Do bedbugs bite cats: bugs as carriers of domestic insects

Our pets are faithful companions and best friends for many years. They peacefully wait for their owners from work, sincerely enjoy the company of their loved one and happily share winter evenings with him. But what to do when there are bedbugs in the house? Is it really possible that a devoted dog or a fluffy cat, just like a person, will suffer from regular attacks by these parasites? We hasten to please you with relatively good news: bed bugs only recognize humans as their main source of food. In this case, there is practically no threat to pets. At a minimum, no one will bite them or wake them up in the middle of the night with an unpleasant itch. And only in the most difficult times for parasites can four-legged friends suffer from their attack. For example, the owner of the apartment will go on vacation for two weeks, and Sharik will remain to guard it. However, in general, this is unnatural behavior of insects. Their long and sharp proboscis can easily pierce the thin and soft skin of a person, but in relation to animals this process becomes several times more complicated. The larvae are unable to reach the blood vessel at all, so they have only one thing left to do - starve and wait for a more acceptable source to appear. In addition, our smaller brothers see perfectly in the dark, which allows us to immediately notice an enemy attack, and the smell of their fur never attracts even the hungriest individuals. The only exception can be cats of the Sphynx breed, which do not have a thick undercoat, and the skin is slightly softer than that of other species. And which of the pets certainly suffers from massive infestations of bedbugs are birds (including domestic chickens). Their skin has all the necessary properties: it is as soft and thin as a human’s. The vessels underneath are located quite close, and there are enough bare areas of the body without feathers for the entire family of parasites. It is noteworthy that bedbugs reproduce more than actively in the chicken coop, every day conquering more and more of its territories (cracks and gaps in walls, hay, nests, floors, between bird cages, etc.).

A little history

The first blood-sucking bugs were content with the blood of rodents. They lived in the wild, so mouse holes served as their home. But with the advent of man, everything changed: thin and smooth human skin turned out to be much more seductive. Since then, bed bugs have inextricably linked their lives with humanity.

Where do parasites come from? They come from distant countries in suitcases, run away from unscrupulous neighbors, and hide in the folds of clothes when visiting guests. Often insects enter an apartment along with new furniture or household appliances. Bugs are very inventive in conquering new territories.

What do bedbugs eat?

Result of bites Before finding out who bedbugs bite, you should understand how and what they eat. The main and only food for these pests is blood. They eat absolutely nothing else. They are not interested in leftover food, plants or pieces of skin. This pest bites through the skin and uses its proboscis to suck out blood.

As a rule, a series of bites are made, located close to each other (with one puncture the pest will not be able to obtain the required amount of blood). Surprisingly, at one time an insect can drink about 1-2 milliliters of blood, which is a lot, especially considering its small size.

Relationships with pets

It cannot be said that bedbugs have a fiery love for cats and dogs. Animal skin is denser than human skin, and it is more difficult to bite through it. Therefore, bugs spend a lot of effort contacting domestic animals.

Why pets rarely become victims of bites:

Thick fur makes it difficult to access blood vessels. Bloodsuckers will have to spend a lot of time wandering around in the fur.
The nocturnal lifestyle of cats does not leave bugs unnoticed during the hunt. Bloodsuckers crawl out of their hiding places at 3 am, and are immediately detected by the keen eyes of a cat.
The smell of animal fur “discourages” the appetite of bedbugs.

Despite the above factors, insects do not hesitate to feast on the blood of animals if a person is out of reach. Bedbugs also attack pets when there are not enough people to go around. This means that the room is filled with bloodsuckers, and they have dared to take desperate measures.

Do bedbugs cause diseases in cats and dogs?

Bed bug bites can cause an allergic reaction in your cat and dog. According to an article in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, bed bugs can cause a reaction similar to that which causes asthma.

Parasites of all types can cause allergic reactions, whether they are internal or external. This results in the usual symptoms of an allergic reaction, including:

Pink skin, especially around bite marks
Swelling, local or throughout the body in the worst case
Runny nose

It is very important that you rule out other potential causes of this inflammation/allergic reaction before blaming bed bugs. The problem could be a different parasite or something else entirely. Either way, take them to the vet so they can determine the problem.

What else should you know?

Hungry insects can harm everyone in an infested home, but can bedbugs live in animal fur? The answer is simple: no, they cannot. The body of arthropods is not adapted to move between the thick hairs of the skin: their legs simply cannot fix the body in one position. Parasites climb onto a pet only during its sleep, when there is a chance to easily reach the blood vessels of the victim and drink its blood. Typically, the bug’s “lunch break” takes 20-30 minutes, after which it quickly leaves the “crime scene” and hides in a secluded corner until the next attack.

The first “wild” bed bugs chose small mammals—rodents—as their “food sources.” They settled into nests or burrows and had year-round access to food. At home, mouse-like animals also attract the attention of bed bugs, but only if the main “breadwinner” has not appeared in the house for several days.

