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Written by: A ONeill, Licensed Pest Management Professional

Did you know 84% of pest control companies reported they get called out to treat a particular pest (people often think its fleas), only to find that its actually bed bugs?

Its important to be able to identify and know what a bed bug looks like as you dont want to delay treating a growing infestation. From the description below and the following images, youll see that bed bugs are:

Lets find out a bit more about these pests.

The scientific name for bed bugs is Cimex lectularius and they are small, wingless insects with flat bodies. They are reddish-brown in color and are about the size and shape of a small apple seed.

They only feed on blood and prefer the blood of humans, but will also feed on animals.

They are nocturnal, so they hide during the day but a close inspection will find them on mattress seams, box springs, bed frames, headboards, and in cracks and crevices near to where you sleep.

Bed bugs are not seasonal so they bite all year round, but they do prefer warm temperatures of between 70-80F (21 26C) so the female can lay her eggs.

Its easy to get them confused with similar-looking pests, and as mentioned above, a lot of people misidentify them, so the photos below will give you an idea of what they look like and what to look for.

Well begin by looking at what these bugs look like up close.

1. This photo is one that I took when treating a bed bug infestation.

In this close up you can see the segments on the abdomen and its six legs as its crawling on the mattress.

In front of the bed bug is a speck of fecal matter and just behind it is a bed bug egg.

Although this is not the actual size of a bed bug, it does show you what they look like and help you identify them if you think youve found one.

2. This picture is a good example of a bed bug close-up. You can see its feeding by piercing the skin and taking blood from the person.

One particular identifying feature of the bed bug as I mentioned above is the protruding eyes, which are situated to the side of the head.

Bed bugs will bite any area of skin exposed when youre sleeping.

Well get to the photos of bites to the face, back, and other areas of the body further down the page to get a good idea of what the welts look like.

3. I took the magnified photo below to show what bed bugs look like close up and how they compare in size to an apple seed (left) and a flaxseed (right).

Although other bugs are mistaken for bed bugs, they do have some features which will help you to correctly identify them, and these are:

Head short and broad with distinct eyes that are clearly seen on each side of the head.

They have a long proboscis to feed, which pierces your skin and sucks your blood. When not feeding, the proboscis is tucked back underneath the body.

Bed bugs have two antennae, each with four segments that work together as sensors for locating a blood meal.

Thorax is attached to the head and abdomen and enables the body to move.

Its not always easy to tell the difference between the thorax and the body, but the thorax is in three segments and the segment nearest the head is flatter and partly surrounds the head.

The legs and wing pads (bed bugs cannot fly despite having wing pads) are also attached to the thorax.

Abdomen the bed bug has 11 segments on its abdomen so the body can expand whilst feeding.

After feeding the body looks swollen, elongated, and darker in color.

You can also tell if the bed bug is male or female by the shape of this area. The female is larger with a rounded abdominal tip, whereas the male has a more pointed abdominal tip.

4. Here is a good picture of a bed bug as it shows you in detail all of the features mentioned above.

You can see how the segments on its body expand and become darker in color as it fills itself up with blood.

This is what a bed bug looks like after feeding.

5. A closer image of number 1 above. Although this photo is a bit blurry (its hard to take photos when youve got all of your pest control gear on).

Again, you can see the segments on the abdomen as it crawls across the mattress.

6. This frontal close-up image of the bed bug shows it is feeding. Notice its body is similar to the shape of an apple seed.

You can see the wing pads which dont actually develop into wings, so thankfully, bed bugs cannot fly.

7. I took this close-up photo when treating a heavily infested mattress and box spring.

The adults cluster together in their hiding spots.

You can also see what bed bug eggs look like which are the pearly-white, almost translucent oblong shapes in the photo. These have hatched as there is an opening at one end of them.

8. The next photo is an extremely detailed one of the head and thorax.

Obviously, you wont be able to see this level of detail with the naked eye, but I hope it gives you a good idea of their body shape.

9. Another good close-up photo of this dreaded pest using its mouthparts to pierce the skin and take in a blood meal.

Notice how the body has become longer as it feeds.

10. This is a great (but rather scary-looking) image that was created using a digitally colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM).

From this view, you can see the mouthparts of the bed bug which it uses to suck up your blood.

11. This picture is taken from a slide that shows a bed bugs body structure.

12. Can you tell the difference between male and female bed bugs? This picture shows a male (left) and a female (right) as well as bed bug eggs.

