A man suffered relentless itchy bites each morning, convinced bedbugs had invaded his mattress. He called in pest experts, who meticulously inspected seams, sheets, and furniture but found no signs—no fecal spots, shed skins, or eggs—leaving them baffled.
When a dermatologist biopsied a bite and tested for allergies, results pointed to delusory parasitosis, but the nocturnal pattern persisted. Desperate, he set up motion cameras overnight, capturing footage that made the expert turn pale: fleas from a neighbor's untreated pet infestation, breeding in wall voids and carpet fibers, leaping silently across his skin.
Unlike bedbugs' clustered bites, these were random, ankle-to-arm welts from cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), thriving undetected in his apartment complex. The expert blanched at the scale—thousands of eggs hidden behind baseboards—explaining failed treatments and spread beyond the bed. Health officials condemned the unit for fumigation, relocating him temporarily.
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