Who else is at risk?

In the absence of a human victim, bed bugs have to look for other sources of food. And then the parasites begin to settle in the minks of small animals - gophers, mice. But most often they live in small caves with bats. The wings of bats do not have hair. The skin on these parts of the body is thin, and under the skin there is a huge number of blood vessels.

Moreover, in the grottoes and caves where bats live, there is an excellent climate for bedbugs: high humidity and stable temperature. There are known cases when, in caves especially populated by parasites, baby bats die en masse from the bites of such insects.

Constantly parasitic bedbugs pose a serious danger to animals. In rare cases, bedbugs that drink blood do not settle in a person’s house or apartment. Parasites can cause harm not only to people, but also, as it turns out, to pets. If such “neighbors” as bedbugs are discovered, it is necessary to immediately take measures to remove them and disinfect the home. There are many effective methods by which you can get rid of parasites in your home forever.

Dangerous neighbors

The facts of transmission of viral and infectious diseases during a bite are not known to medicine. But wounds left by insects cause allergies: the skin around them turns red, itches, and swells. When scratching, it is easy to introduce an infection into the body, which can have serious consequences. Frequent bites of parasites provoke the appearance of iron deficiency anemia in animals.

Wild types of bedbugs are much more dangerous and aggressive. You should beware of bites when visiting tropical countries, because the small bugs carry fatal diseases on their proboscis. When going home, it’s a good idea to check your suitcases so as not to bring home dangerous cargo.

Chicken bugs

Science has not identified this type of bedbugs. Poor chickens still suffer from the same bed parasites. Bed bugs that have settled in a chicken coop cause great harm to poultry:

The saliva injected during a bite causes severe itching in chickens. In addition, an infection can get through it.
Insects disturb chickens at night, causing laying hens to stop laying eggs.
As a result of parasite bites, chickens begin to fuss all the time. They become ruffled and lose the shine of their feathers.
In some cases, young birds even begin to develop anemia, which leads to their death.
A laying hen may leave a clutch of eggs during a parasite attack.
The mucous membranes of birds are affected by bedbug bites. They are constantly inflamed.

Blood-sucking parasites bite not only chickens, but also other poultry. They do not touch only waterfowl, which have thick skin and dense plumage.

Insects prefer to live in dark places indoors. Their clutches can be found on perches under droppings, inside nests, in wooden fastenings, crevices and joints. They hide very deep, so they are not afraid of any frost.

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Blood-sucking parasites are able to go without food for about a year, being in a state of suspended animation. To avoid bedbugs attacking young chickens, it is necessary to completely disinfest the chicken coop before moving them in, even if it has been empty for more than a year.

You can clean the chicken coop of parasites on your own by using insecticides. Chickens should be temporarily moved to another room. It is recommended to use Chlorophos or Karbofos, having previously prepared a solution of the required concentration from them.

Before carrying out the procedure, all droppings, debris and dust must be removed from the room. During processing it is necessary to wear personal protective equipment. All surfaces, crevices, corners, perches and nests should be sprayed very carefully. After two weeks, the treatment should be repeated.

How to recognize a parasite

The bloodsucker's "lunch" lasts approximately 20 minutes. But neither people nor animals feel the bites. Itching and redness on the skin appear after the culprit leaves the crime scene. It is almost impossible to see bedbugs on an animal’s body during inspection.

The bites of blood-sucking arthropods are visually similar. Therefore, red dots found on the body are not a fact of bedbug infestation. You should carefully examine your pet's fur: fleas and ticks are active around the clock and do not leave their “delicious” owner after a meal. If during the inspection no other bloodsuckers are identified, then suspicion of the crime falls on bedbugs.

It is difficult to notice bite marks on furry pets, but the skin of hairless cats is open to everyone to see. If the exotic Sphinx is covered with red marks that are itchy, then it’s time to fight the bloodsuckers.

Hidden refuges of beetles are discovered by accumulations of black feces, numerous bloody marks and a chitinous cover left after molting. Parasites often settle directly in the bedding of a pet.

Can cats or dogs carry bed bugs?

Even though bedbugs can bite our smaller household members, that doesn't mean cats and dogs carry them. No animal can carry these nasty creatures.

Bed aggressors are ectoparasites that live on the surface of the body and on the external organs of animals. But unlike most other ectoparasites, such as fleas and ticks, they also do not live on the host's skin. Bloodsuckers live in places called hiding places, such as under your mattress, where they are safe while they digest their food.

Cats and dogs can also carry furniture offenders from one home to another, especially in multi-unit buildings. If the animal has its bed next to a door or next to a crack in the wall, then it is possible that bed bugs will be attracted to it.

In addition, it is hypothetically possible that the bloodsucker hid under the collar of a cat or dog, although this is unlikely, since the collar will move a lot, so it is not entirely comfortable for him.