The males body is more pointed as this is where the sex organ is, and the females body is more of an oval shape and is wider than the males.

13. This photo (magnified picture at the top), although not very clear, shows both a male and female bed bug, as well as bed bug eggs.

You can see the fecal matter, which is digested blood.

14. An adult bed bug is about 5-7mm long. This up-close photo shows its size in millimeters.

This is an adult and as you can tell they are very small so they are excellent at hiding in the smallest of cracks and crevices in your bedroom, hotel room, workplaces, and anywhere people generally are.

15. This image indicates the size of a bed bug by the scale at the bottom of the picture. Again this is an adult and you can clearly see the segmented parts of the body.

16. This is a picture of a nymph, or bed bug baby after feeding.

Baby bed bugs can be hard to see as they are semi-translucent and as the measurement scale on the image shows, they are tiny.

This baby bed bug has had a blood meal which is the dark area in the abdomen.

17. The next picture shows the size of bed bugs in comparison to the coin.

The adult bed bug on the left has an elongated body meaning it has recently fed. If you think youve got bed bugs, then just remember this image to see how small they are when searching for them.

18. What do bed bugs look like on a mattress? If you look closely at the picture below youll see an adult crawling where the seam of the label joins the mattress.

Bed bugs can be found anywhere on or near the bed, and this shows just how carefully you need to inspect everything as they are so small and can easily be missed.

19. The image below is one I took after treating a house for an infestation.

To show the actual size of a bed bug, I placed it alongside a ruler and if you look close enough, youll be able to see it had fed shortly before it died.

20. How small are bed bugs? Small but you can see them with the naked eye.

I took this photo of a baby bed bug, probably 4th/5th instar, that I found during an after-treatment inspection.

21. The next photo is a close-up of a dead bed bug that was placed on the pen tip for size comparison, again to show what size they are.

22. I took the photo below to show the size comparison of a bed bug (middle), apple seed (left), and flaxseed (right).

This bed bug was not quite an adult, so an adult would have been slightly larger, but it still gives a good indication of their size and similarity.

There is also a close-up version of this picture at number 3 above.

23. Another close-up image I took of a bed bug at the end of a Q-Tip (or cotton bud if youre in the UK).

Hopefully, these pictures are giving you a good idea of what they look like and how easily they can hide away in the seams of your mattress.

24. And another for size comparison with the bed bug next to the Q-tip.

This bed bug had been dead a few weeks as you can tell by its dried-out appearance.

The following are pictures of bed bugs feeding on people.

As these pests are nocturnal, you often wont know you have bed bugs straight away because not everyone reacts to the bites, and if they do, they usually think its a bite from a different insect.

Adult bed bugs and nymphs will feed about once a week, and they need regular access to a blood meal so they can grow and reproduce.

Although they feed on your blood, and the blood of animals, thankfully they do not transmit diseases!

25. The image below shows an adult getting a blood meal from a person.

26. This picture of a bed bug shows the pest crawling on a persons hand and feeding.

If you woke up and discovered a welt on your hand, would your first thought be that its a bed bug bite?

27. This is a great bed bug poop photo! Not only is it defecating but its also feeding on a person at the same time.

The fecal matter is actually blood taken from a person which the bed bug has digested.

Notice how dark the dropping is. Well take a look at how you can spot this on your mattress in the photos further along.

28. You can see from the next picture exactly what bed bugs look like after feeding when the abdomen becomes longer and fuller as it fills with blood.

Newborn baby bed bugs (or nymphs or larvae as they are also called) are about 1mm (1/16) in size and look almost transparent as they are so pale.

They go looking for a blood meal after they hatch, and when fed their abdomen becomes red making them easier to spot.

Nymphs will molt five times before they mature, as long as they have access to blood.

As they molt and become bigger (a 5th stage baby bed bug will grow to about 4.5mm), they look like the adult bed bugs only smaller and become brownish-red in color.

Baby bed bugs can reach adulthood in about 21 days if temperatures are between 70-80F (21-27C), but the average time is usually about five weeks.

Once they become adults, they can reproduce and add to the infestation.

29. Apologies for the blurry image, but sometimes its quite difficult to get into spaces and get good photos.

This close-up photo of an infestation shows baby bed bugs (nymphs) in different life stages as their cast exoskeletons are visible. This means they have been able to grow to the next molting stage as they have had access to blood.

You can also see two adult bed bugs have fed as their abdomens are a darker color.

