(Warning pic attached)Are they flea or bed bug bites ?

[RainbowSky1]

I have started having 1 or 2 spots a day around my lower left leg and ankle since last week. These are so itchy. We visited friend who has a dog last weekend and some guests who have dogs/cats came round several times within a few weeks. We don’t own any pets. I feel these are flea bites but my husband thinks I got bit by bed bugs. What do you think ?

These look like flea bites, especially as they're around the lower leg.

You need to treat the animal and the furnishings.

Thank you! @PrincessofWells

They look very similar to my flea bites in the same place. My ddogs went for a doggy play date for an hour two weeks ago, and came back with passengers, despite being flea treated 😭😭. I’m spraying everything with this, washing all bedding at 60 degrees and hoovering everything in sight.
Flea spray

Funny thing is we don’t have any dogs but I still get bit by flea. I’ll wash all bedding at 60degrees as you said and clean the house throughout tomorrow. Thank you ! @Scareofgettingthiswrong

They look a bit extreme for flea bites

I wonder what bite they are. Thank you@TheVampireArmand

@RainbowSky1 , the fleas only stay on the animal to feed. They then get full and drop off onto carpets/flooring/bedding, and stay there until they need their next meal. If you have had animals in your house for a visit they could have dropped off. I am so sorry!!

@TheVampireArmand, you can have reactions to flea bites. I thought mine were mosquito bites to start with.

Around the ankles & lower leg, most likely flea bites.

Flea bites, if on ankles.
Bed bugs will mostly bite where your night time and day time clothing has cuffs, waistbands, straps, etc.

And my flea&mosquito bites look much worse than that - large (up to 50p coin) red raised and extremely itchy spots that last for a week. I am sensitive to them. I don't have pets but I brought a single flea in once and I was in absolute misery for a day until I caught and decapitated the fecker!

Bed bugs usually display 3 or so bites in a straight line.

Yours looks more like flea bites 😬

Thank you again for the pic and simple yet great explanation about fleas @Scareofgettingthiswrong

Oh I see. I gained knowledge about flea bites through Mumsnet today. Thank you @slightlydistrac

Have you been away, stayed in another house or hotel? Bed bugs infect your clothing, they are very flat and crawl into seams.
Fleas will hop off animals o to carpets to lay eggs then the newly hatched fleas hop onto passing animals. If you have had dogs in your house it is likely they are in your carpet. Animal fleas don’t like humans so will hop off fairly quickly. You may need to treat your carpets to get rid of them. You can get insecticide sprays from a vet.
Bed bugs are a whole different problem. They live in the seams of mattresses and bed frames. Again insecticides required.

I get bit when I’m not in bed. This has made me wonder if I got bit by flea instead of bed bugs. Thank you for your comment @QueenCamilla

Oh yes. I do agree with that. I react badly from mosquito bites. I can see now that flea bites could be much worse. Sorry. I had a full on flea infestation in 2020 and just finally getting over a small one this year. It's a stressful situation 😖

I see. I realised I didn’t know anything about bed bug and flea. Now I know more about them. Thank you for your comment. @JumpstartMondays

I have 9 cats, 5 go outside. Flea tablets given every month then a spot on about a week later. It's bloody rotten to have an infestation, especially when it's physically affecting you. Wash every piece of anything fabric related on as hot a wash as you can. Get some indorex and spray all floors, furniture etc.
If I could wish for one thing it'd be to never find a single bloody flea again!

We visited our friend who has a dog last weekend. And there were 2 visitors last week and this week, each of them have a dog. But they didn’t bring their dogs. I will clean the house and wash beddings today. Thank you @Angrymum22

Are fleas discerning about who they bite? Last year I had a few bites around my ankles and lower legs after visiting my mum who has a visiting cat. Cat is well looked after by actual owners so I am sure it was up to date with treatments.

I was the only one with bites. She was ok, DH was ok, DS was ok and she said she'd asked a couple of friends who'd come into the house and they were bite-free. She treated the house anyway but I felt a bit victimised! It happened a couple of times and it was only the second time that it clicked and thought it might be fleas.

I know they were proving very resistant to some of the usual treatments last year.

It's been ok this year - I have only been bitten by the usual mosquitos and midges.