To summarize, there is actually a number of differences between bed bugs and ticks, but the one huge thing they share is that if ignored for a long time, they can really take a toll on your peace of mind. People and pets usually pick up ticks while walking in tall grass or other tick habitats. However, because the pests are small, this may not always be the best way to recognize them. While there are quite a few differences between the two, sometimes people may confuse these pests. Both pests are flat, wingless, oval shaped, and may be similar in color. Ticks are the second-highest vectors of human diseases (mosquitoes are first) while bedbugs typically do not spread disease. Especially with the help of a professional. Tick larvae in particular, can be easy to mistake for bed bugs because they have six legs and are similar in size to bed bug nymphs, meanwhile, as larvae, ticks have six legs but when they mature into the nymph stage. Finally, bed bugs may bite multiple places and in multiple locations during the night. Both ticks and chiggers are found in most states in the United States 1 2. If a tick is able to feed on its host, for as little as a single feeding, it could spread Lyme disease to its host. Bed bug bites vs chigger bites pictures Both bed bug and chigger bites appear as raised, red, inflamed spots on your skin. On the other hand, bed bugs often attach to luggage at infested hotels or hide inside secondhand furniture. Differences between Ticks and Bed Bugs. Keep reading to learn more about bed bug history, and how they became the pests they are today. The third web citation has photos of ticks that can help distinguish ticks from biting insects such as fleas or bedbugs. Have you ever happened upon a small snake slithering through the grass? Knowing the difference between a tick and a bed bug can help you deal with each one appropriately. DIY control may reduce the number of these pests, but a professional is often required to end an infestation. Since ticks and bed bugs are wingless, oval-shaped, and somewhat flat, it can be tough to tell them apart. Given the small size of both ticks and bed bugs, it’s understandable why the difference in the number of legs they have is an easy characteristic to overlook. Ticks vs Bed Bugs: Differences in Appearance. abundant in bedrooms in warm climates. They have segmented abdomens with microscopic hairs that give them a banded appearance. If a tick has bitten you, you need to take care when removing them as its head can become lodged under the skin. But few get … Bed bugs. The biggest distinction between bed bugs and ticks is that when ticks bite, they stick on your skin. 3. Ticks are tiny, wingless, ectoparasites that belong to the Arachnida class, the same class that spiders belong to. Dobsonflies—like mayflies, dragonflies, and caddisflies—are not true flies like house flies. Keep reading to find out more about the centipede vs. silverfish. The main differences between the two are: bed bugs have 6 legs while ticks have 8 legs. I assure you: if you go to any reputable university web site and look at photos of bed bugs and ticks, you will hopefully have enough information to identify them. These bites are inflamed and have a raised center. 4.1 Life cycle of the bedbug (by courtesy of the Natural History Museum, London). Enter a zip code below to view local branches. Call now. If you have seen a mosquito bite, then that’s how a flea bite looks like. Bed Bug History: Origins of the Pesky Pests, “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” We’ve all heard the phrase before, probably not paying too much attention to it when it was said. Ticks are a common nuisance, but at times they do more than just suck blood and leave unsightly marks. Insects that remind ticks bring a lot of harm to people. Their front wings are vestigial and reduced to pad-like structures. 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