Bedbugs and ticks have a few similarities but many differences. Bedbugs trigger more frequent calls to the best pest control professionals, while ticks, often outdoor pests, don’t usually establish long-term infestations in homes. Still, both of these tiny, blood-sucking pests can wreak havoc on your peace of mind and health.
“Both bedbugs and ticks cause distress, but bedbugs invade homes more frequently and are tougher to eradicate due to their resilience and ability to hide in tiny crevices,” said Allan Bossel, operations expert at Bed Bug Exterminator.
We also sought expert advice from Nicole Carpenter, president of Black Pest Prevention, so you can be fully prepared to identify and get rid of ticks and bedbugs.
What are the key differences between ticks and bedbugs?
Whether it’s ticks lurking in your yard’s tall grass or bedbugs hiding in your mattress, knowing how to spot and stop them is crucial. We’ll discuss the behavior and health risks associated with ticks and bedbugs, plus the best prevention and control measures.
Here’s a basic breakdown of how they compare.
| Characteristic | Ticks | Bedbugs |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Small arachnids, dark brown to reddish-brown | Small insects, reddish-brown, flat and oval-shaped |
| Habitat | Outdoor areas such as tall grass and wooded areas | Indoor areas such as mattresses, box springs and furniture |
| Behavior | Attach to hosts and feed for days | Nocturnal feeders, hide during the day |
| Bites | Can transmit diseases like Lyme disease and tularemia | Cause itching and redness, but typically no disease transmission |
| Prevention | Use insect repellent and avoid tall grass and wooded areas | Inspect secondhand furniture, use mattress covers and clean regularly |
| Control | DIY methods or professional pest control for infestations | High-heat treatments, sealing crevices and professional exterminators |
What do ticks and bedbugs look like?
Both ticks and bedbugs are small, but their appearance differs when examined more closely. The main difference is that bedbugs are flat and oval-shaped, while ticks are teardrop-shaped.
Ticks are tiny arachnids, meaning they’re related to spiders and mites. They’re wingless and usually dark brown to reddish-brown. Unfed ticks are flattened and teardrop-shaped, often compared to sesame seeds in size. However, once they feed on blood, they swell up significantly.
Ticks go through four life stages: egg, larvae, nymph and adult. Larvae have six legs, while nymphs and adults have eight legs. Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed, so they’re easy to overlook.
Several species of ticks can cause problems for humans:
- Blacklegged tick (deer tick)
- American dog tick
- Lone star tick
- Gulf Coast tick
- Asian long-horned tick
Each species has unique traits, but all ticks can pose health risks by transmitting diseases.
Bedbugs are small, wingless, reddish-brown insects with flat, oval bodies. Many people say they look like an apple seed. They go through three main life stages: eggs, nymphs and adults. Nymphs look like adults but are smaller and lighter in color.
Bedbugs usually hide during the day and come out at night to feed. They love hiding in mattresses, box springs, couches and all sorts of crevices.
What do ticks and bedbugs eat?
Both pests feed on blood, but their approaches are different.
Ticks are blood-sucking parasites that attach to a host and become engorged with blood. They prefer human hosts but will also feed on pets and other animals.
You’ll often find ticks in tall grass, wooded areas and grassy places. They wait for a host to pass by and then latch on. Ticks can remain attached for several days while they feed, making them hard to spot and remove.
Bedbugs are nocturnal feeders, meaning they come out at night to feed and hide during the day. They are attracted to human hosts by body heat and carbon dioxide.
Bedbugs typically infest areas where people sleep or rest, such as beds and couches. Their bites last only a few minutes but can cause itching and discomfort. If not promptly managed, these pests can quickly lead to an infestation.
What are the signs of infestation for ticks vs. bedbugs?
Ticks don’t necessarily infest your home as bedbugs can, but you’ll still need to know how to spot them so you can immediately remove them from your pets or yourself.
Identifying ticks can be tricky since they’re so small, especially in their larval and nymph stages. But they’re easy to spot once they’ve latched on to a host. You’ll want to conduct regular visual inspections on yourself, young children and pets, particularly after spending time outdoors.
While ticks usually don’t infest homes, they can occasionally enter on pets. Here are some property features that make it more likely to have ticks:
- Overgrown grass and weeds
- Dense shrubs and bushes
- Leaf litter and yard debris
- Wood piles and stone walls
- Untrimmed trees and shady areas
Identifying bedbugs involves looking for physical signs on mattresses, box springs and furniture. Unlike ticks, these pests leave several clues that can help you spot an infestation before the bites begin.
Signs of bedbugs include the following:
- Reddish-brown stains on mattresses and sheets
- Small dark spots (fecal matter) on bedding and furniture
- Shed skins from growing nymphs
- Live bugs in seams and crevices
What are the health risks of ticks vs. bedbugs?
Ticks pose more serious health risks than bedbugs, but you still don’t want to be bitten by either one.
Tick bites themselves aren’t usually dangerous. The real risk comes from the bacteria, viruses and other pathogens they can carry.
Common symptoms from tick bites include the following:
- Redness
- Swelling
- Allergic reactions
These bites are often painless but can lead to serious health issues. While not every tick bite results in disease, knowing the possibilities is important.
