Alex::

I feel bad for all those people bitten by bed bugs. Unfortunately, I wake up every morning only to see bumps on my legs and arm, all of which are very itchy! I wish there was no such thing as bed bugs!

Patricia::

I noticed that a few of the posters have said they will avoid staying in “cheap motels” from now on. Don’t be fooled! I live in Las Vegas, and there is a terrible problem with bed bugs here. I was told by an exterminator that even the most expensive hotel/casinos have a problem with them. They travel from place to place on clothing and in luggage.

The darned things are about to drive me crazy. I’m diabetic, so the bites are extremely slow to heal, and the itching is so intense that I think sometimes I’ll lose what little mind I have left!

isabel::

Thanks Jim for your response! I threw out my mattress (as well as all my furniture, and only brought my treated clothes and cat) when I moved, and started over with an air mattress. I looked over the air mattress carefully before vacuuming the other day, and found no traces of feces or eggs…

I go back and forth between thinking that my red marks have got to be something else, because I was *so* careful when I moved, and being afraid that they traveled with me and wanting to do as much as possible early on in case it is true. The marks don’t go away after a hot shower, but they go away after a day or sometimes two.

Other than spreading Diatomaceous Earth near all my baseboards and under my mattress and regularly vacuuming with the recommended HEPA-filter removable-bag vacuum (both of which I am doing), anything else you think I should be doing? What specifically do you mean by combing the surface — just looking closely?

Also I live in Brooklyn so I assume there aren’t bats nearby. Thanks so much for any other thoughts you have.

Jim::

Hello Sarah, Isabel and Kiran.

Sarah, check that area of the bed closest to where your arm usually is. It is possible for only you to react to the bite and not others. Set the alarm for around 4am and check the area with a flashlight to see if you can spot anything. Five bites during the night with multiple occurrences sounds like bed bugs.

Isabel,

If you hadn’t mentioned that you had bed bugs in your last apartment, I would say that this sounds more like what I get from time to time – they are not bed bugs, but an allergic reaction of some type (I think a certain type of food and sweating combined) that I have yet to pinpoint. They are red welts near my collar bone (looks like I am being bitten) and they go away after a hot shower.

By the way – do you have bats near your home? Check out our section on Bat Bugs if so.

Bed bug eggs do stick to surfaces, so just vacuuming would not get rid of them. You need to comb the surface to detach the eggs.

When you moved, did you encase your mattress in a dust mite mattress cover?

Kiran,

I don’t sell anything on this website, it is for information only, but if you are looking for a mattress cover, check out the link I provided above for Isabel. You can get them at Walmart and other online stores.

Best regards,

Jim.

isabel::

Is it possible that having moved into a new apartment a month ago and having discarded or carefully treated everything I own beforehand, bedbugs could have traveled with me? Perhaps on a pet (who I also flea-bathed before I moved)?

I haven’t seen any bugs, but every 3-10 days or so, I notice a couple of little red marks, usually near my collarbones, similar to the mild reactions that I used to get when my previous apartment definitely had bedbugs.

I’m wondering if my body is creating these marks because I’m still so freaked out, or if a month is enough time for the bugs’ feces and shells and selves to be noticeable and what I might be looking for at this point.

Thanks for any advice.

Sarah::

I’ve been getting bites on my right arm now for the past few weeks. I’ve had 7 bites total, the initial two were on my left leg.

I have been getting these bites only when I come home to visit from school. I attend SUNY Fredonia and live near Rochester, so I frequently come home for weekends.

The 5 bites I’ve had on my right arm are all in the general same area. They are big like bug bites but hard, not soft, and sometimes puss. They itch, and then hurt from itching them so much.

I am the only person in my house that has been getting them. Both my mom and sister have slept in my bed for various reasons and are bite free, as well as my father and brother who have not slept in it.

I’ve been told it could be bed bugs because it’s been in close to the same place on my arm, but wouldn’t the rest of my family be getting bites, too?

Does anyone have any idea what these could be? Please let me know, it’s driving me crazy.

Thank you,
Sarah

Jim::

Hello Brittany,

Bed bug bites will go away and not leave any scars provided the bite does not become infected.

Your baby can be bitten, and you as well, with only the baby showing signs. It may also be the case that your baby is the only one being bitten. People react differently to bed bugs, some have bad reactions, some none at all.

If it’s only two bites and they are the only bites your baby has received, I don’t believe they are from bed bugs.

Regards,

Jim.

Brittany::

My son has had bite marks since August. There are only two of them on his back, they look like the pictures of the bed bug bites, but he is the only one to have them . He is a baby and sleeps with me and my husband, but neither of us have marks. Does it sound like a bed bug and why wont his marks go away?

chris::

I’m pretty sure that the bites I have are from bed bugs but I’m no longer in the same country as I was when i got the bites, I am pretty sure I haven’t brought them with me because I was careful to clean everything before I came. Therefore I was just wondering how long the bites last for? they are sooo annoying!

Also, can anyone recommend any particular creams or anything to help the itching?

Craig::

I live in New York City in a multiple dwelling unit condo that I bought back in July of 2007. When I fist moved in, I discovered a solitary bug climbing the wall late at night. Then later discovered a solitary bug in my bed. Soon, I hired an exterminator to come and treat my apartment.