30. If this baby bed bug (nymph) wasnt filled with blood, it would be hard to see as its almost see-through.

Notice the prominent eyes at the side of the head.

31. In this photo you can again see that the immature bed bug has recently fed because of the dark area in the abdomen.

As it has had access to blood, it has been able to molt to the next growth stage (called instars) and leave behind its exoskeleton, which is at the top right of the photo.

32. This magnified image of baby bed bugs below shows a cluster of hatched bed bug eggs, tiny nymphs, and casings.

An adult female bed bug lays about 5 eggs a day and hundreds throughout her lifetime. She also mates with her offspring, so the infestation will just grow and grow unless treated.

The eggs are extremely small like a speck of dust (1mm) and are a translucent white color so you can imagine how hard they are to see with the naked eye.

The female uses a clear and sticky substance to attach the eggs to cracks and other surfaces like wood.

Read the rest here:
What Do Bed Bugs Look Like? 65+ Pictures Of Bed Bugs

As is the case with most insects, people want to know how to get rid of bed bugs fast. Whether youve seen one in your home, on your luggage or hiding in personal belongings, your first reaction is likely to try figuring out what kills bed bugs fast. The good news is theres lots of information including products and tips for elimination. The bad news is that anything other than professional pest control is likely to be ineffective.

Bed bugs are small, flat insects with an oval shape and brownish color that feed on the blood of humans and warm-blooded animals. Their flat bodies allow them to fit into tiny spaces about the width of a credit card, and they hide in cracks and crevices located close to your resting areas such as mattresses, box springs, bedside tables, bedding, bed frames and headboards. This gives them easy access to sleeping humans, thus the name "bed bugs."

Bed bugs aren't an insect you can live with. Their bites don't carry pathogens that may cause disease, but they can cause a lot of itching and discomfort. On top of the bites, bed bugs populations can develop quickly unless they the population is removed and eliminated.

Consider getting rid of anything unneeded such as old magazines and newspapers. Its difficult to inspect a cluttered home, and the more items you can eliminate, the less places bed bugs can hide. If youre wondering what bed bugs are attracted to, other than warmth, blood and carbon dioxide, dark crevices also get their attention.

Bed bugs can hide in cardboard, so if you need the storage, plastic bins are less likely to foster infestations.

Pick clothing and accessories off the floor. If possible, throw away or donate items you no longer need, taking care to ensure its all free of bed bugs.

How to get rid of bed bugs fast starts with how thoroughly pest control professionals can inspect your space. Clean furniture, baseboards, behind outlets, switch covers and other items to give them a head start.

Wash and dry clothing and bedding at the highest heat as allowed by the manufacturer. Place items in sealed plastic bags for transport between rooms, and then seal clean items again in new plastic bags.

If possible, remove and clean fabric window coverings and hardware. Placed in sealed plastic bags.

Wash and vacuum floors thoroughly. When finished, double-bag the vacuum bag in a trash bag and place in outdoor bin.

Check baseboards for any cracks or crevices and caulk as needed.

Ensure wallpaper is not loose and repair any wall damage.

Check outlets and wall switches for bed bug evidence.

Make your bed an island to help get rid of bed bugs fast by moving it at least six inches away from the wall.

Wash and dry all bed linens including pillow cases, sheets, comforters and mattress pads at the highest settings allowed by the manufacturer. Seal in plastic bags once clean.

Post-treatment, use encasements (bed-bug-proof covers) to cover your mattress and box spring. Ensure they have zippers and are high quality to cut down on tearing.

Check under your bed and discard anything unneeded. Items you want to keep should be stored in the same room to prevent the infestation from spreading.

What kills bed bugs fast? Pest control professionals. Give them your full cooperation and make sure they have access to closets, walls and areas around furniture.

Dont wait for the problem to get out of hand. To get rid of bed bugs fast, you need a trained professional to identify the pests and find signs of infestation quickly. Contact Terminix for powerful, customized treatments that can help eliminate bed bugs where they live and breed.

If bed bugs have infested your mattress, you need to take action immediately. But don't panic. Bed bugs are treatable, as long as you use the proper methods.

It's important to first reduce the ability for bed bugs to travel around your home, as bed bugs are constantly looking for ways to travel and spread.

Bed bugs can be removed from your furniture, so it's not necessary to throw it out. However, if you're absolutely sure that you don't want your infested furniture anymore, do not sell it or donate it unless it's been inspected for bed bugs. This will likely only spread bed bugs to another home.