Do bed bugs bite your beloved cats and dogs?

There are many options for exterminating blood-sucking creatures, depending on the degree of infestation of apartments. For houses with dogs and cats, disinsection is most often used, which requires about 4-6 hours of keeping the pet away from the place of residence. A severe case of insect sanitation would require the entire family to be away from home for three days.

They also emphasized that some pets, such as birds and reptiles, may have varying sensitivities to environmental pesticides, so it's important to make sure the treatment you choose is safe for your specific pet.

Can dogs catch bedbugs from other dogs?

Because bedbugs feed at night and hide during the day, you likely won't be able to tell if an animal is infested just by looking at it. Sometimes, they hide in a dog's fur and fall onto another dog while playing.

Q: I use flea and tick drops on my pet. Will this help protect him from infection?

Unfortunately no. Flea and tick drops do not affect bedbugs.

Thoroughly sanitizing pets, clothing and bedding that have been used during travel or recently purchased will reduce the chances of attracting unwanted pests into your home.

Find out more Signs and treatment of toxoplasmosis in cats

Summarize. If you have chemipterosis in your home, your cat may be at risk. These insects do not use pets for transportation. But they can bite a cat or make a home in the litter. She develops itchy red bumps, but fortunately bedbugs do not transmit infectious diseases.

Destroy, cannot be pardoned

First of all, the injured animal requires treatment. A bitten cat is bathed with a special product and the fur is thoroughly combed to relieve itching and irritation. While the premises are being treated, the pet is removed from the premises so that it does not ingest the poison.

The animal's bedding is washed in hot water and then dried with a stream of heated air. If the rug cannot be washed, then thoroughly clean it and blow it with a hot hairdryer. The sleeping area is vacuumed, walking along the walls and baseboards, and treated with a special composition against parasites.

Bedbugs rarely give up ground without a fight, so it is not easy to destroy them. It is advisable to entrust the fight against uninvited guests to professionals who know exactly how to completely get rid of parasites.

Cats and dogs are rarely targeted by bedbugs. Usually bloodsuckers simply live next to a warm animal, hiding in its bedding. But hungry bugs do not hesitate to feast on the blood of pets when humans are out of their reach. At the slightest suspicion of the presence of bedbugs in the house, urgent measures are taken to destroy them.

What parasites can pets carry?

On the other hand, there is a situation when the owner finds some kind of parasite on an animal, but does not know what kind of arthropod it is and thinks that it is a bug. It's definitely not a bug. In the fur of a cat or dog you can find ticks, fleas, lice eaters, and some rarer parasites. Ticks are most similar in body shape to bedbugs. You can watch a separate video in which we talked about how to distinguish them. Now, fleas are most often brought into the house by cats or dogs. But neither they nor any other animals - mice, rats, birds - can tolerate bedbugs.

And finally: it’s very good that you are trying to figure out how bedbugs ended up in your house. If you really figure this out and find the path they took to get away from your neighbors, you can get rid of them forever and never encounter them again. To do this, you need to either destroy them yourself - there are very good effective means for this - or poison them by calling a pest control service, and then eliminate the way they got into the apartment - seal a hole or crack in the wall, insulate a window or door. Then you can be sure that you have killed the bedbugs that were already in the house, and new ones will not get in here. And the problem will be solved.

If you don’t know how to properly destroy bedbugs, call us, we will tell you:

Do bedbugs attack animals?

And it is at this time of day that they go out hunting and feed. As you know, all people sleep at night, and therefore become very easy and vulnerable prey for nocturnal pests. In addition, during a bite, saliva is released, which contains anesthetic substances. And therefore, a person simply does not feel the bites, does not wake up or worry, and insects can calmly move around the body and receive blood.

In most cases, parasites bite people

Do bedbugs bite pets living in apartments? They bite, but extremely rarely. There are several reasons for this:

Many animals have quite dense fur, and it is very difficult to get through it. If insects get on the fur, it will be very problematic to get on the skin.
The skin of most pets is very thick and difficult to bite through. Only an adult and hungry individual with sufficient strength and fairly powerful jaws that can bite through the skin can do this. Young insects are not so strong and active, so they are unlikely to bite an animal.
Many pets are nocturnal and have excellent eyesight, so if a bug tries to bite, they will certainly notice it and take the necessary measures. This is especially true for cats, which begin to hunt at night and perfectly see everything that happens around them.
The smell of animals is different from the smell of people. The pest can sense a person several meters away; the smell of human skin attracts and attracts. Pets smell different and are not as attractive from this point of view. This is probably due to the presence of wool (firstly, it has its own “aroma”, and secondly, it interrupts the smell of the skin).

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If there are people in the room, pests will probably prefer them. If there are no people or they are unavailable at night, then hungry pests can climb onto the pet.