After my initial treatment, I still got a few bites. Bought a new Tempurpedic mattress, replaced my pillows, threw out a bunch of old items. Heck, I even successfully got my condo board to exterminate our entire building! I even have special insecticide dust that looks like flour stored inside of small tupperware containers that the feet of my bed frame rest on.

Today, a year later, I awoke from a short daytime nap to discover a new bite on my leg.

The tenants downstairs told the exterminator that they don’t have bed bugs. They get mosquito bites, but no bed bugs. So until these tenants come to the reality of what they are dealing with, their negligence will prove to be my undoing, since I believe that after 6 exterminator visits and thoroughly treating ALL my clothing, sheets, replacing my pillows three times, getting a new bed…that it’s no longer my apartment that has the bugs, but that it’s someone else’s apartment that has them and they are crawling up from below.

It sux. My condo is fully renovated with state of the art appliances, beautiful new hard wood floors, a gourmet kitchen…it’s my dream home otherwise. But this bed bug infestation is making me double think my decision to stay here.

Angie::

I had a bed bug problem, got rid of it, now still have the stains of their excrement on wooden bunk beds.

Any ideas on how to get rid of that?? I tried bleach with hot water, but no luck.

Thank you.

Elaine P. McPherson::

I have two places, (one inch wide) on my arm with about 10 bumps each. I have a water bed and my husband is not getting bitten. They do not itch, but hurt to the touch. Can you help me?

Kat::

Bites on Kats leg from bed bugsI’ve been getting all sizes of nasty bites up and down my right leg, ranging from shins to thighs. One I got a few days ago is roughly the size of a half-dollar (rather big), aches, and had itched for some time. When opened, pus is released.

Are these bed bug bites, or something else?

The pictures above are of my bites. The first is the big bite, compared in size to a nickel. The other two are of my shin and thigh, of smaller bites.

——————
Hi Kat, the first looks a bit like bed bug bites, but it is in such a tight area that I’m not sure.

——————
Update From Kat: I discovered that this is Shingles which can be caused by extreme stress in your life. You must have had chicken pox earlier in your life, the bumps came and didn’t really itch. they were very sensitive to the touch (kind of like it hurt at the touch), a few of the bumps looked like they had a white center.

Most times shingles hurt a lot after a few days with the need to take painkillers, mine never got that bad because I went to the doctor after five days. The doctor made the diagnosis. It takes weeks for them to go away. It’s easier on you if you are under the age of 50, but younger people (20 to 50) usually don’t get them.

I am in my 40’s now and also had them when I was 35.

Thanks!

Jared Sterba::

I moved to Denver about 2 months ago, and I first started noticing bites on my wrist about a month ago. I didn’t think anything of it, because I’m from Nebraska where we have tons of spiders and mosquitos, so I thought maybe it was that. But the bites only occurred over night, like I would only notice the bites in the morning.

I went to eat with my friend and she said “oh, you got bed bugs” and I’m like “No I don’t, don’t scare me like that!” And I had only heard of bed bugs from that nightly saying and a song my grandpa use to sing to us. So I was freaked out and went started doing a lot of research on these bugs and found your site.

I’m so glad I didn’t have some of the reactions that some of the people had, mine just look like normal mosquito bites. I couldn’t sleep all night, and I finally got the courage the next day to call Terminex who sent out a pest control specialist who found bed bugs crawling across my mattress. “Yep, you have bed bugs”!

Needless to say, I was shocked and started crying I was so upset. But there was nothing he could do until I got a hold of the landlord and the cost for treatment would be $250.00.

I got a hold of the landlord as soon as I could and she said she would make a preparation list for me to complete before her exterminator came to spray the apartment. I bought garbage bags, tubs, new vacuum, got my quarters for laundry, etc. I took everything out of the closet, and put them in bags and a few tubs I had bought. I cleared out everything and put everything in the Kitchen. I wasn’t able to vacuum the beds because I hadn’t gotten the beds yet, but she said that would be ok.

When I was at school, the exterminator treated the apartment and what a HUGE relief it was. In fact, I was so happy to be bed bug free that I decided to celebrate. Unfortunately, only three days later, I end up covered in more bites than ever, especially on the underneath of my wrist. It seriously was so bad it looked like I had been cutting my wrists for quite some time.

I approached the manager almost bawling and she apologized and promised to send Jason (the exterminator) again. She gave me some bed bug be gone spray to treat the couch (which I’ve been sleeping in for about a month now) and told me not to switch back and forth between bed and couch.

I prepped my apartment again and washed ALL my clothes and linens AGAIN….at like 2 am on not a so good part of town, but the only 24hr wash I could find for 11 big garbage bags of laundry to do. I’ve thought about just getting rid of the couch and bed, but its all brand new furniture and the exterminator told me not to throw it away.

The exterminator came again. This was a Friday he was there, well at this point I still can’t sleep so I’m on my computer at 4am, its dark, and I feel my leg start itching. Then I feel the crawling. I look down and pull my pant leg up and there was a bed bug crawling up my leg. I freaked! I turned the light on right away and swatted in onto the carpet and squished the life out of it, blood went all into the carpet.

