Bed bug bites can cause red, itchy spots that are often found on legs, arms and shoulders. Some bites can become infected. Some people do not react, while others may not react until up to 9 days after they are bitten.
Bites are commonly found on the parts of the body that are more likely to be exposed to bed bugs during sleep - the hands, neck, face, shoulders, legs and arms. While not always the case, bed bug bites are often grouped together in a small area and at times may occur in a line or a zigzag pattern.
The first sign of bedbugs may be small, itchy bites on your skin, often on your arms or shoulders. Bedbugs tend to leave clusters of bites rather than single bites here and there.
The most common areas are the arms, neck, torso, the lower portion of the legs, and feet. Despite being tiny (full-grown adults are only a quarter-inch long), it can take anywhere from three to 10 minutes for the bed bug to get filled up on your blood.
Bed bugs are nocturnal, which means they are active mainly at night. They normally bite people who are sleeping or sitting still for long periods of time. However, bed bugs will not bite every night. They only come out when they need to eat, and it could be several nights or several weeks before they need another meal.
Bed bugs are nocturnal in nature. They usually feed during the night with peak biting/feeding usually taking place just before dawn.
Wash everything on a high temperature or sanitary cycle for at least 30 minutes. Placing everything in the dryer on the hottest setting for 30 minutes will also kill bed bugs and larvae. Immediately after you're finished putting clothing in the washer, tie up and throw out the empty garbage bag in an outdoor trash bin.
Most people do not realize they have been bitten until bite marks appear anywhere from one to several days after the initial bite. The bite marks are similar to that of a mosquito or a flea — a slightly swollen and red area that may itch and be irritating. The bite marks may be random or appear in a straight line.
They are visible to the naked eye. Adult bed bugs are usually brown in colour. When filled with blood, their colour ranges from red to dark brown. They are oval in shape and about the size of a flattened apple seed, 4 to 7 mm in length.
Although bed bugs can live for over a year without feeding, they typically seek blood every five to ten days. The only way to know for sure what bit you is to find a bug and get it identified. Bed bugs live off only blood—like mosquitoes do. They probably prefer to feed on people.
Because bed bugs bite people, it's easy to assume people can spread bed bugs. However, this is not the case. Unlike fleas and ticks, bed bugs do not latch onto people. Instead, they will retreat after feeding.
Several skin conditions can cause itchy lumps that resemble bug bites. These include allergic reactions, infections, and chronic conditions. Most people experience this symptom at some point. Itchy bumps can appear as a result of allergies, infections, insects, and, sometimes, nonidentified factors.
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.
Most people believe that you get a bed bug infestation if your house is dirty, however, this is not the case. The truth is that bed bugs can make their way into any home, regardless of how clean or dirty your house is. To get bed bugs in your home all you have to do is to come in contact with them.
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.
Bed Bugs will try to live as close to their food source as possible. They can often be found directly on the mattress in the tufts and folds, along the seam, and even inside the mattress. They can also be found in the box-spring, bed frame, headboard and furniture near the bed.
Bed bugs reproduce very quickly! A bed bug infestation can become a full-blown population within months. They also pop up in places you do not want them to exist, such as on your bedding or bed itself. The bed bugs that cause this problem will not go away on their own unless there is no food supply.
To lure bed bugs out of their hiding spots, you can use a steamer or a hairdryer to heat areas such as mattresses. Neither of these is hot enough to kill the bed bugs, but it can trick them into thinking a human host is near. You can also keep an eye out at night to locate their nests when they are most active.
Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids: Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are the most common compounds used to control bed bugs and other indoor pests. Pyrethrins are botanical insecticides derived from chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins.
Hogan said that if you don't see any bugs and haven't traveled relatively recently, you may want to consider things like detergents, medications you may be taking, allergy issues, and more because one of those other things might be what's actually causing the itchiness.
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.