As for your mattress, this depends on the severity of the bed bug damage. It's important to note that simply throwing away your mattress doesn't immediately get rid of your bed bug problem. You'll still need a professional to inspect your home and make sure bed bugs aren't living in another area of your home. Even though they're called bed bugs, they can live in dressers, nightstands and even floors among other places. And moving an infested piece of furniture around the home can move bed bugs into other areas.

Related: Where Do Bed Bugs Live?

If your mattress isn't seriously damaged, it can be salvaged if you go through the above steps and schedule a professional treatment. There may be no need to throw away anything as long as you properly address the issue.

You may be squeamish about using your bedding after an infestation (which is totally understandable), but a few hot cycles in the washing machine followed by a high heat dryer cycle and some time spent sequestered in a plastic bag should kill all bed bugs in your sheets, blankets and pillowcases. Just be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions when washing and drying your bedding.

Having bed bugs in your home doesn't mean that you're messy or lax on housekeeping. Bed bugs are adept travelers, and they're constantly looking for ways to 'hitch a ride' and gain ground. For example, they could be present in a hotel room, crawl or climb onto your suitcase and stay on the bag until you return home.

If you do have a bed bug infestation, it's important that you contact a bed bug control professional to treat and get rid of the problem. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to control, and a professional is best equipped to spot the signs, find the visible and hidden bed bugs, and provide the right service to address bed bugs.

Prevention is important as well. Here are some things you can do to help prevent these intruders:

Taming bed bugs isn't something you have to tackle alone. Our trained Terminix professionals are always here to help you protect your home. Contact Terminix for powerful, customized treatments that can help eliminate bed bugs where they live and breed.

See more here:
5 Ways to Get Rid of Bed Bugs Fast | Bed Bugs in Mattress ...

NHS staff from GPs to nurses, surgeons to pharmacists have shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic.

But while we have heard heartbreaking stories from Covid sufferers and their families, there can be a lighter side to working in medicine too.

Here, in an exclusive extract from his new book The Secret Doctor, GP Max Skittle recalls some of the funniest and most touching moments from his time working at an inner-city surgery.

Ive an enormous Friday feeling. Its 1pm and Im on a half-day today.

One last patient to see and then Im back home to my wife Alice and the bump. I truly am motoring. Clinical paperwork, done. Emails, read (and selectively ignored). Blood results, checked and actioned.

I look at my jobs list and even thats clear. In this moment, I feel like a capable GP.

I close my eyes and hold on to it all for a few golden seconds, packing it away safely in my memory bank for a rainy day.

With the wind in my clinical sails, I greet Duncan, a nasally well-endowed 23-year-old.

As he places a matchbox next to my keyboard, a small alarm bell rings (a sort of evolved GP Spider-Man sense of the Peter Parker variety) that this is a bit weird.

From then on it all happens in slow motion.

I sit there, listening to Duncan, but already mentally checking out and on my way home to watch Love Island on catch-up with Alice, as he tells me he thinks hes got bed bugs, but wasnt sure. I nod again in slow motion still listening, but not quite putting together the s**t-storm coalescing in front of my eyes.

Before my brain catches up with Duncans explanation of how, since he wasnt sure, he thought hed bring one in that he caught, he slides open the matchbox.

If I inhaled any faster, the now-liberated bed bug wouldve been up my nose in a heartbeat.

Image:

Despite every fibre of my being wanting to tell Duncan hes a f***ing idiot, I shut the box, quickly print out a patient information leaflet on bed bug eradication and delicately instruct him to burn the box and its contents and never to bring a suspected bed bug into my clinic room again.

Ever. I think Ive hurt his feelings so I finish off by commending him for catching the little bugger.

Im in two minds whether to tell Alice when I get home may find myself sleeping in the spare room.

Woke up itching (not in the spare room). Thanks, Duncan!

Mr Toska is 62 years old and a total rock n roller. As he swaggers in, smelling of expensive aftershave, sex, and stale cigar smoke, I immediately remember why I like him he reminds me of some guy straight off an aftershave ad campaign on television.

Here for the results of his recent NHS general health check, he wants me to tell him that hes not likely to have a massive heart attack and drop dead. Sorry, mate, youre in for some disappointing news.

