Itchy red bites, no idea where they came from. In a London flat the two usual suspects are fleas and bed bugs, and they need completely different treatment. Here is how to tell which one you have, usually in under ten minutes, without paying anyone.
What is the quickest way to tell fleas from bed bugs?
Look at where the bites are. Flea bites are mostly on your ankles and lower legs, because fleas jump up from the floor. Bed bug bites are on skin left uncovered in bed: arms, shoulders, neck and face, often in a short line or tight cluster.
Then check the mattress seams. Bed bugs leave small dark spots there. Fleas almost never do.
Side by side
| Fleas | Bed bugs | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you get bitten | Ankles and lower legs | Arms, shoulders, neck, face |
| Bite pattern | Scattered, small, very itchy | Lines or clusters of 3 to 5 |
| When it happens | Any time, day or night | At night, while you sleep |
| What you see | Tiny dark insects that jump | Flat, apple-seed sized bugs that crawl and never jump |
| Where they hide | Carpets, rugs, sofas, pet bedding | Mattress seams, bed frames, headboards, skirting near the bed |
| Tell-tale marks | Black specks on bedding or socks that turn red on wet tissue | Dark spots on mattress seams, shed skins, a sweet musty smell |
| Our price | £180 first room, £60 each extra | £220 first room, £120 each extra |
Do the white sock test
Put on a pair of white socks pulled up over your ankles and walk slowly around the carpeted rooms for five minutes, shuffling your feet. Fleas react to movement and warmth and jump on. If you have fleas, you will usually see small dark dots on the socks. Bed bugs will not show up this way, because they don't jump and they hide during the day.
Check the mattress, properly
Strip the bed and look along every seam and piping of the mattress with a torch, then the corners of the bed frame and the back of the headboard. You are looking for live bugs the size of an apple seed, pale empty skins, or rows of tiny black dots, which is digested blood. Our guide on how to check for bed bugs after a trip walks through every spot. If the mattress is clean but the carpet is not, fleas are the far more likely answer.
No pets? It can still be fleas
Most people rule fleas out because they don't own a cat or dog. That is the most common mistake we see. Flea pupae can sit in carpets for months after the last pet left, and foxes, birds and secondhand furniture all bring them in. Read can you get fleas without pets for the full list.
Are the bites dangerous?
For most people, neither flea nor bed bug bites are dangerous. They itch, and scratching can lead to infection. The NHS guidance on bed bugs and on insect bites covers when to see a pharmacist or GP, for example spreading redness, swelling or signs of an allergic reaction.
Why getting it right matters
Treating for the wrong pest wastes money and time. Flea treatment goes on floors, carpets and soft furnishings. Bed bug treatment goes into the bed, the frame and the cracks around it, and you have to prepare the room differently. A flea spray will not touch bed bugs in a mattress seam, and a bed bug treatment will not clear eggs hatching in a hallway carpet.
Still not sure?
Call or WhatsApp us for a free quote and describe what you are seeing: where the bites are, and what you found on the socks or the mattress. When you are ready, see how our flea control and bed bug treatment work, or check every price in full.
Need it dealt with?
See how our bed bug treatment in London works, check every price in full, or get a free quote and we will call you back within 15 minutes, day or night. If the pests come back within 60 days, we return free.
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