A definitive diagnosis of health effects due to<unk> s requires a search for and finding of the insect in the sleeping environment as symptoms are not sufficiently specific. It is difficult to distinguish<unk>  bites from other arthropod bites and the linear pattern of bites (known colloquially as "breakfast, lunch and dinner" bites) is not specific for<unk> s. If the number in a house is large a pungent sweet odour may be described. There are specially trained dogs that can detect this smell. Detection<unk> s can exist singly but tend to congregate once established. Although strictly parasitic, they spend only a tiny fraction of their lives physically attached to hosts. Once a<unk>  finishes feeding, it follows a chemical trail to return to a nearby harborage, commonly in or near<unk> s or couches, where they live in clusters of adults, juveniles, and eggs. These places may include luggage, vehicles interiors, furniture,<unk> side clutter—even inside electrical sockets or laptop computers.<unk> s may also lodge near animals that have nested within a dwelling, such as bats, birds, or rodents. They are also capable of surviving on domestic cats and dogs, though humans are the preferred host of C. lectularius.<unk> s can also be detected by their characteristic smell of rotting raspberries.<unk>  detection dogs are trained to pinpoint infestations, with a possible accuracy rate between 11% and 83%. Homemade detectors have been developed.<unk>  detectors, often referred to as "monitors" or "traps", use attractant based methods such as lactic acid or carbon dioxide (associated with the presence of a human body) or pheromones to trap<unk> s in a container.<unk>  detectors can confirm a<unk>  infestation but they are not effective for eradication. File:Bedbugs1.Eggs and two adults found inside a dresser File:BedBugFeces.Fecal spot File:Bed<unk>  On Carpet.Bed<unk>  on carpet Differential diagnosis Other possible conditions with which these conditions can be confused include scabies, gamasoidosis, allergic reactions, mosquito bites, spider bites, chicken pox and bacterial skin infections.
Bed bug
Scabies
Pinworm 
Allergy
Hookworm
Dermatitis herpetiformis
Head louse
Deer fly