There are a few possible tick-borne diseases, including the following:
- Lyme disease: Causes flu-like symptoms, a bulls-eye rash and joint pain
- Tularemia: Can lead to fever, skin ulcers and swollen lymph nodes
- Ehrlichiosis: Symptoms range from fever and headache to severe infection
- Anaplasmosis: Causes fever, headache and muscle pain
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Includes fever, headache and a spotted rash
- Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI): Similar to Lyme disease with a rash and flu-like symptoms
Always seek medical advice if you develop symptoms after a tick bite, especially if you notice any of these signs.
Symptoms of bedbug bites include these:
- Small, red welts
- Itchy clusters of bites
- Reactions on exposed skin (neck, arms or legs)
While most people experience itching and redness from bedbug bites, some may have allergic reactions or secondary infections from scratching. “Bedbugs are not dangerous … However, the bites of bedbugs can cause skin irritation, and if not treated promptly, scratching the bites can lead to infections,” Carpenter said.
While the bites typically don’t cause immediate pain and often go unnoticed until morning, the emotional impact can be severe. The thought of bedbugs feeding on you while you sleep can lead to some very sleepless nights.
It’s important to note that though bedbugs can carry drug-resistant bacteria like MRSA, they haven’t been proven to transmit diseases through their bites.
What are prevention and control measures for ticks and bedbugs?
You have several options to prevent ticks and bedbugs from latching onto you and entering your home. However, if they do get in, you should learn how to control these pests.
How to prevent ticks
Preventing tick bites is essential for avoiding tick-borne diseases. Here are seven effective methods to reduce your risk and control tick populations.
Wear long-sleeved, light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks. Tuck your pants into your socks and your shirt into your pants to create a tricky barrier for ticks to cross.
Apply EPA-approved insect repellent containing at least 20% DEET on exposed skin. Treat clothing and gear with permethrin for added protection.
Stay away from tall grass and wooded areas where ticks are commonly found. Stick to the center of trails to avoid brushing against vegetation.
After spending time outdoors, thoroughly check your body for ticks, especially in warm, moist areas like underarms, behind knees and around the waist. Shower within two hours to help wash off any unattached ticks.
Keep your lawn mowed to 3 inches tall or less. Remove leaf litter, brush and tall weeds to reduce tick habitats. Create a barrier of mulch or crushed stone around your yard to deter ticks.
Consider hiring a professional pest control service like Terminix if you have a significant tick infestation. They can provide treatments to effectively reduce tick populations in your yard. Hiring one of the best lawn care services is another solution.
If you find an attached tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin as possible and pull upward with steady pressure. “Avoid twisting or jerking, which can cause the mouth-parts to break off,” Bossel said. After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
How to prevent bedbugs
Bedbug infestations can be prevented and controlled with a combination of tactics. Here are strategies for keeping bedbugs at bay and managing infestations.
Before bringing secondhand furniture into your home, thoroughly inspect it for signs of bedbugs, such as reddish-brown stains and small dark spots.
Encasing mattresses and box springs with bedbug-proof covers can help prevent infestations. These covers trap any existing bedbugs inside and keep new ones out.
Regularly vacuuming your home, especially around beds and furniture, can help reduce bedbug populations. Make sure to vacuum crevices and seams thoroughly. Dispose of the vacuum bag immediately after use to prevent bedbugs from escaping.
Washing and drying bedding, curtains and clothing at high heat can kill bedbugs and their eggs. Items that cannot be washed can be placed in the dryer on high heat for at least 30 minutes.
Seal cracks and crevices in your home’s walls, baseboards and furniture. Bedbugs can hide in these tiny spaces, so sealing them can reduce hiding spots and limit the spread of an infestation.
DIY methods, such as diatomaceous earth or bedbug traps, can help manage small infestations. “Diatomaceous earth is a powder made of aquatic organisms called diatoms, and it has great absorbing properties,” Carpenter said.
Diatomaceous earth works by absorbing oils and moisture from bedbugs, causing them to die from dehydration. Carpenter recommended spreading food-grade diatomaceous earth in a thin, even layer.
“Avoid creating piles of diatomaceous earth, as bedbugs tend to bypass them,” she advised. Using a duster to create a fine mist can help disperse the powder evenly, making it more effective in treating affected areas.
However, these methods are often less effective than professional treatments and should be part of an integrated pest management approach.
Hiring a professional pest control service such as Orkin or an exterminator is often necessary for severe infestations. Professionals can access more effective insecticides and provide thorough treatments that DIY methods simply can’t match.
What’s next?
Dealing with ticks and bedbugs can be challenging. One isn’t necessarily better or worse than the other, but understanding their differences and knowing how to prevent and control them can make all the difference.
If you’ve recently faced an infestation of bedbugs or find ticks on yourself and your pets often, it’s best to make preventive tactics part of your routine. Keep your home and yard clean, inspect for signs of both pests regularly and take action immediately if you suspect a new infestation.
Don’t hesitate to contact a local professional pest control service for severe infestations. They have the expertise and tools to effectively manage and eliminate ticks and bedbugs. Protecting your home and family from these blood-sucking pests is a continuous effort, but you can prevent becoming a blood meal with the proper steps.
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