The most popular pets - cats and dogs - are rarely bitten

Bedbugs most often bite pets with less thick fur and less dense skin, that is, in other words, those who are easier and more likely to bite. These include mainly small rodents: hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, and so on. Their skin is not too thick; insects can bite through it. But cats and even dogs can also be bitten, but much less frequently.

Bedbugs most often bite in places with delicate skin and not covered with dense and thick hair. These include the axillary areas, as well as the inguinal folds.

Under the fur, bite sites can remain unnoticed for a long time. But there are still several signs by which you can understand that your pet has been attacked by bedbugs:

The animal behaves restlessly and itches. Bites are often accompanied by severe itching, burning, and discomfort.
Hair may fall out at the site of the bite.
Carefully examine the animal's skin. If you find red spots or small holes on it, these are probably bedbug bites.

Protect your pets from bites!

Knowledge of the physiology and habits of bloodsuckers will help you understand the problem of whether bedbugs bite dogs, and whether they pose a danger to cats and other pets. The source of food for them is the blood of a warm-blooded creature, which is humans, as well as most domestic animals.

When bed bugs appear in a house, they mostly bite humans. They rarely switch to pets and there are several indisputable facts about this:

The domestic bug itself is slow and passive, which is especially evident after it has become saturated. After the meal, the parasite goes to the nest, where it rests until the next attack of hunger. Dogs and cats are unable to sit in one place for a long time and can carry the bloodsucker far from its sleeping place.
The pet's body is covered with thick and long hair, representing a serious obstacle to the food source. To overcome it, you will need to spend a lot of time and effort.
The skin of dogs and cats has significantly more sebaceous glands, as well as a denser texture. It is much more difficult to pierce than a human one.
The lifestyle of some warm-blooded animals coincides with that of bloodsuckers. Therefore, it is not profitable for a bedbug to bite, because the animal will quickly detect it.

Bedbugs and Pets

When answering the question of whether bedbugs bite other pets, you should not limit yourself to cats or dogs. The objects of their attack are chickens, cattle, and small rodents.

But even such an abundance of difficulties does not stop the parasite if it is driven by a strong feeling of hunger, and it is not possible to reach a person.

We suggest you read: The cat has scabs on its neck

A person who keeps a pet, especially those species that walk outside, is often concerned whether the cat can bring bedbugs into the house. To answer this question, you should remember the ways bedbugs get into the room:

an infected neighboring apartment - bloodsuckers will move through the ventilation system and other cracks;
they arrive with purchased old furniture;
are brought into the house with the owner’s belongings after staying in public hotels, state clinics and other institutions where sanitation suffers.

The bug is nocturnal and mostly sleeps during the day, so the chances of an animal bringing the parasite into the house are negligible.

The following facts confirm that a cat or dog cannot bring bedbugs:

The host body is only a temporary location for the bedbug during the feeding period. After a series of bites, the well-fed individual returns to the nest to sleep.
The parasite may use a cat or other animal as a means of transportation, giving it the ability to migrate from one room to another in search of food. A well-developed sense of smell helps an insect smell blood.
A cat, dog and other animal cannot become a habitat for a bedbug due to the fact that the bloodsucker prefers to settle as close as possible to human sleeping places. From there it is easier and faster to get to the food facility. The opinion that bloodsuckers live on cats or dogs is wrong.

The insect does not live in grass, trees, or other outdoor vegetation. The only possible option for an animal to bring a bedbug into an apartment is if it often walks through basements or visits a house where there are already bloodsuckers. In this case, the bug will be able to cling to the dog’s fur and move to another apartment.

Consult your veterinarian to find out what shampoo to use to kill the bedbug on him. Bed bug shampoo for dogs can be harmful if used on a cat.

Most likely, the pet will be bitten at night, and during the day the bugs will hide to digest the blood. Therefore, during the day, you will not be able to clearly see the parasites, but you will see bite marks and the pet will scratch them.

Q: What else should I do if I find a bedbug on my pet or in their bedding?

A: Wash your pet's bedding, toys, and anything he comes into contact with. Check for signs of infection. For example, fecal stains that won't come off will smear when wiped with a damp cloth.

The owner may not immediately find out that a pet has been attacked by bedbugs. Bites are not visible under the fur. Therefore, you should be concerned and carefully examine the animal’s skin in the following cases:

If your pet starts to itch a lot.
Hair began to fall out at the site of the bite.
Small holes or red spots appear on the pet's skin.

Some animals may develop an allergic reaction to parasite bites. Bedbugs are also carriers of infections. The wound from their bite can begin to fester, and the infection can spread throughout the body.

NOTE! To quickly get rid of bedbugs and other insects, there are only three effective options:

Calling a pest control service (expensive);
Purchase of an inexpensive electronic repeller (1390 rubles);
Chemicals (doubtful effect).

Colaflox;
Ranosan;
Doctor;
Unisan.

If they do not help, an allergy or infection develops, the pet should be shown to a veterinarian.