At this point, I’m terrified! I asked the manager what I should be next and suggested vacuuming again, maybe vacuum your car, etc. So I’ve been vacuuming everyday and have been spraying myself with bug spray (which is quite expensive) every night. And I haven’t been bit in about a week, but how exactly do you know when the bed bug hell is over?

I’ve got so many questions about these bugs, this has probably been the worst experience I’ve ever gone through and I just can’t take it emotionally and mentally anymore. I came out here to pursue schooling and find myself so distracted that I find it hard to study! If you could guide me through this since you experienced it too, that would be wonderful! I need a support system.

I also heard straight pinesol with work in killing the bed bugs. Is this true? I was just told this about a week ago? But haven’t tried, besides, the exterminator and landlord told me not too!

Betsy::

Hi,

I just moved out of an apartment that had a roving bedbug infestation for 5 months. We caught tons of them, so it was definitely bedbugs. We had an exterminator come 7 times, we threw out all our beds and furniture…

I put my electronics in storage and all I brought with me to my new place were my clothes (which I’d washed/dried in hot water and also double-bagged in black contractor bags sealed in duct tape) along with some toiletries and dishes. I even gave my cat a flea bath right before moving on recommendation from one exterminator, and threw out the clothes I was wearing that morning, then took a shower and put on fresh clothes I’d been keeping in the fridge to go to my new place in and ran out the door! (The bugs basically ruined our lives, so I wanted to take every precaution, however excessive it sounded.)

However. Last night was the first night I spent in my new apartment, and at around noon today I noticed a few more little red bites, in clusters of three on both sides of my thighs. (My reaction to bedbug bites is very mild.) These ones have little slit-like punctures in them, which I haven’t noticed before. See the bed bug bite picture below:

Red bites in clusters of three from bed bugs
My question to this site is — do you think it’s likely that they’re bites that happened a day and a half ago (during my last night in my previous apartment) — in other words, is it possible it’s taken them something like 36 hours to show up? Or does this mean I got bitten last night? I’m terrified that I might have brought them into my new apartment, even though I’ve done EVERYTHING very carefully, after spending only one night here.

I haven’t even unpacked, I’m waiting to wash all my clothes a second time before I take them out of the contractor bags. So I’m wondering if there’s a way to determine if they’re old bites, or what other suggestions you might have for securing my new place from them before they become a problem. (If they even do.)

Thanks so much. Your website is much appreciated.

wenz::

Hello. I need help. Bad. I’ve moved into my new house for about 6 months now, but have in the past 2 months or so had bites on my neck, shoulders and down to the middle of my back. I never had excessive skin problems (e.g pimples) before, so I went to cosmetic counters who confirmed that it wasn’t acne or pimples, although it felt like from my squeezing. I believe they may be bed bugs.

They also give pus before they bleed on me. They have recently convinced me that I should really stop my sea salt scrub on my back as they suspect it may make it worse. Sadly, I don’t have any pics to show you yet, but I have changed my beddings (which did not give me problems even in my old place) on a weekly basis, and my sleeping clothes at least once in 3 days, and have even taken to wiping the vacuum wrapped mattress (I haven’t even unwrapped it since the move, esp since my skin is so bad) with Dettol undiluted, but it doesn’t seem to go away.

Any and every suggestion given would be so very appreciated, as I am Asian, and my skin is not very dark, and these blackish scars just get more and more and since I can’t treat the source, it’s seemingly futile to try and heal my scars.

If photos will really help, do let me know although some generic advise would help for starters. The photos will definitely take time in coming, but thanks again – in advance!

Jim::

Hello Roxy, Shally and Sam.

Roxy, I have never heard of this before, but I’ll take a leap here and say that perhaps there is something in the chocolate you are eating that causes you to exude more carbon dioxide? Bed bugs are attracted to carbon dioxide and warmth.

Shally, I don’t believe the bleach and water is going to stop the bed bugs. Try some food grade Diatomaceous Earth instead. Check out the my treatment section for more information.

Sam, Have you checked for bed bug signs? A bite may not appear for some time after, so it may pop up later in the day. Use my Checklist and look to see if there is any evidence of bedbugs, if not, then you probably have something else (which is good : )

sam jones::

I only get bites occasionally. Maybe once every few weeks or so, and when it happens it’s only 1 or 2 bites max. I usually get them in my bed, but sometimes find I’ve been bitten by something in my clothes since I’d been out of bed for along time by that point.

The bites look like small raised bumps a bit like a mosquito bite, but in a very defined shape. They are a bit itchy, but then the swelling goes down fairly quickly, like within 20 or 30 minutes.

Are these from bed bugs? fleas? other? Please help! Thanks,

Sam

shally::

So I hear you can use bleach and water and spray around the bed is that true??

roxy ng::

I suspect that whenever I have too much sweet food in my diet (especially chocolates), I am bitten by bed bugs and fleas the day after. They hardly bite when I skip chocolate.

I know they’re always in my bed, I can never seem to get rid of them, Recently I got a nasty bite on my right eye after too much chocolate. Believe it or not, but I have been analyzing the correlation between bugs bug bites and chocolate (sweet foods) for more than a decade now.

Jim::

He Stefany,

If all you are doing is washing your clothing and vacuuming, then you’re not doing enough. Have you tried Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth yet?

Check out my bed bug treatment section for more information about this and other suggestions.