Mr Toska smokes like a chimney, drinks like a (big) fish, has high blood pressure and thinks exercise is for the snowdrop (I think he means snowflake) generation. When you add in his high cholesterol despite protesting he eats healthily, which is clearly an exuberant fabrication in light of his clinical obesity his risk of cardiovascular disease (for example, a heart attack or a stroke) is positively celestial.

I explain all this and tell him he should consider changing his lifestyle and commencing a cholesterol-lowering statin (although that particular advice will all change in the next ten years, Im sure) if he wants to live longer.

Mr Toska looks at me and tells me he doesnt want to do any of that stuff he has a great life. Oh, and by the way, he wants some Viagra as hes got a new girlfriend whos 43 years old and I quote, has a high sex drive.

I darent probe further, despite my morbid curiosity (which you cant help but develop with the job). Anyway, now hes definitely going to have a heart attack.

Despite my concerns and forceful advice, he leaves no different to when he came, seemingly about to sh*g his way into an early grave.

Like I said, total rocknroller.

No words in the English language can capture what Im seeing. My jaw hangs slack, a little more than probably professionally acceptable, as my eyes absorb the flat of 70-year-olds Mr and Mrs Leigh. At first pass I count 16 dreamcatchers hanging from the ceiling.

I stop counting the dreamcatchers for now as my eyes consume the framed photographs on the wall: Barack and Michelle Obama (at his inauguration), seven Alsatians (all individually framed), Cilla Black, and my favourite, Will Smith as the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Mind-blown, Im speechless, lost in the wonder of their world. Im not even sure the fact I cant remember why Im here even matters now. I put my medical bag down and sit on their sofa next to about 15 boxes of singing garden gnomes (batteries thankfully not included).

Image:

I get out a printed summary of Mrs Leighs medical notes, trying to bury my excitement at this wonderland and suppress all the many, many questions I have and be more GP-like.

Im here for her first diabetic review (most long-term health conditions have some kind of annual check-up scheduled by the GP).

Shes received this recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, picked up on a set of annual blood tests by the district nurses.

Mr and Mrs Leigh sit in front of me, taking in the information about what diabetes is, how it can occur, what the treatment will entail, and what an annual review like the one today involves.

Do you like Home and Away, Max?

Im already on first-name terms.

Bloody love that. Theres something about these two that really makes me want them to like me. Slightly blindsided by the question, I explain, while trying to professionally complete her diabetes checks, that while I dont get a lot of time to watch it (given the fact Im no longer 15 years old, have a job, and moved out of the 1990s), Im sure its still great.

Image:

Fighting the urge, I stop short of telling them Im sure I could probably still sing its theme tune.

God, I want to impress them.

Mr Leigh reappears as I pack up my bag, the diabetes review testing now complete.

He has a photo for me of their wedding day from 50 years ago.

Im really touched, if not slightly confused as to why he has this handy for such an occasion.

I listen with a warm sense of happiness for them as they speak about it with such reminiscent love.

A wave of pessimism sweeps over me sh**, am I being groomed? Itll be sweets in the bedroom next. I bat it away (putting it down to lunchtime hunger) and accept the photograph graciously, not quite sure what else to do.

I wonder what Alice will say? Maybe not one for the family photo wall. Still, a caring gesture nonetheless. And with that, I say goodbye, leaving the Leighs wonderland.

I really do hope to come back soon, this being one of the most fascinating home visits. EVER.

One things for sure, these two need their own television show I even know a theme tune for it . . .

I couldnt have ironed a shirt that well if I had all day. Let alone, square a tie off that neatly and pair it perfectly with a buttoned-up blazer. Also, I dont think I can stand up that straight. As I hover in Mr Cheemas living room, Im acutely aware that my shirts creased, definitely not tucked in at the back, and my trousers (yet again) are covered in my son Williams regurgitated milk from this mornings feeding frenzy.

I also find myself straining to stand up straighter, aware of my comparably inadequate posture. Mr Cheemas incredible: he walks over and shakes my hand, eyes evidently still full of twinkle. He invites me to sit, and I do so in silence, a little stunned by the amount of life in this man.

At one hundred years and two weeks (he adds, exuberantly) he looks 40 years his junior.

I wasnt expecting to find the answer to eternal youth on todays home visit.

Whats your secret? I have to ask as we sit here, imagining all the changes that hes lived through in this world.

Being kind and happy, he says without hesitation, not a beat missed.

A little disappointed at the intangibility of his answer, I probe for anything else more tangible like cheese. Or holidays to Bali.

Sadly, he says thats it. I make a mental note to remember this. Aware that this afternoons clinic is only half an hour away, I get down to business.

