Bed Bug Bites: Pictures, Patterns, Symptoms and Remedy

overview

Bed bug bites are an allergic skin reaction caused by fluids excreted when the insect punctures the skin. Most people show no skin reaction. People that do have a reaction get small red pus filled bumps on the skin. In chronic cases it can cause skin swelling, wheals or even blisters. Reactions can be seen within 30 minutes or in rare cases days later. Bed bugs do not transmit disease, so bug bites are more of an unpleasant source of discomfort.

Treatment for most people is as simple as treating any itch and letting the body heal itself. Bites should clear on their own in 3 to 5 days. In severe cases the bites cause hives, skin blisters and welts. Reactions can appear days after the bite occurs. Each bite episode can vary with skin reactions worsening each time it happens.

There is no limit to the number of bites you can get each night. If you are sleeping in a bed that is infested, then hundreds of bed bugs could feed on your blood. If there is a small infestation, then expect a smaller number of bites. As you can see from the picture below, this young girl has hundreds of bites.

A Bed bug bites in order to feed on the blood of a human host. A single bug may bite several times in one place on the body. If the bugs are in a specific hiding place and your body comes in contact with where they are hidden, such as a seam in the bed, then that area that comes in contact with the seam will be filled with bites in a straight line along the seam.

Different people will have a wide range of allergic reactions to the bite. This includes a minimal reaction to something more severe. Over time, the body tends to have a stronger reaction.

Single or groups of bites are common. Frequently, you see 3 bites in a triangle which could be caused by one or multiple bed bugs.

Bed bugs like to bite bare skin areas. This is why bites are frequently seen on the lower arms and legs. One strategy to avoid being bitten on the legs is to wear socks over the bottom of pajamas.

They will also bite under lose fitting clothing if it is easy to find skin.

They tend to avoid the face and the bottoms of the feet. Bed Bugs do not bite through clothing.

Bed bugs do not actually bite. They puncture the skin. When a bedbug punctures the skin with the stylet or beak, the host will feel a light pinch if anything. When the bug bites, it transfers saliva into the human or animal host.

You are more likely to not feel the actual bite, but feel the "itch" or allergic reaction your body has to the bite.

A bed bug has two tubes on its mouth which are inserted into the host. One of the two tubes inserts saliva into the host and the other draws blood. Feeding lasts for approximately 5 minutes. A bed bug prefers to feed on blood every 5 to 10 days, but can last up to a year without feeding.

Bed bugs prefer to bite or feed on a host at night or just before dawn. They avoid sunlight when possible.

Bedbug bites can look like the bites of other insects such as mosquitoes, spiders and chiggers and also look like the marks caused by several diseases such as chicken pox.

The bites take on different forms based on the reaction. It could look like a circle or "wheal" or a series of small blisters. There are certain bite characteristics that help you distinguish between bed bug bites and other causes:

Notice in the picture of bedbug bites and how some bites are in a line, possibly along a vein, and others are random, based on where the bugs may have been hiding in a seam on a mattress. It is possible for different types and patterns of reactions to be found after being bitten.

Some, actually most people are not allergic to bedbug bites and will show no skin reaction. Others will have a reaction 1 hour to 2 days later. It is even possible to have the first reaction 2 weeks later.

The usual reaction is skin welts, bumps and in some cases, the skin form blisters that contain puss. Hives can also form that when measured can be up to 8 inches. It is rare for a more severe allergic reaction called anaphylactic shock, where the airway can become constricted and even cause death. Skin itch is also a common reaction.

The bed bug bite looks like the bites of other insects such as scabies, lice, mosquitoes and fleas. For this reason, a Doctor will not know if a bite is caused by a bed bug just from the appearance. To confirm that bed bugs are a problem, look for other problems such as dark stains on a mattress or an actual insect.

For most people, bedbug bites do not need to be treated. Itch should go away in 1 to 3 days with the use of an anti-itch cream like cortisone. If the reaction to the bed bugs looks like it is severe then see a Doctorfor a corticosteroid or an antihistamine.

Do not scratch the ares bitten in order to avoid infection. You could also try an anti-itch cream like Aveenoor calamine lotion.The key is to use a cream to calm the skin and then treat any infection with antibiotics if necessary. Treat bites as you would the bites of any other insect.

Bed bug bites will only end when the insects are removed from your home or apartment. Killing bedbugs is not easy, since they remain hidden in cracks until they come out at night.

The best approach is to call in a bed bug pest control professional, who has the knowledge and experience to do an inspection, assess the extent of the bed bug problem and then recommend a treatment plan.

Search our exterminator database to find a qualified local bedbug exterminator near you from our list of qualified experts. Please keep in mind that if the bed bugs are not treated correctly, insects missed will begin to multiply and the problem will return. Don't use a pest control company unless they have extensive experience treating bed bugs.

Make sure the firm you select provides a guarantee since 2 to 3 treatments may be needed. It is easy to miss bedbug eggs that hatch after the initial treatment was completed.

For smaller infestations and to do it yourself we recommend purchasing a bed bug kit. Multiple products are needed to remove both the bed bugs and their eggs.

For more information see our guide on getting rid of bed bugs.

Each of these free brochures provides additional information on bed bug bite symptoms, patterns and treatment.

Bed Bug Bite Basics

How to recognize bed bugs bites.

Written by: Gary A. Alpert/span>

Available in a free Ebook

What You Need to Know about Bed Bugs and Their Bites

Pictures and descriptions of bite reactions.

Written by: Stephen L. Doggett

Available in a free Ebook

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Mayo Clinic

Harvard School of Public Health

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Bed Bug Bites: Pictures, Patterns, Symptoms and Remedy