All year · Pests · Updated September 2026
Fleas vs. bed bugs: how to tell which one is biting you
Itchy bites but no idea what's causing them? How to tell fleas from bed bugs in an Austin home, and why the treatment is so different.
Both leave itchy red bites. Both hide in places you can't easily see. But fleas and bed bugs live very different lives, and treating for the wrong one wastes time and money.
Where the bites are
- Fleas: mostly ankles and lower legs, often in small clusters. They bite when you walk through the house.
- Bed bugs: arms, shoulders, neck, and face, often in a line or cluster. They bite while you sleep.
What you'll find
- Fleas: tiny dark insects that jump, black specks (flea dirt) in pet bedding, and pets scratching. Walk the carpet in white socks and fleas often jump on.
- Bed bugs: flat, reddish-brown bugs about the size of an apple seed, rusty spots on sheets, and dark spots and shed skins along mattress seams.
Why the treatment is different
Fleas live mostly in carpets, furniture, pet beds, and the shaded parts of the yard, and most of an infestation is eggs and larvae. We treat the whole house and yard, then follow up about three weeks later to catch fleas that hatch from protected pupae. Every pet needs to be on a flea product from your vet.
Bed bugs hide in mattress seams, headboards, couches, and outlets, and they travel in luggage and furniture. We treat the whole home, never just one room, and a second treatment two weeks later is required. We don't do heat treatments.
Still not sure?
Put a bug in a sealed bag or take a close-up photo, and email it to us. We can usually tell from a picture. Bed bug inspections are $55 and credited toward treatment.
Heads up: itchy welts around the waistband and ankles after yard work are usually chiggers, not either one.
