Often a single bed bug will produce more than one bite during the night so it is not always a one to one relationship where each bite represents a different bed bug.
One bed bug will usually take more than one bite. Once a bed bug inserts its mouthparts and finds a suitable blood vessel, it will begin feeding. However, finding the right blood vessel may take more than one injection into the skin. In addition, bed bugs are very sensitive to movement by the host they are feeding on.
The bugs can bite several times in a night to become full but only feed about once every one or two weeks. People that have only small numbers of the bugs in their homes may not experience new bites every night.
Bed bug bites
Each cluster usually contains 3 to 5 bites that appear in a zigzag pattern. You'll seldom see bed bugs, so many people mistakenly believe that mosquitoes, fleas, or spiders bit them. Sometimes people mistake bed bug bites for a common skin condition such as an itchy rash, hives, or chickenpox.
Interestingly, people who experience subsequent bed bug biting sometimes have old lesions that “re-inflame” on new biting anywhere on the body. This “re-lighting-up” phenomenon at sites of previous lesions has been anecdotally reported previously, but is poorly understood.
While it doesn't happen often, bed bug bites may lead to allergic reactions in some susceptible individuals. Additionally, repeated scratching sometimes leads to an ordinary secondary infection or (in some cases) cellulitis.
There are no two ways about it—spotting even a single bed bug in your home is cause for concern. While you may think that just one tiny speck of a pest may not be a big deal, it can signal you have a full-on infestation growing under your nose.
It's best to keep the infestation localized to as few rooms as possible. This will also make remediation easier. Do continue to sleep in your bedroom after identifying a bed bug infestation. If you move rooms or start sleeping on the couch you run the risk of contaminating these other areas of your home.
While most people don't know they're being bitten during blood feeding, bites for some people can result in itchy welts caused by a reaction to bed bug saliva and this can cause discomfort for up to a week or more. Once the blood feeding is complete, bed bugs retreat to their hiding spots to digest the blood.
It's common knowledge that bed bugs invade bedding, mattresses, and upholstered furniture, but beg bugs live in clothing and closets as well.
Search Beds and Furniture with a Flashlight
Using a flashlight, inspect every gap, crevice, or seam around your bed. Bed bugs try to hide themselves deep inside narrow spaces, so a flashlight will help you see them.
While bed bugs can travel on clothes and hide in laundry piles, they cannot actually bite through clothes. However, bed bugs can still crawl under clothing to bite their hosts. It's important for homeowners to understand the difference between bed bug bites and hives so that they can identify a bed bug infestation.
A bite can take up to 14 days (but usually only three) to develop on the skin and approximately 14 days to disappear, but reactions may vary by person. Those with sensitive skin typically see signs in as little as an hour and it may take up to three weeks to fully disappear.
It originated from the observation that bed bug bites seemed to appear in small clusters and lines of 3 or so bites. One explanation for this phenomenon is that a single bed bug will bite first in one spot (“breakfast”), move to another spot for another bite (“lunch”), and then move again for a third bite (“dinner”).
Bed bug bites often appear in a straight row or line, consisting of three or four bites, though this is not always the case. A flea wheal (red bump) becomes swollen less than an hour after the bite. It starts to itch immediately and persistently. The bite can turn into an open sore or blister in one to two days.
Avoid bringing worn items into bedrooms or placing items on furniture. Showering using soap and water is sufficient to remove bed bugs from your person.
Bed bugs are a public health pest. While bed bugs have not been shown to transmit disease, they do cause a variety of negative physical health, mental health and economic consequences. Some of these effects include: Allergic reactions to their bites, which can be severe.
Those individuals who are not sensitive to bed bug bites may not know they have an infestation. Because bed bugs are nocturnally active, it's hard to see other signs of their presence—unless you're accustomed to waking up at 3 A.M. and taking a census.
Finding one bed bug in a home is not necessarily a sign that an infestation is present. If you found a single bed bug, killed it, and can't find another after a thorough search, wait for a few days. Bed bugs don't take time off; if there are more, they will show themselves. Be vigilant.
It is possible that you are on the “bed bug side” of the bed. Bed bugs don't switch back and forth from one host to another so if they find you first, you may be the only one bitten. It is also possible that your husband is getting bitten but does not have a significant reaction to the bed bug bites.
Travel – Bedbugs may find their way onto luggage in hotels and motels with a high number of occupants. If you have stayed at a hotel or other home recently, leave bags and clothes in the garage or somewhere far from upholstered surfaces, suggests Allan Bossel, to avoid unintentionally transporting them to your home.