How Can You Tell Fleas From Other Small Biting Insects in Ely?

The most common mix-up is between fleas and bed bugs. Both are tiny, both bite at night, and both can leave itchy red spots in groups. They are, however, quite different animals and are dealt with differently, so it is worth getting it right.

Where You Are Bitten

Fleas jump up from the floor and mostly bite the ankles and lower legs. Bed bugs climb onto the bed and bite skin that is uncovered while you sleep, so the face, neck, shoulders, arms and hands are more usual. Bed bug bites sometimes appear in a rough line or cluster, though they can take a day or more to show.

What They Leave Behind

• Fleas: pet bedding, carpets and sofas carry flea dirt, which smears rust red on damp paper. You may also see tiny fleas jumping.
• Bed bugs: small dark spots on the mattress seams and bed frame, bloodstains on sheets from squashed insects, and pale shed skins. The insects are about the size of an apple pip.

Why Ely Properties Are Worth Checking Closely

Ely has a lot of Victorian and older terraces, rented rooms and flats above shops, and a steady flow of visitors to the city. In any property where people come and go, furniture is passed on and rooms change hands. That is how both pests tend to move, and it is a reason to check second-hand beds, sofas and luggage first. A previous tenant's pet is another classic route for fleas. The routes are worth knowing.

A Tonight Checklist

1. Strip the bed and look along the mattress seams and the headboard joints with a torch.
2. Check the sofa, particularly where a pet sits.
3. Walk the carpet in white socks and watch for jumping specks.
4. Keep anything you catch on clear tape.

If you are still unsure, a pest inspection and survey at £120 fixed cost identifies the insect first. Fleas are dealt with through our flea control service at £220 for the first room and £60 per extra room. Bed bugs are a different treatment, priced at £220 for the first room and £80 for each additional room. See the flea treatment cost guide for the flea detail.

What To Do With the Furniture

If you have recently brought a second-hand bed, sofa or mattress into your Ely home, keep it separate while you check it. Look at the seams and underside with a torch before it goes into a bedroom. Do not move a suspect piece into a different room, because that spreads the problem. If you can, bag any bedding in a sealed bag before carrying it to the washing machine.

Both are guaranteed for 14 days. To talk through what you have found in Ely, call 01223 902388 or message us on WhatsApp.