Bed bugs choose humans as victims for a number of reasons:

Humans have thin skin, which allows parasites to make several bites per meal, because even a first-stage larva can pierce human skin, while animals have thick and dense skin, which only adult individuals can bite through;
Minimal human hair also greatly simplifies the feeding process for bedbugs; it is problematic for insects to break through the thick fur of animals;
A specific human body odor that bedbugs sense from a considerable distance. In animals, the body odor is not so distinct, due to the characteristic smell of fur;
A person sleeps soundly at night, it is at this time that bedbugs go out to “hunt” and attack their motionless prey. But some pets, in particular cats, see well in the dark and can prevent an attack on their body.

Bedbugs cannot stay in the fur of dogs and cats for long

The fact is that bed bugs belong to the group of so-called periodic parasites. They do not live either on the body or in the hair of animals or people. They don't live on cats or dogs, and they don't live on people.

Neither dogs nor cats carry bed bugs

They spend most of their lives outside the body of a person or, for example, a dog, and in their hiding places - behind furniture, in cracks in walls, under stones in caves, behind baseboards, in the joints of bed frames or sofas. Here they reproduce, digest food, and only briefly for satiation, they get out of such shelters, sneak up on their prey, bite very quickly (as quickly as they can do it), suck on blood, and then leave their shelters again.

This means that bedbugs do not live on the body of their victim and do not move anywhere with their owner. In this way, bedbugs in their biology are very distinctly different from fleas, which live for a long time in the fur of animals, and representatives of some types of fleas never leave the host’s body at all.

This is especially evident in fleas that parasitize large ungulates - if a flea jumps off such an animal, it risks never finding the owner and dying, since in the wild, ungulates often make long migrations to the place where the flea jumped off the host , they may not return, and a flea is not capable of catching up with, say, a ram or an antelope.

For bedbugs this danger is not relevant. They live near places where people or other animals are constantly, and therefore they can always get close to the victim at a certain time and drink blood.

That is, even where bedbugs are forced to bite cats or dogs (which, in fact, happens extremely rarely), they never settle in the animal’s fur. This means that the animal itself, moving, for example, from the street or from the basement to the house, will not bring bedbugs anywhere.

This is the main reason. But there are other facts that indicate that cats or dogs cannot be carriers of bedbugs.

Where do bedbugs come from in the house then?

All this means that cats, dogs and other pets cannot tolerate bedbugs. If you have bedbugs in your house, then a cat or dog did not bring them, but most likely you brought them in yourself.

In a separate video, we talked about how bedbugs get into new premises: they either get here themselves from neighbors, or people accidentally bring them in bags, in furniture, in household appliances, or even on clothes (it is much more difficult for a bedbug to get out of clothing pockets than from animal hair).

Moreover, the infection itself could have occurred a week, a month, or six months ago, but all this time the bugs were slowly multiplying, there were few of them and you did not notice them. If in the past few months you've traveled somewhere on business or vacation and stayed in a hotel, or bought used furniture and appliances, or slept in unfamiliar premises, you may have brought bedbugs home. If you live in an apartment and not a house, there is a very high probability that bedbugs came to you from your neighbors.

Be that as it may, there is no need to blame animals for this trouble - they have nothing to do with it. There are well-known cases where bedbugs are carried in clothes and bags, but there are no known cases where they were definitely carried by animals.

This, by the way, is another confirmation: there has never been a recorded case when bedbugs could appear because of a cat or dog. Therefore, such a development of events can be assumed, but it cannot be argued that cats or dogs are carriers of bedbugs.

Do bedbugs bite pets?

Bed bugs can bite pets, but they do this very rarely, only in cases where they cannot bite people indoors . If people regularly spend the night in an apartment and a cat or dog lives right there, then bedbugs here will not bite animals, they will bite people. They have a certain selectivity - people are more attractive to them because they emit more odor and emit more infrared radiation than a pet.

Plus, as a rule, bedbugs can get to people faster, especially if they hide in sleeping areas.

In addition, animals are less preferred by bedbugs due to their thicker, longer fur and tougher skin. To bite a cat or dog, a bug with its wide body needs to somehow get through dense thickets of fur, which is difficult for it. Just compare the body shape of a bug and a flea. The first specializes in parasitizing humans, the second bites primarily animals. The flea's body is narrow and tall, adapted for maneuvering among hairs. But for the bug it is flat, suitable for hiding in narrow crevices near human resting places, but not convenient for moving in thick fur.

As a result, bedbugs prefer not to attack animals if they can bite people. That is, if you regularly spend the night in an apartment and are bitten by bedbugs, then they will not touch the animals. Even if individual parasites attack a cat or dog, their bites on animals will be rare and few in number. They will not bite your pet directly.

Danger to poultry

Not only animals, but also birds can be at risk from bedbugs. Chickens are especially often at risk. Insect saliva, injected under the skin during a bite, causes severe itching in poultry. But the main danger is that infections can get in with saliva.

