What is the difference between body lice bites and bed bug bites?

What is the difference between body lice bites and bed bug bites?

Body lice bites and bed bug bites look similar — slightly swollen and discolored marks that itch.

Bed bug bites typically appear on any exposed parts of your skin while you’re sleeping. These areas may include your:

• Arms.
• Hands.
• Back.
• Face.
• Neck.

The easiest way to tell whether your bites are from body lice or bed bugs is to identify the bugs physically.

Bed bugs are usually bigger than body lice — about the size of an apple seed. They have flat, round bodies, and they’re brown or reddish-brown.

Body lice have an oblong shape. They’re yellow-gray but may look brownish-red after they have fed.

You can also tell the difference between body lice and bed bugs by exploring your clothing and bedding. Body lice live and lay nits in the seams of your clothing. Bed bugs hide in the areas in and around your bed — along the seams of your mattress, in your box spring, bed frame and headboard — and between and along the seams of cushions of bedroom chairs or couches.