Bed Bugs Versus Dust Mites: What Is the Difference?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between bed bugs vs dust mites? Both of these small arthropods love to live in your mattresses and bedding and love to pester humans. However, there are some essential differences between these two pests.

Both bed bugs and dust mites feed on humans. Bed bugs drink human blood. Dust mites feed on dead skin. They can survive on different animals but do enjoy eating from humans. Unlike some other parasites, these bugs do not spread disease. However, their bites can cause some itching, swelling, and other irritations. The symptoms can be even worse if a person has an allergic reaction to the bite.

Signs of bed bugs and dust mites can look alike. They both shed skin and leave droppings in and around bedding. You may also find them hiding in cracks or walls. However, one of the biggest signs that you have bed bugs is the tell-tale drops of blood that they can leave on your bedding. Dust mites do not leave these rust-colored stains.

In addition to skin, dust mites can feed on molds and other organic materials. They leave greenish feces spots. Many people are allergic to their feces. So, you may only notice dust mites because of your allergic reactions. In fact, dust mites cannot bite humans. They do feed on dead skin cells, which can cause skin irritation, but they cannot break through live human skin. If you see a physical bite, the culprit is probably the bed bug. Their bites look similar to flea bites or mosquito bites.

Bed bugs are the larger of the two bugs. Bed bugs are usually a quarter of an inch or smaller. Think of them as being around the size of an apple seed. They begin as a translucent yellow but can turn brown or red. Dust mites are much smaller. They are about one-tenth the size of a bed bug, making them invisible to the naked eye. They are white in color, but that is not very important, since you are unlikely to ever spot them.

Another big difference is their classification. As their name suggests, bed bugs are bugs or insects. They have six legs. Dust mites are not insects. They are actually arachnids with eight legs. That means they are in the same class as spiders.

Whether you have dust mites or bed bugs, Flick can help. We can help you identify which pest you have and create a pest control strategy designed to get rid of them.