Night bites of parasites lead to birds beginning to behave restlessly and stop laying eggs. Chickens that have been bitten usually look very scared, fuss, and do not stand still. Over time, the natural shine of the feathers disappears, they no longer lie smoothly, they are ruffled. There are times when chickens begin to lose plumage and body weight. This is explained by the fact that young birds due to this situation develop anemia, which can lead to the death of the chicken. Parasite bites also cause inflammation of the mucous membranes. When a brood hen is attacked by bedbugs, she may leave behind a clutch of eggs. This can also happen at a later date.

In addition to chickens, parasites pose a danger to other poultry. The exception is waterfowl. They have dense plumage and thick skin.

Where to look for bedbugs in a chicken coop

If bedbug bites are found on domestic chickens, then immediate action must be taken. First, you need to determine the habitat of the parasites. It is worth considering that bedbugs are quite tenacious insects, and if the chicken coop has been empty for a long time, this does not mean that the parasites have disappeared.

Where is the first place to look for dangerous insects? Bedbugs often hide in secluded places: chicken nests, cracks, joints, various wooden fastenings. You can also find parasites under bird droppings, which retain heat and moisture well, thereby creating ideal conditions for the existence of bedbugs.

In chicken coops, insects are not afraid of frost, since they are securely hidden in the cracks of the structure or nest. Moreover, they are able to remain in a state of suspended animation for up to one year, that is, do without food. Therefore, having decided to populate an empty chicken coop with young chickens, it is necessary to clean it and carefully check the possible habitats of parasites.

The danger of bedbugs for chickens: how to fight?

There are no chicken bugs. There are only bed bugs and those parasites that can also bite and drink blood. For example, fleas. But they definitely cannot be confused with bedbugs, even in appearance.

This is what chicken fleas look like on an infected chicken. They feed during the daytime and are clearly visible when they gather in colonies to drink blood.

In general, bedbugs in a chicken coop are a rather rare occurrence. Fleas settle in them much more often. But if the bugs come running to the chickens, they quickly settle there, bother the bird, causing massive damage on its skin. And the consequences of such attacks are the most dire. Decreased egg production, deterioration of appetite, up to complete exhaustion and death of the bird. Outwardly, they look like plucked creatures because the itching causes them to pull out their feathers.

It is not a rare occurrence for an adult bird to abandon almost hatched eggs, unable to withstand the attacks of parasites.

You can find a bug in a poultry house in any crack or nook, between boards, in droppings on the floor, between cages. The attack occurs at night, but in some cases they can bite during the day. Surviving temperatures down to minus 10 degrees is not a problem for them, so wintering often also takes place in the poultry house.

Interesting to know
With the same success, bedbugs can infect any domestic bird, even ornamental parrots. The only birds that are too tough for the parasite are waterfowl geese and ducks. Their skin is so thick that the bug cannot bite through it.

Getting rid of bloodsuckers in a poultry house is easy.

You need to remove the bird for a while and treat all places with a solution of Karbofos or Chlorophos. The same concentration of the substance is suitable here as for residential apartments.

Be sure to clean up after this, remove all debris, wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth, wash the cages and ventilate. This will have to be done twice, with an interval of 2 weeks.

How to tell if an animal is biting

Attentive owners who often pet their pets or pick them up will easily notice the marks of bloodsucker bites.

But if a person does not have such a habit, then bites can go unnoticed for a long time.

This is due to the fact that after the initial attacks of bloodsuckers, pets do not immediately begin to itch or behave restlessly.

The following will help you identify bites:

the pet behaves fussily and restlessly. Obsessively scratches the same places.
Upon careful examination of the pet, it is noticeable that hair falls out at the site of the bite.
If hyperemic lesions, ichor, or small punctures are visualized in certain areas of the skin, then most likely the animal was bitten by bloodsuckers.

In addition, pests leave behind black fecal spots on the skin of the animal.

Why bedbugs rarely attack pets

There are a number of reasons why parasites do not often bite pets:

Almost all cats and dogs have thick, fluffy fur that protects them from bedbug bites. If parasites begin to drink the blood of pets, they do so in the armpits or groin area.
Cats and dogs have thicker skin than humans. Many bedbugs simply cannot bite through it.
Many pets, particularly cats, can see perfectly in the dark. It is not difficult for them to see even the smallest insects in the dark and prevent them from attacking their body. Moreover, animals are more often active at night, and bedbugs prefer to attack sleeping prey.
Parasites identify their prey by smell. It has been noted that most often bed bugs bite one family member. In most cases - a child. But they don’t always like the smell of cats and dogs.