Best regards,

Jim

Stefany::

My fiance and I have bed bugs. we have washed all of our belongings and vacuumed Everything. Are we getting rid of them? I can’t stand another moment of this, I’m going itch-crazy! We don’t know what to do. We can’t afford pesticides or an exterminator, let alone find somewhere to stay for a week.

Besides, who’s to say they wont keep following us?! Can we do anything without taking drastic measures? I mean, we have a three months old who touches and eat every and anything! What can we do? I can’t take it anymore!

Jim::

Hi Rose,

I did some digging and found that there are a number of reports about bugs at this hotel. One case, l0stndeliri0us from Miami was staying at the same hotel around August 30th 2008 and noticed bugs all over the mattress and also on the bed their children were sleeping in. More about this here:
tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34515-d87721-r19680949-Rodeway_Inn_International-Orlando_Florida.html

Another one, this time on on hotels.com, (good Location, not great accommodations) reported bugs in the room but this brave sole decided to sleep with them!

And what I think you will find most interesting is a lawsuit against Rodeway Inn International. A tampa woman launched a lawsuit against the hotel claiming she had suffered from bed bug bites that permanently scarred her.

At that point, I stopped searching figuring this was enough.

I hope that helps!

Thanks for posting!

Jim.

Rose::

I stayed at Rodeway Inn on International in Orlando Florida Saturday night and think I was bitten by bed bugs. I noticed intense itching later in the day and the marks you see in the first picture became visible the day after.

Bedbug Bites on Rose

I have gone to two doctors who agree that I was exposed to bed bugs. Everyday the marks get worse. I called the hotel but they told me to call on Monday. Is there any history of bedbugs with that hotel?

Jim::

Hi Josie,

They do live in the far north. Bed bug bites should not leave a scar (unless you itch them).

Do you have any pictures? If you can take a few and send them to me, I’ll make sure to edit the picture as I have done with all these you see, and display only the bite.

Best regards,

Jim.

josie::

Do bed bugs live anywhere such as the far north?

I ask because I only have a couple red itchy bumps and a few on my face that looked like pimples but itched and left a dark scar. It also stayed for a few weeks itching like that! I’m so lost when trying to figure this out!

Cat::

This past week I came down with all these bites (rash?). It looks like bites to me, its light red and in the middle there is a dark spot where I think I got bit. I’m afraid they are bed bug bites. HOWEVER, they don’t itch, don’t even bother me, except they are really nasty and they seem to appear through out the day. Here are two pictures I’ve included below:

Bed bugs photo of bites on Cat's neck

Photo of bed bug bites on Cat's belly!

I noticed a fresh batch of ‘bites’ in the morning but through out the day, it seems like I get a few more. I moved into my apartment months ago and have not stayed in a hotel (or had any guests), so I don’t know how these little buggers got in. I’m hoping they are flea bites (neighbor has a dog), since fleas are easy to get rid of, but again, they don’t itch!!

I stripped my area today (and washed sheets) and inspected carefully but didn’t find any signs of bed bugs. Does any one of have any suggestions???

11/21/08 – This is to follow up on my pictures above – luckily for me, they were NOT bed bugs and instead a skin rash called Pityriasis Rosea. It’s asymptomatic and the rash starts with a ‘herald’ patch that looks like a ringworm (I had a patch like that, but its not the pictures) and then small bumps spread out from there….which is what you see on my pictures and what I thought were bed bugs.

The rash is not contagious and goes away on its own (in about 2 months!).

Thanks Jim for posting this for me!

Jim::

Hello Sam,

Bed Bugs can come from anywhere such as a bus, plane, hospital and most popular seems to be hotels.

Once you have an infestation, you need to act fast and if you do everything right, you can get rid of them.

How long have you been in the home you are renting? If you just moved in and you find that bugs are hiding in areas such as the walls, electrical outlets and surrounding areas (especially if there are bedbug stains on items that are not yours), then you know it is a pre-existing condition / infestation. The landlord should take care of this.

On the other hand, if the bugs are in your mattress and have stains, then you probably brought them with you (provided you just moved in).

If you have been there for awhile, then it’s anyone’s guess how they got there. One thing is for sure, you need to get rid of them before they multiply again. One bedbug can produce thousands in less than six months.

If you want to see what a bed bug attack looks like, check out page two of my bedbug bite section and look at Ross!

My Treatment page has some great tips for getting rid of these pests.

And … Do NOT feel that your house is dirty. You have bed bugs, it happens to people from all walks of life and has NOTHING to do with who you are or where you come from. Some of the best hotels in the world have bed bug problems.

Good luck,

Jim.

sam::

How does an infestation of bed bugs start and can you really get rid of them completely. Is it best to get rid of the bed altogether. I fear i have them in this house we rent. My two boys get up with bites that where not there when they went to bed. Is it a landlord’s responsibility to get rid of bedbugs? I feel like the house is dirty.

Jim::

Hello Andrea,

You need to catch one of the bed bugs and show it to your dad. Does his mattress have the stains (look at our bedbug checklist on the top menu).

You dad may not react the same as your child and if you look at the comments people leave here, you’ll see this is very common.

Once you have found a bug or signs of a bug, show him the pictures on this site and perhaps he’ll see that he is being feed on every night.

Please let me know what you find out!

