What’s the difference between flea bites vs mosquito bites on humans?

These bites are typically seen on exposed body parts such as legs, feet, and hands. Bites can cause blisters, especially in children, and can induce an allergic reaction.

It’s important to understand flea bites vs mosquito bites so that you can take the best possible preventive measures. Unfortunately, mosquito and fleas bites have a similar size, and both have an irritating and annoying bite.

What attracts fleas?

It’s common to have homes with pets infested with fleas. However, fleas can easily infest homes without pests. Here are a few things that attract fleas.

  1.  Pets with fleas are the most common source of flea infestations in the country
  2. Used furniture often comes infested either with fleas or mites
  3. Fleas from your neighborhood dogs and cats can easily enter your home
  4. Homes near public places such as dog parks are prone to flea infestation

Does Fleas bite humans?

Image of fleas bite human info

Pulex Irritans, also known as the human flea, feeds on the blood of mammals including humans. If you are living in a home infested with human fleas, you are at a high risk of being bitten.

Anyone who has been bitten by these fleas knows that it’s an itchy bite that causes a lot of pain and irritation, often leading to scratching. One should avoid scratching as it can create a favorable environment for other infections to arise. However, flea repellents can help keep fleas away from you.

Human fleas will attack exposed skin area including neck, feet, legs, and arms. These bites may lead to the following symptoms and complications.

Symptoms of flea bites

• Swelling and burning on the site of the bite
• Redness and irritation often follows the bite
• Bites can result in bleeding due to punctured skin

When you have spotted flea bites on your skin, make sure you don’t scratch the area. You can use soothing lotion or try a homemade treatment to relieve pain and irritation from the bite.

Flea Bites Vs Mosquito Bites

Both mosquito and fleas leave an irritating and annoying bite on humans and other mammals that can lead to various complications including infections and transmittable disease. Below, you will learn some differences between flea vs mosquito bite.

Flea bites Vs Mosquito Bites – Table

 Flea Bites
Mosquito Bites
Bite Characteristics
In a pattern, group or clusters and smaller than mosquito bites
Isolated and usually appear as a single large bump that causes redness and itching, hives
Bite Duration
Few hours – symptoms can take up to a week to fully heal
Few minutes – symptoms take 1-2 days to wear off
Bite Region
Lower Parts
All exposed area
Symptoms & Allergies
Itchy and painful, rash, headache, and fever, scratching usually leads to infections – wheezing and shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, and chest pain
Fever, headache, mild to severe itching, blistering, inflammation, asthma, can transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
Treatment
Tea tree oil, cold packs, ice, baking soda, calamine lotion, antihistamine tablets
Witch hazel, white tea, essential oils, oral antihistamines, cool bath

Flea Bites

Human fleas can leave a very irritating bite on humans and pets. Similarly, cat and dog fleas can also bite humans just like human fleas. Usually, fleas will bite humans on legs and feet, but they can also jump up and bite on the neck and other exposed skin areas.

How does the bite look?

• Bites appear as red bumps
• Flea bites often appear in a group of three or four
• Deep red clusters of spots with a red halo around the bite area
• Blisters in children with holes at the center
• Typically occur in the lower parts of the body

Symptoms of flea bite

Although some individuals may not show any symptoms, others have clear symptoms resulting from flea bites. Here are the common signs and symptoms of flea bites on humans.
• Itchy and painful bite
• Can cause a headache and fever in children
• Swelling of tongue and lips
• Dizziness and nausea

Bite duration

Flea bites can take 7-10 days to heal fully. If you scratch the surface, it may develop an infection and take weeks to heal. Flea bite irritation usually goes away in a few hours.

Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes, just like fleas, are small in size and can easily transmit disease from other mammals. The female mosquito sucks blood and lays eggs while male mosquito rarely bites humans/mammals.
Mosquito Killer - Mosquito Biting

Signs and symptoms of mosquito bites

Mosquito bites are different from human flea bites. If you look closely, you can identify the type of bite using the following symptoms.

• Typically mosquito bite is a single bump unlike flea bites that show up in a group of 2-3 bites
• A mosquito bite is larger than a flea bite
• Bites often cause the surrounding area to raise
• Bite area becomes red and irritated

Allergies related to a mosquito bite

Similar to a bed bug bite, a mosquito bite is not only annoying and irritating, but it also causes various allergic reactions. Despite there are mosquito preventions, mosquito bites can transmit serious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, brain infection, and meningitis.
Here are some common allergic reactions to mosquito bites in humans.

• Mild to severe itching
• Blistering
• Fever
• Inflammation
• Asthma

If you have a fever and severe headache, accompanied by nausea or vomiting, mosquito bite could have caused you more harm than a mere rash or skin irritation. You should see your doctor immediately for diagnosis.

Bite duration
Itch usually lasts a few minutes, and symptoms from the bite take a day or so to fade away. However, an itch from a mosquito bite can last a lot longer in some people who have a severe allergic reaction to these bites.

