Do YOU know which one of these is a bed bug bite? Guide on how to tell if pip-sized critter is really to blame for feasting on your skin

Britons have reported an influx of bedbug infestations amid fears the UK will be hit by its own French-style plague.

Panic first spread last month in Paris when travelers reported seeing small bugs in hotels and on public transport.

But the situation has gone from bad to worse. Schools were forced to close due to infestations, while residents of Marseille threw mattresses onto the streets in a desperate attempt to get rid of the creatures.

While experts believe the outbreak in France could cause chaos here, they argue the UK already has its own bedbug problem.

However, pest control teams have claimed that most calls are false alarms and that other similar-looking bugs have been detected instead of bed bugs.

So, can you tell which of the following bites is a bed bug? (Answer at the end).

Is your city on the list? This map reveals which of the UK’s 20 largest cities have the worst bed bug infestations for their population size.

Bedbugs

Bed bug bites can be distinguished from those of other insects because they tend to clump together, according to pest control company Rentokil.

They usually appear as red welts or swollen bumps in groups of three to five that form a zigzag pattern, indicating the path the creature took on the skin.

Bites are usually detected in the morning in areas that are exposed while sleeping, such as the face, neck and arms. However, bites do not appear in everyone and can take days to appear.

Although sometimes confused with flea bites, spotting bed bug infestations (such as insects or their feces, which look like small brown spots, on bedding or furniture) is a telltale sign that these bugs are the culprit.

The insects are reddish brown, about the size of an apple seed, or 4 to 5 mm long, and are wingless and have six legs.

Health chiefs recommend hydrocortisone creams and antihistamines to relieve itching, as well as applying a cold, wet cloth to bites.

ticks

Ticks are found in grassy and wooded areas, which means that bites that appear after walking, biking, or camping in these places could be due to the insect.

The bugs vary between 1 mm and 1 cm in length depending on their age and have six or eight legs.

Bites from these brown spider-like creatures often occur in the armpits or groin, but are usually not painful and sometimes only cause a red bump to develop, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

However, swelling, itching, blisters, and bruising may occur.

Some ticks carry a bacteria in their stomach that can cause Lyme disease, which affects around 500 people in the UK each year.

In these cases, a circular or oval rash may appear around the bite that looks like a target. It can appear up to three months after the bite, but usually appears between one and four weeks.

Those who have been bitten and have no symptoms do not need medical attention, but those who develop flu-like symptoms should contact their GP, the NHS says.

Mosquito

Mosquitoes are increasing in Britain as warm weather encourages the spread of flying insects, according to the UK Health Security Agency.

Their bites are usually painless, but cause one or more small, itchy red bumps on the skin, depending on how many times a person was bitten, the NHS says.

Some people develop a minor allergic reaction in response to the bite of these insects, which are 3 to 6 mm long with thin bodies and six legs, causing the lump to become very large.

Others have Skeeter syndrome, a rare allergic reaction to mosquitoes that causes extensive swelling that can make it difficult to move in the affected area.

Bed bugs are reddish brown, about the size of an apple seed, or 4 to 5 mm long, and are wingless and have six legs. Ticks vary between 1 mm and 1 cm in length depending on their age and have six or eight legs.

Those who are highly allergic to mosquitoes can suffer anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can be fatal, warns the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

Bites from these six-legged insects usually occur at night, when they are most active. Those who wear bright colors and are near standing water, which attracts the creatures, are most at risk.

Those who are bitten run the risk of contracting deadly mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria.

Spider

As temperatures drop during the fall months, spiders move indoors to stay warm and reproduce.

This can increase the likelihood of spider bites.

Bites from false widows, the most venomous in the UK, can feel like a wasp sting and leave small marks on the skin and cause pain and swelling, according to the charity St John Ambulance.

In severe cases, intense swelling, stabbing pain and tingling in the fingers may develop in response to the eight-legged creature’s fangs.

Anaphylaxis can develop in seconds and be fatal if not treated quickly. However, there have been no deaths from spider bites in Britain.

Health chiefs are urging those who are allergic to bites and stings to have a first aid kit with an epi-pen or antihistamines.

What are bed bugs?

Bed bugs can run up to 100 feet per hour, meaning they can easily travel from room to room to find a host to feed on.

Their almost paper-thin bodies allow them to fit into the smallest spaces in furniture, such as the headboard of a bed, making them very difficult to spot.

Bed bugs travel by hiding in clothing or luggage, so when a human gets on the car or train, the bed bugs get on too.

They come out mainly at night to feed and hide during the day.

Using their keen senses, they track the CO2 coming from our breathing to find someone to feed on even in total darkness.

A female bed bug usually lays one egg a day, but can lay up to seven under the right conditions.

The eggs look like grains of sand and take 10 to 15 days to hatch into a new bed bug.

The best way to find bed bugs is to use a specially trained dog that can sniff out bed bug communication pheromones.

Bed bugs can run up to 100 feet per hour, meaning they can easily travel from room to room to find a host to feed on.