Jim.

Andrea::

Hi, I have a 3 year old son. My son likes to stay the night with his Pa-Pa (my dad). My baby is covered in bites from his scalp to his feet. I have been researching bed bug bites here and on the internet. I think that the bites are due to Bed Bugs. Matter of fact they are Bed Bug bites. How do I convince my father that his bed is infested with bed bugs? How come my father isn’t getting these bites when he is the one that sleeps in the bed every night? I am starting to panic because I don’t know what to do. My son is miserable I don’t know how to relieve him of his misery.

Lost and confused
Andrea- Missouri

vee::

The doctor was a complete waste of time. When she first saw my arm, it looked so bad that she asked whether I was burned, yet all she told me to do was take some benadryl and ice it. I pointed out to her that this was at least day #3, and showed her how I had some bites go down normally and that my wrist was visibly swollen and inflamed and hurt.

She saw the white ring but had no clue whatsoever as to what it could be (i didn’t feel like offering suggestions at this point) although she agreed that the white ring isn’t normal. She offered penicillin in case it was an infection, but I can’t remember if I’m allergic to penicillin – I’m allergic to something like that. When I was a kid I was prescribed some green pills (yes, not a very helpful description) for a minor cough and I ended up breaking out into hives. The last thing I need right now is hives!

Basically, if things don’t get better, go to ER. Which could end up being a 7 hour wait.

Below I have included pictures of the bed bug fecal matter and if you click on the image, it will enlarge so you can get a close view. I will send more photos of the inside of the boxspring when I get to it. Just the thought of that sight makes me queasy.

Bed bug stains on couch from dried blood

Picture of bed bug stains on bed

One little issue though, how can i move the boxspring and mattress out of the house and make sure none of the bugs and their eggs fall off and end up in some other part of the house? i am also not ruling out the possibility that there are other kinds of blood sucking parasites in that bed.

No one else is affected though…my boyfriend has not had 1 bite and the cats seem fine. how do i determine if exterminators are necessary?

Update: Nov 19, 2008

Hey Jim,

so finally i flipped up the boxspring and took some pictures, since new bed will be delivered today and they will remove this one.

A whole bunch for you to choose from….got a new bite or 2 taking the photos.

The picture below is was what my hand looked like simply when I grabbed onto the side of the boxspring!

Bed bug filled with blood burst open in hand

This bed bug burst open in the palm and exposed the exterminator to blood from someone else.

Bed bugs stained this boxspring

You can see more pictures by looking at the top of this bed bug bites page.

For the bites, I used a clear anti-itch lotion found at a Canadian pharmacy chain called ‘shopper’s drug mart’. It’s a generic brand, looks like a cold runny liquid with medicinal ingredients of pramoxine and zinc acetate. Perhaps Walgreens or Rite-aid has something similar.

Ciao!

V.

Jim::

Hi Vee,

Wow, these bites look painful!

Yes, when you crush the bed bug, especially after a good feeding, it will splatter blood and may smell exactly as you describe.

Is there any way you can get some pictures of the mattress or area the bugs live in or that have fecal matter? I’d love to see this.

Also, please let us know what the doctor tells you and what his treatment is.

Good luck,

Jim.

vee::

Hi Jim,

My hand is actually starting to hurt – not just at bite site, but an overall ache around the wrist and the side of my hand around my baby finger, and where my thumb and wrist meet; also the tendon connecting my elbow and wrist. I’m not sure whether I’m just aching normally or imagining things, but definitely going to a doctor tomorrow.

Photo of bed bug bites on Vee's arm

I have attached the pictures below and will send you new ones soon. Actually, a lot of it looks like lyme, but don’t want to jump to conclusions, plus I thought lyme’s from ticks, not bedbugs.,?

The big one close to my wrist is about half the length of my fore-arm.

It just occurred to me that there can be both bedbugs and ticks??!!!

Do bedbugs splatter red when squished? I squished 2 or 3 bugs that splattered dark brown and emitted a foul odor (like a fart) when squished, and then squished another 2 or 3 that splattered into red and what looks like blood.

There are definitely traces of bedbug fecal matter on the mattress and box spring!

Ellie::

Emily-

I am so with you and cannot figure out if I have bed bugs or mosquitoes. I get bites every once in a while, which I would normally think were mosquitoes, but because they happen indoors and at night (and in the fall), I’m beginning to think it could be bed bugs.

We live in New York City, where I know bed bugs are rampant. However, so are other bugs — I see things flying around in our apartment, as well as the occasional centipede, spider, or roach. So basically, I feel like it could be anything (yay).

It seems like this site is all questions and no answers, but I figured I’d pick out the person whose problem seemed the most like mine. If you happen to figure out your issue, please let me know.

Good luck!

Jim::

Hello Vee,

I’d love, as would the readers, to see a picture of the bites (especially the rings). If you found and exterminated 4 of them, then the bites likely stem from bed bugs.

Determining if you should seek medical attention is a call I can’t make, but if it was me, I would go to my local pharmacist and ask – they are usually very helpful and know what works.

If you send me some pictures, I’ll fix them up and post them to the site. Once it’s over with and we have updated your information, others dealing with the same thing will have something to refer to.

