academy of Dermatology says you can treat bites on your own.
- Wash bed bug bites with soap and water; this will reduce the itch and help prevent an infection.
- Apply an OTC corticosteroid cream to the bites.
When to Call the Doctor
- If you have a large number of bites on your body.
- If the bites should blister.
- If you see signs of infection (pain, discharge).
- If you have an allergic reaction (red, swollen skin or hives).
How to Treat Mosquito Bites
Generally, mosquito bites go away on their own. But if you’re uncomfortable, the Cleveland Clinic suggests you use:
- An ice pack to relieve swelling in the affected area. Apply for 10 minutes.
- A paste of water and ground oatmeal or baking soda to help relieve the itch.
- An OTC corticosteroid (anti-itch) cream.
- An OTC antihistamine.
When to Call the Doctor
Mosquitoes can spread diseases like West Nile virus and Zika virus, so get medical help if you have any of these symptoms:
- Fever
- Headache
- Body aches
- Nausea
- A rash
- Fatigue
Also, get medical attention if you have any signs of an allergic reaction:
- Hives
- Swollen throat
- Wheezing
Ask The Experts
- What is the first sign people ought to look for when distinguishing between bed bug bites and mosquito bites?
- What is your advice to people who are unable to identify the bite?
- What else can be mistaken for a bed bug bite or mosquito bite?
- What is the greatest misconception about bug bites?
1. What is the first sign people ought to look for when distinguishing between bed bug bites and mosquito bites?
Unless an individual knows what insect bit them, it is impossible to identify an insect by a bite alone.
One distinguishing point could be the bite location. Bed bugs may be able to bite covered areas of the body when someone is sleeping, whereas a mosquito may have to bite an unexposed area when someone is outdoors. However, mosquitoes can bite through clothes if the fabric is not thick or tight against the skin.
2. What is your advice to people who are unable to identify the bite?
I would suggest that they consider their most recent activities. We have had inquires where people thought they were being bitten by bed bugs, but none were found. However, the residents were spending the evenings outside and were being bitten by mosquitos.
Also, consider if you have traveled anywhere recently and possibly acquired bed bugs. The person could then do an inspection of their sleeping as well as sitting areas and look for bed bugs or their signs.
3. What else can be mistaken for a bed bug bite or mosquito bite?
While there are a variety of biting insects and arthropods, I think that flea bites are most likely to be mistaken for bed bugs or mosquito bites. The skin reactions are similar, however, fleas have to bite areas where the skin is folded or pinched together, like waistlines, around the armpit, or behind the knee.
4. What is the greatest misconception about bug bites?
That people can identify an insect based on bites alone. Unfortunately, we need an insect specimen to identify it and there is no easy way to differentiate bites.
1. What is the first sign people ought to look for when distinguishing between bed bug bites and mosquito bites?
Mosquito bites itch. Bed bug bites do not.
2. What is your advice to people who are unable to identify the bite?
Unlike mosquitos or spiders that leave the area after a blood meal, bed bugs stay put. Go online to look for an image of a bed bug. Then, look for them in the area of concern (bed, stuffed couch, stuffed chair).
3. What else can be mistaken for a bed bug bite or mosquito bite?
Spider bites have two small injection sites whereas bed bug bites have a single injection site.
1. What is the first sign people ought to look for when distinguishing between bed bug bites and mosquito bites?
There are no proven methods to distinguish between causes of suspected “bites” without observations of or recovery of actual specimens (insects themselves) or signs (bed bug fecal spots, eggs, cast skins, blood spots or smears near bedding, review this UC IPM inspection video.
Dermatological symptoms such as bumps, wheals, rashes, etc. cannot be used to identify biting pests, because these symptoms are functions of an individual’s immune response, which is highly specific to the individual. A mosquito “bite” may present dramatically different from person to person, for instance.
Sometimes, we can use contextual clues to consider different causes of our dermatitis. For instance, mosquito bites usually occur on exposed skin while people spend time outdoors during dusk or dawn. Bed bug bites also occur on exposed skin, but while people are sleeping or resting indoors. In these cases, the clothing worn, and therefore the areas of skin exposed will be different.
Bed bug bites may occur in a linear pattern because multiple bugs were feeding along a linear boundary between bedding or clothing and exposed skin. Mosquito bites would never be expected to follow this pattern.
2. What is your advice to people who are unable to identify the bite?
Consider the common biting pests (mosquitoes, fleas, bed bugs, biting mites), learn about the spatiotemporal patterns associated with each, look for specimens or signs, and consider deploying specific monitoring devices for the suspected biting pest.
If no biting pest or sign can be found, consider other causes for unexplained dermatitis (environmental irritants, household chemicals, medications or drugs, medical conditions). The UC IPM program has published a guideline to help in this process: “Itching and Infestation: What’s Attacking Me?”
