Pest Guide: Biting insects

Sucking Lice

(Siphunculata) Sucking lice have piercing mouthparts, which they use to suck the blood of their hosts - mostly mammals, including man. They hang on to hair with a single large claw at the end of their strong legs. Lice that feed exclusively on blood do not get a well-balanced diet, and make up for this…
View Details

Human Lice

(Pediculus humanus) One of the best known lice is Pediculus humanus - the human louse - which has two distinct races. The race capitis may be found in the hair on the head, and their eggs, stuck to hairs, are termed nits. These can be very difficult and time consuming to remove - this is…
View Details

Flea

(Siphonaptera) Fleas are parasites that feed on the blood of any warm-blooded body. The most common species is the cat flea, which often feasts on cats, dogs and humans.
View Details

Bed Bugs

(Cimex lectularius) The adult bed bug is oval and flat. They grow to only about a quarter of an inch long. Bed bugs lack wings, so you won`t see them flying around your bedroom. Under cover of darkness, they crawl in search of blood, preferably from a human. Bed bugs use a piercing, sucking proboscis…
View Details