Best regards,

Jim.

vee::

Ok, I’m pretty sure I’ve been sleeping w/ bedbugs the last couple of nights (just moved into a sublet apt.) I’ve found them, squished at least 4 of them and my bites initially looked like everyone else’s bedbug bites – large itchy welts. my itching and welts started yesterday around noon… it’s now been about 36hours and my bites have gotten larger, redder and harder. there are no open wounds so there are no infections. a couple of the welts seem to be partially discoloring – but into rings, not just fading away!

Cortisone creams have helped a bit. the question is should i be worried? i have a history of being a bit sensitive to bites. i don’t really want to spend a day waiting at a clinic to be told, “don’t scratch” and to be given some cream i already have….

Jim::

Hello Joyce,

I don’t think there is a big chance; bedbugs don’t like the day and although they could have hitched a ride, I’d say there is more of a chance they didn’t. If the blouse was dark colored, was laying on her bed for the night and a heavy material, then there is a better chance a bug could have found shelter in there.

There is a non-toxic method of dealing with bedbugs using food-grade diatomaceous earth which is very absorbent. You dust around the edges of your walls, under your bed and any other areas bedbugs might live; when the bedbug walks across the dust (diatomaceous earth), it sticks to the bed bug and causes them to dehydrate and die.

A lot of people toss their mattress or couch when they become infested with bedbugs, but because Diatomaceous Earth is non-toxic, you can use it on your on the mattress (seams, holes, etc) and any other furniture that might be in question. It’s not only extremely effective, but it also lasts a long time.

Diatomaceous Earth is not a brand name product, it’s a natural product (finely ground fossil shells) that you can buy at your local pet supply store. Prices for this product range from a few dollars to $20 depending on where you buy it.

If I were you Joyce, I’d play it safe and dust any areas that are in question. If there are bed bugs crawling around, they’ll get the dust on them and eventually die.

Best Regards,

Jim.

Joyce Reynolds::

Hi,

My 86yr mother-in-law just found out yesterday that she had bedbugs. The Exterminator told her that they were about three weeks old. They looked almost like maggots with the ends darkened.Two were in a jar shown to me. My question is, I have been going over there to help out with cleaning and to give her shots.

The last time I was at her house was a 9 days ago. During that time she has given me a blouse that was on her bed, a bed that I changed sheets and carried down stairs to wash. I took the blouse home and hung it up in my guest bedroom closet. Is there a big chance that I could have brought them home?

I have checked my couch , chair and bed every night, and so far I see nothing. I do feel like something is crawling on me at night, but I see nothing and no bites, so that could very well be all in my mind. I really don’t think I can handle these creatures, I really don’t.

What should I be looking for and how long will I know that I am safe. Or just to be on the safe side should I have my house exterminated now?

Thanks for your help
PS: Could you please send your answer to my email, so that I will be sure to see it.

Thanks again,
Joyce Reynolds

Jim::

Paranoid? You would be amazed at what I go through just working on this site – when I stay at a hotel, my wife and daughter have to wait while I inspect the place. To our defense, bed bugs are a rapidly growing problem and indulging in a few minutes of paranoia can prevent a world of trouble :)

I have heard that train and buses are seeing more infestations. If there are bed bugs in the room, he’ll likely be bitten again before you arrive, which should give you a good indication!

Keep us posted and if the room does end up having bugs, please take a few pictures and share them with us!

Thanks,

Jim.

Jessica::

Thanks for responding. Actually, he is going to be staying in this hotel for three weeks, then moving to another one in another city for an additional week before he comes home. We live in NYC in an apt. so don’t have a garage.

And also, my kids and I were planning to visit the weekend after next and stay with him!

He was on the train yesterday getting there, so he could have gotten bitten there. He went to a neighborhood pharmacy and the pharmacist told him it was a spider bite. I had instructed him in advance (after reading the google report) to not put his suitcase on the bed and to check the mattress. He said he did that and saw nothing, but he’s not the most detail-oriented person and until he woke up with the bite, I think he thought I was being paranoid (which I’m sure I am.)

J.

Jim::

Hi Jessica,

That is hard to tell with just one bite. If someone brought in a bed bug and that bug fed on him last night, it may be some time before it feeds again. I’m guessing it was something else, but I would definitely go through my checklist and look for signs of bedbugs.

He should check all his cloths and take care in packing. When he gets home, he should unpack in the garage just to play it safe. One bug can turn into thousands within a matter of months!

Is he sure he was not bit somewhere else? Perhaps other bites may not show up as much…

Is he going to stay there again tonight?

Regards,

Jim.

Jessica::

Picture of damage from Bed bugs on Jessica's hand

My husband is traveling and staying in a hotel. Last night was his first night and he woke up this morning with what he says looks like a blood blister on the back of his hand. He says it doesn’t really itch, and that’s his only bite.

Could it be bedbugs? I googled the hotel online and found one reported incident in a specific room in Feb of this year (not the room he’s in). I’ve attached the picture below:

Thanks, Jessica

Jessica::

I wake up a lot in the morning to find small pinkish reddish lumps on my legs (mainly the top area). There really itchy and there’s normally about 6 to 10 lumps in one area..

I’m not 100% sure if they’re bed bugs or maybe some other kind of bite. They could be hives but I’m not entirely sure…

any help would be much appreciated.