Treatment – Flea Bites

Although flea bites are irritating and annoying, their treatment is simple and inexpensive. Just make sure that you keep the area clean and avoid scratching to prevent an infection from developing. With the help of simple home remedies or inexpensive products, you can easily alleviate the symptoms of flea bites.

IMPORTANT: In case of severe symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately.

Natural remedies for flea bites

Image of treatment
Tea tree oil
Oil extracted from tea tree has some wonderful medicinal properties. You can also use it to treat flea bites to reduce redness and irritation.
To use this home remedy to treat flea bites, simply pour some tea tree oil on the bite area. Gently dab it to apply it properly on the site.

Cold packs

Ice or cold packs can help to reduce itching and redness caused by flea bites. Simply place cold packs on the bite area for a minute or so. Lift it up for a few seconds and then put it on the area again. Don’t rub the ice or cold packs on the infected area as it may cause a rash.

Baking soda

Baking soda is another excellent home remedy for flea bites. Mix it with water and make a paste. Apply this paste to the bite areas as many times as needed. This homemade cream for flea bites will relieve itching and redness.

Products for flea bites

Image of bugs begone flea repellent
Calamine lotion & Oils
Calamine lotion is an excellent product for relief from flea bites. It soothes the skin and reduces itching and redness caused by bites.

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Antihistamine tablets 

If you are hypersensitive to flea bites, you may have to take antihistamine tablets along with any topical treatments of choice. These tablets provide instant relief against itching and other allergies caused by flea bites.

Antiseptic soap

When bitten by fleas, it’s important to keep the area clean. Use an antiseptic soap and cold water to wash the skin to reduce itching and prevent infections from developing.

Treatment – Mosquito Bites

Mosquito bites are painful and often irritate the skin. Mosquitoes can transmit disease through their bites, so it’s important to take mosquito bites seriously.

Natural remedies for mosquito bites

Witch hazel
Witch hazel is great for soothing acne-prone skin, but it’s also helpful when you are bitten by mosquitoes. It reduces pain and swelling but also speeds up recovery time.
Witch hazel contains tannin – a natural chemical agent that can reduce swelling and heal inflamed skin.
To use this home remedy, simply apply witch hazel directly to your skin. You can also use it in combination with baking soda to make a homemade cream.

White tea

White tea contains ingredients that help reduce inflammation and irritation. You can simply put a cold tea bag on the bite region to reduce the itch and inflammation.

Tea has antiseptic and antioxidant properties that make it a great home remedy for various types of bites and skin allergies. In addition to white tea, you can also use chamomile tea for similar results.
Lotion made from essential oils – Homemade mosquito repellent

Essential oils can repel mosquitoes and provide relief from earlier bites. A recent study tested a paste made from oils of citrus fruit peel, leaves, and rhizome. It found this lotion to be extremely helpful against mosquito bites.

Products for mosquito bites

Image of ultrathon flea repellent
Oral antihistamines
Antihistamines such as Benadryl or Claritin could help a great deal when bitten by mosquitoes and showing severe symptoms. These over-the-counter medicines can reduce pain and provide relief from various allergic reactions from bites.

Topical anti-itch lotion

Calamine lotion and other similar products can reduce itching, pain, and irritation. They also repair your skin, leaving it smooth.

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Cool bath

A cool bath can help to relieve itching and irritation. Moreover, it will allow you to clean the site to prevent infections.

Prevention of flea bites vs. mosquito bites

If you have been bitten by fleas or mosquitoes, it’s important to treat the bite and pay attention if it shows any serious symptoms. At the same time, you should take the following preventive measures to keep your home safe from pests in the future.

Prevention tips for fleas

• Clean your pet’s bedding regularly
• Keep your home clean and clutter-free
• Regularly vacuum carpets and upholster furniture
• Use flea repellent products or try a home remedy

 

Prevention tips for mosquitoes

• Use insect repellents (commercial or homemade products)
• Wear long sleeve shirts and long trousers
• If you have babies at home, cover cribs with mosquito nets
• Use medically-treated clothing

Using Flea foggers

Image of flea microscopic

Getting rid of fleas doesn’t have to involve the use of flea floggers. It can put your family and pets at risk due to the number of hazardous chemicals they contain. Instead of bombing your house with chemicals, use flea and mosquito preventive home remedies.
Make a simple spray using essential oils to fight flea bites and use seal windows and doors to keep mosquitoes away. If nothing seems to help, clear your house and drop a flea bomb.

Summary – Flea bites vs mosquito

To treat and prevent bites, it’s important to know flea bites vs mosquito difference. Fortunately, identifying the bite is easy. Flea bites are small, and they are usually grouped together.

On the other hand, mosquito bites are often individual bites that are relatively large. Whether bitten by fleas or mosquitoes, you should not scratch the area and try a home remedy for alleviating symptoms.