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

Fleas, midges and mosquitoes all leave small itchy marks, and nobody is going to identify one from the other by the bite alone. What does work is a simple diary of when and where it happens. Keep one for three or four days and the answer is usually clear.

Evening and Overnight Bites Near Water

Mosquitoes and biting midges breed in or near still water, and the drains, ditches and ponds around a Fenland town such as March are the sort of place they gather. They are most active around dusk and on still, mild evenings. They bite exposed skin: face, neck, arms and hands, and the bites rise as lumps. Mosquitoes can follow you inside through open windows, and a single one in a bedroom can bite several times overnight.

Bites That Seem to Come Out of Nowhere Indoors

Fleas bite at any time of day, in any season, because they live in warm centrally heated homes. They bite mainly the ankles and lower legs, indoors, while you are sitting or standing on the carpet. If bites appear in the daytime when you are not near an open window, that is a pointer away from midges.

March Property Types

March has older terraces near the railway and newer estates on the edges of town, and each can host fleas if a pet lives there or a previous occupant had one. If you have moved into a house that was empty for a while, fleas that matured in their cocoons while the house was quiet can all emerge when the first footsteps arrive. That can feel as if they have come from nowhere.

What to Do

• Keep windows screened or closed at dusk for a few evenings and see whether the bites stop
• Do the white sock test on the lounge carpet
• Check pet bedding for black specks that smear red

If the bites carry on regardless, the fleas are the more likely cause. A pest inspection and survey at £120 fixed cost will confirm it, and our flea control service starts at £220 for the first room plus £60 for each extra room. The flea treatment cost guide explains the price. Any return of the problem within 14 days gets a free re-treatment.

Putting the Diary to Use

After three or four days, the diary usually shows a pattern. In March, many households find that the bites cluster after dusk on warm evenings, which points outdoors. Others find the bites follow them around the lounge during the day, which points to the carpet. Take the diary with you if you ask anyone for advice, because it saves a great deal of guesswork when you describe the problem.

To discuss what is happening at your home in March, call 01223 902388 or WhatsApp us.