Ari::

Sleepless in Hollywood……

Alright, so I tried to save some money and got a used box spring. Bad Idea!!!!! Didn’t feel anything for about two weeks. Then I rearranged my furniture, putting my bed next to the wall AC unit, which of course, started leaking. The box spring, which was just on the floor, got all wet, that is what I think woke the little blood suckers up.

I started getting large red welty, ITCHY bumps in little groups on my arms, then my hands, my chest, and so on. I had been taking antibiotics for an infected tooth, and was told that my bumps were an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. I stopped taking them, the bumps didn’t get better, they just got worse.

After about a week I started thinking something else must be wrong, since I was still welty and itchy. I recalled an article I had read about bed bugs in a hotel and thought to myself “Oh no!!!” Well…oh yes. I lifted up my mattress, which is less than 3 months old, and there it was!!!! A little ugly crawling beastie!

After doing some research and comparing pictures of bugs and bites, yep, it was a bed bug. Now I am waging war. I inspected the boxspring and found what I believe to be the “nest”, a whole bunch of the nasty little things. I threw the box spring out, I threw out my area rug, the dogs stuffed toys and all my bedding, and tonight I am washing all items of a cloth nature in HOT water. Also I will steam clean my tile floors, the walls and everything else.

I did not see any eggs anywhere and am hoping that the majority of them were still in the box spring when I threw it out. My biggest concern is that I live in a studio apartment and that the bed bugs have migrated to my couch. What else can I do that I haven’t done?

I am somewhat encouraged by the fact that there were no new bites this morning after last nights cleaning frenzy but I am still sleeping with no bed clothes on a mattress on the floor……and that’s only when I can sleep at all.

Jim::

Hi Stephanie,

It sounds like you have really done your research and I can only imagine the pain (why not the arm or leg, right : ).

One thing you can do is to set the alarm clock for 4:00 am and start looking around your bed. This is the time (give or take an hour) they like to feed the most.

When you look at your mattress, do you see anything like pearl white grains of rice (eggs?). Have you taken the mattress of and inspected the frame (looking for bedbugs or eggs in the folds of the frame)?

Check the area close to where you are getting bitten.

The thing that I’m concerned with is the pain of the bites, they usually are not that painful, but then again, your reaction could be more intense than others (which would then hold true for other types of bites you have had in the past…).

I’ll look for the pictures and post them as soon as they arrive.

Best regards,

Jim.

StephanieBedBUGGING::

I’m not 100% sure it’s bedbugs, but I have read nearly every site I could find on them and I’m 99.9% sure I have them. I moved into a rental house 4 months ago, but didn’t get my first bite until a month later. Every bite has also been on the same body part (i.e. it kills me to sit on it), but not the exact spot, which I find discomforting since I didn’t get them at the same time.

I assumed it was a spider bite, seeing as how they were everywhere when i moved in, and the bite also was very swollen, feverish, and smelled horrible when it finally busted, but it never itched. About 6 weeks after that incident I received my second bite. This time it started out as just a small welt and itched like crazy, but once it started swelling and getting feverish, the same as the first bite, the itching stopped.

So now I kind of get uneasy, because they look the same and were in the same area. And then the last bites were just about a week ago and I still have them. There’s 3 of them and they are in a straight line, but they’re not as close to each other as what I’ve seen and read about them, they’re about 2 or 3 inches apart. All 3 of them itched, and they all came up a day behind the other, didn’t have a clue I had 3 of them til the third day, and came up in a descending order the first is at the top of my behind and the third at the bottom.

These have lasted a lot longer and been 10x as painful as the other ones that I had. And this time I feel like something is crawling all over me from head to toe. I’m scared to sleep in my house. I’ve been sleeping outside in the hammock, but it’ll be too cold to do that pretty soon, but I can’t handle another one of these bites either.

I still have not seen the first bug or the spots of blood. But everything else adds up. There’s so many life stages of this bug and people will have different reactions, so I get that part, and it’s quite possible that the blood spots could be a dead bug that was finished and maybe got rolled over on, because I read that after they engorged themselves, they pop with vary little force whatsoever.

But what I don’t get is where are they? Why can I not find them? I didn’t take pictures of my first bites, because I didn’t even know that bedbugs existed until this last episode occurred so the three pics will be of the bites I have now.

Stephanie
NE Mississippi

Jim::

Hello Mitzi,

If there are no more signs, then I would not pass it up. However, I would make sure to review my checklist and make sure the problem areas, such as crack in wall (patch them), are taken care of before you move in.

I would also ask the neighbors to make sure they really are gone. If the neighbors have them and management claims the apartment you’re looking at is clean, it may be only a matter of time before the bed bugs make their way into your place (outlets, etc).

So far, there are no reported health risks associated with bed bugs that I’m aware of, except for an infection. If you have cancer and are receiving treatment, then I would check with your doctor and make sure you immune system won’t have a bad reaction to the bites, etc. Better to be safe than sorry!

Please let us know how it goes for you and I wish you luck on dealing with the cancer!!!

Best regards,

Jim.

Mitzi::

I have a chance to take an apartment in a large rental facility that has had bedbugs within the last year. As this is government funded, they had to had professional people take care of it. They have it checked every month and have had no further signs.