Often people don’t even notice the bite marks that appear on their pet’s body.
Moreover, bites do not always cause itching, so the animal does not show anxiety. But if there is an incomprehensible fuss in the behavior of cats and dogs, the pet is constantly itching, and cannot sit still, then it is worth examining it carefully. Hair loss, red marks or ichor are often observed at the sites of parasite bites. If there are small punctures on the skin, then these are most likely bedbug bites. It is imperative to inspect the home and determine the habitats of parasites. Most often, the wounds go away on their own, and there is no need to treat your pet. But if the animals’ behavior shows increased anxiety, then most likely the bite sites cause unpleasant itching. It is possible that bacteria can enter and cause an inflammatory process. In this case, it is recommended to disinfect the bite sites, or better yet, consult a veterinarian.

In addition to bed bugs, there are many other species that can harm humans or animals. For example, a smoothie bug or a water scorpion may well bite dogs in bodies of water. There are cases when animals are bitten by predators. But this is only in cases where the animal itself accidentally disturbs the insect.

How to distinguish a bug from a flea?

A person sees, for example, a bitten cat, and does not know whether it was bitten by bedbugs or fleas. Or the owner may catch an insect and not immediately understand what species it belongs to. Then he asks whether bedbugs bite domestic animals, so that if they don’t bite, he knows that they are not bedbugs.

So, indeed, bedbugs usually do not bite domestic animals, and if the animal is severely bitten, or is bitten regularly, then bedbugs are definitely not to blame. Who? That's another question. It could be fleas (most likely), it could be lice eaters, it could be bloodsuckers or ticks. It may not even be parasites, but allergies or some kind of infectious disease. Here a diagnosis is needed, perhaps from a veterinarian.

In any case, it is not difficult to distinguish a bug from a flea. Fleas are smaller, have a tall body and jump very well. Bedbugs don't jump at all. In a separate video, we talked about how to distinguish between these parasites.

But it is more difficult to distinguish a flea bite—cat, dog, or rat—from a bug bite. Bedbug bites often form chains, but fleas sometimes bite in a similar way. Fleas often bite on the legs, and bedbugs bite on the neck and arms. Fleas are more likely to bite during the day than bedbugs. But all these differences are not reliable. Based on a bite, especially a single one, it is impossible to say for sure who bit the person, a bug or a flea. You need to look for the offender himself.

Is it necessary to protect animals from bedbugs if parasites are found indoors?

This is also a very common question that often worries people: if there are bedbugs in the room, they are being fought against, or perhaps their extermination is just planned, then is it necessary to protect the animal from them - by putting special drops on the withers, putting on a collar, etc. what else to do. Still, someone may be very worried about their pet, someone’s animal is quite sensitive, and the owner may be afraid that bedbug bites will harm the pet.

You probably already understand that you don’t need to do all this. If there are bedbugs in the house, they will not bite your pet. 1-2 theoretically possible accidental bites are not critical and will not harm the animal. In any case, their danger will be much less than the danger of possible side effects from the use of flea products.

But in this case, something else is important: the fight against bedbugs does not need to be planned and there is no need to delay it. That is, such a situation that you found bedbugs and decided, they say, in two weeks we will poison them, but in the meantime you need to somehow protect the cat or dog, this is unacceptable. If you find bedbugs in your apartment, they must be poisoned immediately. Well, in extreme cases, they found him on Wednesday, on Saturday, on a day off, and poisoned him.

In other words, instead of wasting energy and time on protecting animals from bedbugs, it is much wiser to simply destroy the bedbugs in the apartment during this time and with these forces.

Such options do not work, such as installing repellers and the bedbugs will go away in a week, or spraying vinegar and the parasites will die in a month. All methods of truly effective destruction of bedbugs are quick and allow you to exterminate them in a few hours. That is, in fact, correctly exterminating bedbugs is faster than buying a product for the animal and dripping it or putting it on its neck. Well, at least we'll do it faster. Therefore, if you do not want anyone in your house to be bitten by bedbugs or fleas, then call us and we will kill all the insects:

Rodents

Various types of rodents are quite vulnerable to bedbug bites - hamsters, rats, guinea pigs and chinchillas. It is this category of animals that is considered the main source of food for parasites in nature. “Wild” bedbugs love to live in warm rodent burrows and bite them in places not covered by fur. A sign that bloodsuckers are attacking your pet are red spots and bald spots on the skin - the animal will scratch the bite site and pull out the fur.

Why do bed bugs bite only at night?

The explanation why bedbugs bite only at night is simple and logical. Blood-sucking parasites lead a secretive lifestyle and prefer to remain unnoticed. During the day, they hide in places inaccessible to the human eye - wooden joints in the sofa and bed, space under the baseboard, deep seams of the mattress, folds of upholstered furniture, closets with clothes. Hearing people approaching, the insects quickly crawl in different directions.

When darkness falls, they go out to search for the victim. To remain undetected during an attack, their proboscis is equipped with two channels, one of which injects saliva, which has an analgesic effect. For this reason, a person with a low pain threshold continues to sleep peacefully and only in the morning sees that he has suffered from blood-sucking parasites. At night, the bug can calmly select the most attractive victim with thin skin and blood vessels located close to the surface.

