Waking up with red, itchy bumps on your skin? Dealing with mysterious allergy symptoms that won’t go away? You might be dealing with dust mites or bed bugs. While both pests love to hang out in your bedroom, they’re completely different creatures that affect people in very different ways.
Understanding the difference between dust mites and bed bugs can help you figure out what’s causing your problems and how to fix them. This guide will help you identify these tiny troublemakers and get the relief you need.
What Are Dust Mites and Bed Bugs
Dust Mites Are The Invisible Skin Eaters
Dust mites are microscopic creatures that measure only 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters. They’re so tiny that you can’t see them without a microscope with at least 10x magnification. These little bugs belong to the spider family and have eight legs, no eyes, and a pear-shaped body.
The average adult sheds up to 1.5 grams of skin a day, which can feed 1 million dust mites. That’s their favorite meal! Practically all homes have dust mites, and you’ll never be able to get rid of them completely.
Bed Bugs Are The Blood-Sucking Night Crawlers
Bed bugs are true insects about the size of an apple seed, measuring 5 to 7 millimeters. Unlike dust mites, you can see bed bugs with your naked eye. They have six legs, two antennae, and flat, oval bodies that turn from rusty brown to reddish brown after they’ve had a blood meal.
Bed bugs are nocturnal creatures that prefer to bite at night, with each meal lasting about 4 to 12 minutes. They’re basically tiny vampires that hide during the day and come out to feed while you sleep.
Key Physical Differences Between Dust Mites and Bed Bugs
The biggest difference between dust mites and bed bugs is size and visibility. Here’s how to tell them apart:
Size Matters
- Dust mites are only one-tenth the size of bed bugs and are essentially invisible to the naked eye
- Bed bugs are much larger than dust mites, usually about the size of an apple seed
Body Structure
- Dust mites have unsegmented, pear-shaped bodies with eight legs and no eyes
- Bed bugs have oval-shaped but flat bodies, six legs, and two pairs of antennae
Color
- Dust mites range in color from tan and reddish-brown to creamy blue and white
- Bed bugs are rusty-brown to mahogany in color before feeding, changing to reddish-brown after a blood meal
Do Dust Mites Bite vs Do Bed Bugs Bite
This is where the difference between dust mites and bed bugs becomes really important for your health and comfort.
Dust Mites Don’t Actually Bite
Dust mites don’t have teeth or a mouth to bite you with. They can’t bite humans at all. Instead, the problems come from their waste and decaying bodies that can cause allergic reactions in some people.
When people talk about “dust mite bites,” they’re really talking about allergic reactions that look like skin problems.
Bed Bugs Definitely Bite
Bed bugs have a long, slender mouthpart called a proboscis that they use to pierce your skin and drink your blood. Although the initial bite won’t hurt because they inject an anesthetic, it can leave behind itchy, red bumps.
How to Identify Dust Mite Reactions
Since dust mites don’t bite, what you’re really dealing with are allergy symptoms. Here’s what to look for:
Year-Round Allergy Symptoms
- Sneezing, runny nose, and stuffy nose symptoms that happen all year long
- Itchy, watery eyes and coughing
- Symptoms that are worse while sleeping or cleaning, when dust mite allergens are more likely to be in the air
Skin Problems
- Eczema-like skin rashes that are red, dry, inflamed, and itchy
- Red and itchy rash appearing on parts of the body that come into contact with mattresses or other furniture surfaces
A common sign of dust mites is experiencing allergy symptoms like sneezing, coughing, and itchy eyes in the morning and at night, as well as year-round.
How to Identify Bed Bug Bites
The difference between dust mite bites and bed bug bites is that only bed bugs actually create real bite marks. Here’s what bed bug bites look like:
Bite Appearance
- Small, red, raised welts on the skin that often occur in clusters or linear patterns
- Small, smooth bumps that can be different colors depending on your skin tone
- On light skin tones, bed bug bites usually look pink or red. On darker skin tones, they may be purple and less noticeable
Bite Patterns
- Each cluster usually contains 3 to 5 bites that appear in a zigzag pattern
- Bed bug bites tend to be in clusters, and they can sometimes form zigzags or lines
- They often appear on exposed skin that touches the bed at night, including the arms, neck, or trunk of the body
Timing
- Itchy welts can occur within a few days of a bite but may take up to 14 days to appear
- Bed bug bites usually happen on skin not covered in clothes at night
Where Dust Mites and Bed Bugs Live
Dust Mite Homes: Dust mites make their homes in places where dead skin cells are most likely to build up, such as bedding, furniture, and carpeting. They also love:
- Rugs and stuffed animals
- Curtains and upholstered furniture
- Areas with hot and humid climates, and they can burrow deep into cloth fibers
Bed Bug Hideouts: Bed bugs are typically found in or near your bed, in the seams and folds of mattresses as well as in box springs. As the problem gets worse, they spread to:
- Upholstered furniture near the bed
- Behind baseboards and picture frames
- Wall cracks and electrical outlets
- Anywhere dark and close to where people sleep
Other Signs of Infestation
Knowing the difference between dust mites and bed bugs means looking for different clues around your home.