3. What else can be mistaken for a bed bug bite or mosquito bite?
Any dermal puncture wound associated with foreign biological material (insect saliva, plant sap, etc.) can lead to a dermatological immune response. Even mechanical (no organism responsible) puncture wounds can become infected by bacteria and appear like a “bite”.
4. What is the greatest misconception about bug bites?
The biggest misconception is that “bites” of any kind can be diagnostic. Dermatological symptoms cannot reliably be used to identify the cause of the dermatitis. Period. No entomologist and no dermatologist on the planet can do this.
Instead, we can only consider the spatiotemporal patterns associated with the “bites” and try to recover a specimen or specific signs. Until we identify a biting pest, we should not proceed with any kind of pest management.
1. What is the first sign people ought to look for when distinguishing between bed bug bites and mosquito bites?
Prof. Nair: It is impossible to distinguish single bites on the same person’s skin.
One possible thumb rule is to check if there are multiple bites in a fairly straight line on a part of the skin. This situation might occur if a person was resting or lying down on a bed or couch and was immobile for a period of time, thus exposing an expanse of skin to bites. However, this is not conclusive, and bed bugs don’t always line up and bite in a straight line.
It is also important to remember that different people react differently to insect or arthropod bites, and even the same person can react differently at a different time depending on the number of bites or changes in their sensitivity. So, a bite that itches or swells up more is not indicative of the cause of the bite.
Prof. Gouge: Bugs in bed also, or black dots of frass (poop) along seams and in folds.
2. What is your advice to people who are unable to identify the bite?
Prof. Nair: Monitor your surroundings and try to recall where you felt the bite (e.g., indoors or outdoors) and on what part of your skin (e.g., exposed skin on hands, feet or face, or places where.
Next, look for breeding habitats (e.g., stagnant water in indoor plant pots or saucers), or signs on furniture and clothing (e.g., blood or fecal stains, shed skin), or the biters themselves (e.g. mosquitoes and ticks are recognized by most people). Try to connect your observations to identify the bite.
3. What else can be mistaken for a bed bug bite or mosquito bite?
Prof. Nair: Bites from several other biting insects or arthropods can resemble bed bug or mosquito bites. E.g., no-see-ums, black flies, deer flies, ticks, spiders, scorpions.
Allergies from other causes can result in rashes or welts on the skin that could be mistaken for insect bites.
Prof. Gouge: Fleas
4. What is the greatest misconception about bug bites?
Prof. Nair: That all insects bite. Neither are all insects “bugs”, nor do they all bite.
Prof. Gouge: That everybody reacts to bites, so if one person in the home isn’t reacting but one is it is in their head.
FAQ
The New York Department of Health has suggestions for a bed-bug-free trip:
• Consider using hard-cased luggage.
• Pack your clothes in resealable plastic bags.
• In the hotel, place your luggage on a hard surface off the floor. If you can’t, put bags in a dry bathtub.
• Pull up the sheets at the corners and sides to check the mattress and box springs. Check behind headboards and inside bedside tables, too.
• Leave your clothes in your bags during a short stay.
• If you see any sign of bed bugs, tell hotel management immediately and ask for another room.
• At home, unpack in the bathroom and shake out clothes; inspect your luggage, too.
Yes, bed bugs and mosquitoes will target your pets. Bed bugs don’t transmit disease, so Ollie or Champ will be left with red welts or itchy patches, according to PetMD. However, your pet can develop secondary infections from scratching.
Mosquito bites, on the other hand, can be serious, as they can transmit disease to your pets. The biggest disease threat is heartworm, which can be fatal. Some prescription flea and tick medications can repel mosquitoes; talk to your vet.
The best thing you can do to protect your dog or cat is to ensure they get a monthly heartworm preventative. Also, consider the best dog mosquito repellents to keep Fido safe and itch-free.
While you may not be able to escape all mosquitoes, there are a few things you can do to make yourself less of a target.
• Use mosquito repellent, preferably one with EPA-registered ingredients. If you prefer an alternative, natural mosquito repellents are also available.
• Cut back on scented products. Mosquitoes can hone in on the scent of your shampoo or cologne.
• Wear loose-fitting, densely woven clothes in light colors.
• Stay inside when mosquitoes are active. The little biters are usually active from dusk to dawn. If you want to be outside at night, apply repellent, or use deterrents such as mosquito incense on your patio or porch.
When to Call a Professional
If your efforts to banish mosquitoes aren’t working, or you have a bed bug infestation, Pest Gnome can connect you to the best pest control experts in your area. Your local pest control company will have the tools and the knowledge to rid your home of these biting pests.
Sources:
Main Image Credit:
Bed bug bites: James Heilman, MD / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Mosquito bites: ChrisAt / Canva Pro / License
