An influx of bed bug infestations have been reported by Brits amid fears the UK will be hit with its own French-style plague. 

Panic first spread last month in Paris as travellers reported spotting the tiny critters in hotels and on public transport. 

But the situation has gone from bad to worse. Schools have been forced to shut due to infestations while residents of Marseille have dumped mattresses on the streets in a desperate attempt to get rid of the creatures.

While experts believe France‘s outbreak could spark chaos here, they maintain that the UK already has a bed bug problem of its own.

However, pest control teams have claimed the majority of calls are false alarms, with other similar looking critters spotted rather than bed bugs. 

So, can you tell which of the below bites is from a bed bug? (Answer at the bottom).

Pest control teams have said the majority of calls are false alarms, with other similar looking critters spotted rather than bed bugs. Not all bite will look exactly like these pictures, as reactions vary from person to person

Is your city on the list? This map reveals which of the UK’s 20 largest cities have the worst bed bug infestations for their population size 

Bed bugs

Bites from bed bugs can be distinguished from other insects as they tend to be clustered together, according to pest control firm Rentokil.

They usually appear as red welts or swollen lumps in groups of three to five that are in a zigzag pattern — signalling the path that the critter followed over the skin.

The bites are often spotted in the morning on areas that are exposed while sleeping, such as the face, neck and arms. However, bites don’t show up on everyone and can take days to appear.

While sometimes confused with flea bites, spotting bed bug infestations — such as the insects or their faeces, which look like small brown spots, on bedding or furniture — is a tell-tale sign that these critters are to blame.

The bugs are reddish-brown in colour, around the size of an apple seed, or 4 to 5mm in length, and are wingless with six legs. 

Health chiefs recommend hydrocortisone cream and antihistamines to ease itchiness, as well as holding a cold, damp cloth against the bites. 

Ticks

Ticks are found in grassy and woodland areas, meaning bites that appear after hiking, cycling or camping in these locations could be due to the insect.

The critters vary between 1mm and 1cm in length depending on their age and have six or eight legs.

Bites from the brown spider-like creatures often occur in the armpits or groin but aren’t usually painful and sometimes only cause a red lump to develop, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

However, swelling, itchiness, blistering and bruising may occur. 

Some ticks carry a bacteria in their stomach which can cause Lyme disease, which affects around 500 people in the UK each year. 

In these cases, a circular or oval rash can appear around the bite which looks like a bullseye. It can appear up to three months after being bitten but usually shows up within one to four weeks. 

Those who have been bitten and have no symptoms do not need medical care but those who develop flu-like symptoms should contact their GP, the NHS says. 

Mosquito

Mosquitoes are on the rise in Britain as warm weather encourages the spread of the flying insects, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

Their bites are usually painless but cause one or more small itchy red lumps on the skin — depending on how many times a person was bitten, the NHS says.

Some people develop a minor allergic reaction in response to a bite from the insects, which are 3 to 6mm long with slender bodies and six legs, causing the bump to become very large.

Others have skeeter syndrome, a rare allergic reaction to mosquitoes which causes a large area of swelling that may make it difficult to move the affected area.

Bed bugs are reddish-brown in colour, around the size of an apple seed, or 4 to 5mm in length, and are wingless with six legs

Ticks vary between 1mm and 1cm in length depending on their age and have six or eight legs

Bed bugs are reddish-brown in colour, around the size of an apple seed, or 4 to 5mm in length, and are wingless with six legs. Ticks vary between 1mm and 1cm in length depending on their age and have six or eight legs

Those who are severely allergic to mosquitoes can suffer anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction which can be fatal, warns the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Bites from the six-legged insects tend to occur in the evening, when they are most active. Those who wear bright colours and are near stagnant water — which attract the critters — are most at risk. 

Those who are bitten are at risk of catching deadly mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria. 

Spider

As temperatures drop over the autumn months, spiders move indoors to keep warm and breed.

This can make spider bites more likely.

Bites from false widows, the most venomous in the UK, can feel like a wasp sting and leave small puncture marks on the skin and trigger pain and swelling, according to charity St John Ambulance.

In severe cases, intense swelling, throbbing pain and tingling in the fingers can develop in response to the eight-legged creature’s fangs.

Anaphylaxis can develop in seconds and be fatal if not related quickly. However, there have been no deaths from any spider bite in Britain. 

Health chiefs urge those who are allergic to bites and stings to have a first aid kit stocked with an epi-pen or antihistamines. 

What are bed bugs? 

Bed bugs can run up to 100 feet per hour, meaning they can easily travel from room to room to find a host to feed on.

Their almost paper-thin bodies mean that they are able to fit into the smallest cracks of furniture like the headboard of a bed, making them very difficult to spot.

Bed bugs travel by hiding in clothing or luggage so that when a human hops in the car or on a train the bugs hitch a ride too.

They primarily come out at night to feed and hide during the day.

Using their sharp senses they track the CO2 coming from our breath to find someone to feed on even in pitch darkness.

A female bed bug generally lays one egg a day but can lay up to seven under the right conditions.

Eggs look like grains of sand and take around 10-15 days to hatch into a new bed bug. 

The best way to find bed bugs is by using a specially trained dog which can sniff out the bugs communication pheromones.  

Bed bugs can run up to 100 feet per hour, meaning they can easily travel from room to room to find a host to feed on

Bed bugs can run up to 100 feet per hour, meaning they can easily travel from room to room to find a host to feed on

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk

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