Now clinically speaking, theres not much wrong with Mr Cheema. To be honest, at his age, Ive also no interest in poking around to find something to sour his remaining years.

This visit is rather a general check-up as we havent seen him for a while.

Remarkably, he still lives alone with only one weekly carer doing some odd jobs for him.

I take in how immaculate his compact first-floor flat is, while the blood pressure machine tells me that he still has the blood pressure of a 21-year-old Olympic-level gymnast.

Yet, as with all of us, if you scratch deep enough, youll always find something. I can feel the quiet of his life, strange as that sounds.

The flat is a cacophony of newspapers, books, and crosswords.

Do you see many people?

Mr Cheemas veneer didnt take much scratching. It turns out he is in fact incredibly lonely, and has been for years.

He sees hardly anyone at all, with no family nearby (all largely dead, including his wife some 20 years ago), and a community that he doesnt really recognise or understand any more.

This upsets me for two reasons: first, this man clearly has so much to give.

Second, weve become the kind of non-communicable society thats perpetuated and fostered loneliness despite being on top of each other in bricks and mortar.

Its something Im seeing more and more in the patients I meet.

Yet Mr Cheemas clearly still up for life I love that about him.

We can all take a leaf out of this centenarian (and two weeks) book.

He agrees for me to get in touch with the local Age Concern organisation and some of the other local services that plan social activities like tea and cake mornings (though I do promise him that they do other things a little more exciting too).

Before leaving, I ask him to show me the secret to ironing his shirt so well.

Thankfully, his advice here is a little more tangible than being kind and happy to your shirt.

Read the original post:
Secret diary of a doctor - bed bugs, sex drives, Fresh ...

No one wants their home to be infested with bed bugsor mites. Before you can eliminate either of these pests, however, its important to understand some of the distinct differences between the two. When you are trying to differentiate between mites vs. bed bugs, its often a good idea to call on a bed bug control professional for assistance. Below are some facts about each pest that might help you.

Adult bed bugs are reddish-brown in color and about one-fourth of an inch long. Their bodies are oval and flattened, somewhat resembling an apple seed. They have six, slender legs and possess two antennae. Bed bugs have a long, slender mouthpart known as the proboscis that they use to pierce the skin of the host animal and siphon a blood meal. Immature bed bugs, called nymphs, look the same as the adults except that they are smaller and their color will usually be much lighter.

More than 46,000 species of mites have been identified, so the appearance will vary greatly among the different types. Mites are not actually insects. They are categorized as arachnids. Spiders and ticks also belong to this group and are closely related to mites. Most mites are approximately one-eighth of an inch long and can be seen with the naked eye, although some species are so small that they cannot be seen without the aid of a magnifying glass or microscope. Mites develop through four life stages egg, larval, nymph and adult. Immature mites have six legs. Adults have eight legs.

Bed bugs are typically found, as their name implies, in or near your bed. They can be found in the seams and folds of mattresses as well as in box springs. A common place to find bed bugs is behind the headboard where it abuts or is attached to the wall. As a bed bug infestation grows, they spread to nearby articles of upholstered furniture, behind baseboards, into wall voids, beneath loose flooring and behind electrical switches.

There are three species of mites that readily infest homes the bird mite, the clover mite and the dust mite. The bird mite prefers to feed on the blood of birds and rodents, but will bite humans if their host animal dies. Because they are carried by their host to various locations, they can be found inside walls, in the attic and in cracks and crevices near wherever birds or rodents may nest. Clover mites do not bite humans, but they can be alarming because they sometimes enter buildings by the thousands. Clover mites feed on clover, ivy, fruit trees and other plants and tend to enter structures when food sources outside are in short supply. The dust mite is so small its virtually invisible. These mites do not feed on humans, but can easily become airborne. Dust mites and their feces are one of the most common allergens found indoors. Pillows, mattresses and upholstered furniture are typical harborage sites for dust mites.

If you are concerned about bed bugs or mites carrying disease, you should know that bed bugs are not known to transmit any disease to humans. Only a few species of mites rarely have. Both can, however, cause skin irritations or allergic reactions due to their bite.

Now that you have more information about mites vs. bed bugs, it should be a given that you dont want either of these pests invading your space. Call the pest management professionals at Terminix to help keep these and other pests from bugging you.

Go here to read the rest:
Bed Bugs vs Mites: How to Tell the Difference | Terminix