Dust Mite Signs: Since dust mites are invisible, the main signs are:
- Increased allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, and itchy eyes
- Symptoms that get worse when you’re at home
- Excessive accumulation of dust in the home
Bed Bug Signs
- Small, red welts that often appear in a line or cluster on the skin
- Tiny red or rust-colored spots on bed linens or mattresses from blood
- Dark or black fecal stains on bedding, walls, or furniture
- A slightly sweet, musty smell from their scent glands
- Shed bed bug skins around areas where they hide
Health Risks and Medical Concerns
Dust Mite Health Problems: According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, dust mite allergies affect about 20 million people in the United States. The main health issues include:
- Long-term exposure to dust mite allergens may lead to sinus infections and asthma
- Worsening of existing asthma symptoms
- Year-round allergy symptoms
Bed Bug Health Impact
- Neither bed bugs nor dust mites are known to spread disease
- Bed bug bites may also cause insomnia, anxiety, and skin infections caused by excessive scratching
- In some rare instances, bed bug bites can cause an anaphylactic response, which is a severe systemic allergic reaction that can be life-threatening
Treatment for Dust Mite Allergies
Medications That Help: Dust mites and bed bugs can be treated with similar medication. Antihistamines and corticosteroids can ease both dust mite allergy symptoms and bed bug bites. Treatment options include:
- Antihistamines that relieve itching, sneezing and runny nose
- Decongestants to help relieve sneezing, runny nose and itching, and shrink inflamed tissues to ease breathing
- Corticosteroid nasal sprays to help relieve congestion in the nose and irritated, watery eyes
Long-Term Treatment: Many people with a dust mite allergy do not get complete relief from medicines, so they may consider immunotherapy (allergy shots). This includes:
- Allergy shots with progressively larger amounts of allergen given about once a week
- SLIT tablets that treat dust mite allergy, which were approved by the FDA in 2017
Treatment for Bed Bug Bites
The difference between dust mite bites and bed bug bites also affects how you treat them.
Immediate Care for Bed Bug Bites: The American Academy of Dermatology recommends cleaning the bite marks with soap and water and applying an over-the-counter corticosteroid cream or calamine lotion to help with itching and inflammation. You can also:
- Take an oral antihistamine to reduce itching and burning
- Use an over-the-counter pain reliever to relieve swelling and pain
- Take a Benadryl before sleep to decrease itching
When to See a Doctor: You should see your doctor if you have many bites, blisters, an allergic reaction, or signs of a skin infection (redness, pus, oozing).
Prevention and Control of Dust Mites
Since the difference between dust mites and bed bugs includes how you control them, here are the best ways to reduce dust mites:
Control Humidity Dust mites thrive at 75% humidity and will still grow, more slowly, over 50% humidity. They cannot survive below 50% humidity. Use:
- Dehumidifiers or air conditioning
- Keep temperatures below 75 degrees and humidity below 50 percent, which will probably kill most dust mites
Bedding Protection
- Keep mattresses and pillows in dustproof or allergen-blocking covers made of tightly woven fabric
- Wash all sheets, blankets, pillowcases and bedcovers in hot water that is at least 130°F to kill dust mites and remove allergens
- If bedding can’t be washed hot, put the items in the dryer for at least 15 minutes at a temperature above 130°F to kill the mites
Home Environment Changes
- Replace wall-to-wall bedroom carpeting with tile, wood, linoleum or vinyl flooring
- Use a vacuum cleaner with a double-layered microfilter bag or a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter
- Remove anything that collects dust from the bedroom, including knickknacks, tabletop ornaments, books, magazines and newspapers
Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs
Prevention Steps
- Check hotel rooms before unpacking
- Inspect used furniture before bringing it home
- Consider using mattress and box spring covers, the kind used for dust mite control, and put duct tape over the zippers
Treatment Methods: Controlling bed bugs is complex and requires using both non-chemical and pesticide methods. Effective approaches include:
Heat Treatment
- Wash sheets, pillow cases, blankets and bed skirts and put them in a hot dryer for at least 30 minutes
- Steam cleaners can get into cracks and fabrics to treat carpets, baseboards, bed frames, and other furniture. The steam temperature must be at least 130°F
- Professional heat treatments involve raising room temperatures to around 113°F, which kills all bed bug life stages including eggs
Cold Treatment: Cold treatment may work, but can only be successful in the home environment if the freezer is set to 0°F. You must leave the items in a sealed bag in the freezer at 0°F for three days.
When to Call Professionals
For Dust Mite Problems: You should see an allergist if you find your symptoms are worse at home, especially when cleaning or when you go to bed. Professional help is needed when:
- Symptoms last longer than one week
- Allergy symptoms get really severe or last a long time
- Home treatment methods aren’t working
For Bed Bug Problems: When facing persistent and unexplained skin irritations, you might be dealing with dust mites or bed bugs. Contacting a professional pest control company can help identify the problem accurately and provide effective solutions. Professional treatment is usually needed because:
- Professionals have access to more intensive and proven methods that can even treat whole houses with heat
- DIY methods often don’t work completely
- Bed bugs are largely resistant to various pesticides, so professional expertise is important
Diagnostic Testing
Understanding the difference between dust mite bites and bed bug bites helps determine what kind of testing you might need.
Dust Mite Allergy Testing: A healthcare professional might suspect you have a dust mite allergy based on symptoms and your answers to questions about your home. Testing includes:
- Allergy skin test where tiny amounts of allergens are scratched onto the skin. An allergic reaction is a red, itchy bump where the allergen was put on the skin
- Blood test to look for certain antibodies when you can’t have a skin test
Bed Bug Identification: Bed bug bites can be hard to pinpoint because they have a similar appearance to mosquito and flea bites. You may be able to self-diagnose if you’ve got marks and found evidence of bed bugs. Look for:
- Live bugs in mattress seams and furniture
- Discarded shell casings and reddish waste stains on your mattress
- Blood spots on bedding
The key to dealing with either problem is understanding that the difference between dust mite bites and bed bug bites comes down to the fact that dust mites don’t actually bite at all. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can take the right steps to get relief and prevent future problems.
