What do bed fleas look? - briefly
Bed fleas are tiny, wing‑less insects about 1–2 mm long, featuring a flattened reddish‑brown body and powerful hind legs for jumping. Their heads are narrow, eyes are reduced, and they possess comb‑like claws that grip fabric.
What do bed fleas look? - in detail
Bed fleas, scientifically known as Ctenocephalides canis and Ctenocephalides felis when they infest bedding, are tiny, wingless insects measuring 1.5–3 mm in length. Their bodies are laterally flattened, facilitating movement through fabric fibers. The exoskeleton is hardened, giving a glossy, dark brown to reddish‑brown coloration; older specimens may appear lighter due to accumulated blood meals.
Key visual characteristics include:
- Head: Small, recessed, with prominent, antennae‑like sensory organs called genal setae.
- Thorax: Broad, bearing powerful hind legs adapted for jumping; each leg ends in a clawed footpad that grips fibers.
- Abdomen: Segmented, rounded, and covered with microscopic spines (setae) that create a slightly rough texture when viewed under magnification.
- Wings: Absent; locomotion relies exclusively on powerful jumps up to 150 mm vertically.
- Eyes: Reduced, often indistinguishable to the naked eye.
Under a hand lens, the flea’s body appears smooth yet may reveal fine punctate markings on the dorsal surface. The ventral side shows a lighter hue, sometimes with a pale stripe along the midline. When engorged after feeding, the abdomen expands dramatically, turning a pinkish or reddish shade, and the flea becomes more visible against bedding material.
In a typical bedroom setting, fleas are most often found in seams, folds, and crevices of mattresses, box springs, and upholstery. Their small size allows them to hide in the microscopic gaps between fibers, making detection difficult without close inspection.