Who is most likely to be bitten?

Who do bedbugs bite most often? In 99% of cases, it is people who become victims. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, human blood contains everything necessary for the full functioning of pests. People eat a nutritious and varied diet, and most of the nutrients enter the blood. Secondly, bedbugs are nocturnal inhabitants and are active during this period. And it is at this time of day that they go out hunting and feed. As you know, all people sleep at night, and therefore become very easy and vulnerable prey for nocturnal pests. In addition, during a bite, saliva is released, which contains anesthetic substances. And therefore, a person simply does not feel the bites, does not wake up or worry, and insects can calmly move around the body and receive blood. The third reason why people are more susceptible to attacks is because their skin is thin and unprotected. Pests can easily bite through the skin and just as easily get blood. Man is simply an ideal source of food!

What to do if you are bitten by bedbugs?

If your pet is bitten by bedbugs, a fairly severe allergic reaction may develop. In addition, bedbugs can carry bacteria, and these bacteria, if they get on the animal’s skin, can cause infections. To prevent this, try to help your pet and start taking action as soon as possible. Use local medications for animals, such as Unisan, Doctor, Ranosan, Colaflox and others. But it is better to show your pet to a veterinarian, especially if there are pronounced unpleasant symptoms.

Protect your pets from bites!

The main thing is don’t panic

In short, bed bugs are no more dangerous to cats than they are to people. These insects can indeed bite your pets, but you are much more likely to become a victim of parasites than some Barsik or Snowball. The figures from official statistics look more convincing - out of 100% of bedbug bites, cats get only 1%. Why is this happening?

Cats, like bedbugs, are predominantly nocturnal creatures. Therefore, they are quite capable of driving away parasites or simply getting away from them. In such a situation, it is much easier for bedbugs to attack a sleeping person. In addition, even the largest bedbug colony will have enough of one victim - an adult drinks only 7 ml of blood.
Getting to the animal's skin through the fur is not the easiest task for this clumsy insect. Usually, bedbugs simply become entangled in the fur and, in the worst case, bite the cat only in the most delicate places not covered by fur - the groin and armpit areas. Owners of hairless sphinxes also have nothing to worry about - even the powerful proboscis of a bedbug cannot penetrate the rough skin of these animals.
According to popular belief, these insects live in cat fur, like fleas. However, this is not at all true - primarily because these insects prefer stationary objects for life. In addition, the bedbug is a rather large creature, much larger than a flea. Even the laziest cat will quickly shake out uninvited guests from his fur. Some pets, in particular dogs, can bring parasites and their larvae into the room, thereby infecting it. However, this usually does not happen with cats - they are too clean.

The only exceptions can be situations in which insects are left without a “food supply”. For example, if the owners leave the infected premises for a long time and leave the cat under the supervision of neighbors. In this case, hungry parasites may bite cats.

Let's sum it up

Having answered the question “do bedbugs bite pets?”, I would like to emphasize once again that parasites can cause serious inconvenience to pets. Therefore, as soon as you suspect that there are uninvited guests in the apartment, immediately proceed to serious action.

Many owners believe that insects are only interested in human blood, so they deliberately leave residential buildings with the hope that the bugs will “leave” hungry. Nothing like this. Bed bugs will either bite domestic animals or wait for the return of the main “food items”. Therefore, do not waste your time and take care of your four-legged friends - they cannot fend for themselves!

See also: Bed bugs. How to get rid of them?

Prevention

To prevent the bug from getting to the animal, simple prevention will help:

Vacuum your cat and dog rug regularly.
It is recommended to wash your pet's bedding 2 times a month.
If possible, steam the laundry after washing.
Periodically inspect not only the place where the dog or cat lives, but also the most favorite habitats of bedbugs: mattresses, sofas, baseboards.

Bed bugs can actually bite your pet. This will only happen in exceptional situations when there is no person nearby. In all other cases, the insect will prefer human blood.

Dogs

The situation is similar in dogs. Only breeds with very thin skin can suffer from bed bug bites. They are usually long-haired dogs with fine, light-colored fur. But short-haired dogs, as a rule, have very rough and thick skin that pests are simply not able to bite through. Thick skin is also found in sled breeds such as huskies, huskies and malamutes, as well as other dogs designed for cold climates.

Sources

https://netzhukam.ru/klopy/ukusy-klopov/kusayut-li-klopy-koshek.html
https://VrediteliStop.ru/o-klopax/kusayut-li-klopy-zhivotnyx.html
https://eparazit.ru/mogut-li-domashnix-zhivotnyx-pokusat-klopy.html
https://GdeKlop.ru/klopy/kusayut-li-klopy-domashnih-zhivotnyh/
https://netzhukam.ru/klopy/klopy-v-kvartire/klopy-i-domashnie-zhivotnye.html

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