The apartment I am looking at is not directly above the infestation, but 50′ feet or so from it on the second floor. As I have cancer, I was wondering what the risk of getting an infestation from this. As government funded apartment are hard to get, I do not like to say no unless there is a problem.

Jim::

Hello LB,

One would hope that the hotel would move you to another room or better yet, another hotel and pay for the inconvenience. Most city governments don’t have a policy in place about bedbugs and inspections, but they are getting close.

You’re doing the right thing by leaving comments like this to make people aware. It may also interest you that a number of people have filed a lawsuit against hotels, some in the millions of dollars. There are three great case examples on my Bed Bug FAQ section.

Good luck!

Jim.

Jim::

Hi Ruth,

Bedbugs are more likely to occur in places where there is a lot of human traffic and sleeping arrangements, such as the rise in bed bugs found in homeless shelters and hotels (including some of the best hotels around).

A day care center would be a great place as the kids take naps, however, the naps happen during the day and bed bugs prefer the night. Usually with bedbugs you’ll receive many bites, so just having that one would more likely be something else, such as a spider (see BadSpiderBites.com for photos and more).

Thanks for visiting and let us know if this happens again!

Jim.

LBJayne::

Hello,

I’m so upset! We stayed at Sea Net Hotel in Tel Aviv, Israel and found bed bugs all over us in the middle of the night! We called management and we ended up being blamed for bringing in bed bugs! We explained to the manager that there were blood and fecal stains that indicate the problem existed before we arrived, but it made no difference. Is there nothing we can do about this?

LB

jim::

Hi Nathan,

It sounds like you reacted as fast as possible and did everything possible to eliminate the possibility of eggs hatching in your cloths or surrounding area.

It takes at least 4 weeks for the eggs to hatch, so you won’t know for sure until then. I know you don’t want to hear that, but the good part is that’s 4 weeks to make sure you have really cleaned well.

If a bedbug did hitch a ride (and it would likely be only one), it’s going to be hiding out close to your luggage, where you removed your clothing, etc. Clean those areas well (which it sounds like you did) and you should be all set.

The only other thing I can think of is to get up in the middle of the night with a flashlight and start looking for one. I’m guessing you’ll be fine…

By the way, what hotel did you stay at? I can do some online research and find out if they have had any complaints. Don’t feel you have to respond to that question and if you do, and want to keep it private, send me an email (bottom of site).

Please keep us posted!

Jim.

Nathan::

I’m a flight attendant and recently stayed in an Edmonton hotel ( Cedar Park Inn ) for 2 nights. On the first night I noticed blood on my pillow and sheets. I thought I had cut myself but couldn’t find an open wound. Two days later I broke out and continue to break out in red bumps which are progressively getting itchier. I spent my 3rd night in another hotel and then returned home.

I threw out all my luggage and clothing the next day ( once I realized what I was dealing with ), washed EVERYTHING in hot water and bleach, steamed my mattress and all my baseboards ( basically steamed my whole house ) I also used a spray that is for lice infestations. I’m just worried that I am too late.

What are the chances that I brought one of these home? I can’t sleep and I think I’m going to go insane.

Jim::

Hi Manda,

Strange… Bedbugs usually hide on and around the mattress. If you’re real lucky, the bedbugs just hid out on the bed and when you removed it, you removed them as well, but that would take a lot of luck.

Have you check the surrounding area for signs of bugs? Try checking in the middle of the night?

You now, it may have not been bedbugs at all? If you find a bedbug, that would be proof positive and we can go from there.

Regardless, let’s hope this is the end of it :)

Have a great day!

Jim.

Manda::

hi jim..
thanks for the advice..i will do that..but here is a strange thing..i was sleeping on a featherbed..and i removed the feather bed..and i havent got bit in 2 days..i am not sure whats going on now..any ideas??

Jim::

Hi Manda,

Sorry to hear the problems! Is there any way you can take a picture of the stuff you found on the mattress?

If there is water inside the mattress and just a sheet over it, then the bed bugs probably wouldn’t be hidding there, more likely, they would be in and around the bed frame. Check under the bed in the corner of the bed frame, along the edges, etc and see if you spot them.

You can always set your alarm for 3 or 4am and start looking around – this is the best time to spot them.

Send me some pictures and I can tell you more.

Best regards,

Jim.

Manda::

I have had my bed for about 7 years now. It is a flotation mattress, a water bed inside a mattress. Just within the past month I noticed I started getting rash like bites all over my body. They itch like crazy!

I have been sleeping on a feathered too and not sure if they can harbor bed bugs to? I’ve looked on the seems of my mattress and found brown stuff but the material was so small I could not tell what it was.

I cannot put a zippered mattress pad on my bed and would have to drain it and that’s not an option right now. I need help..the thought of bugs sleeping with me grosses me out. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

Jim::

Hi Diana,

Bedbugs are very resilient and it may still be too early. I’d set my alarm clock for around 3 or 4am and use a flashlight to spot them. My checklist has a number of locations that you can check and the treatment section of this site has a suggestion on how to dehydrate bedbugs and may come in handy when buying new furniture!

Please let us know what you find out!

Have a great day!

Jim.

Diana::

I discovered bed bugs Aug 17th lived in house 4mos, have a good idea of how previous residence became infected unfortunatley a little to late since I could have prevented my new place had I known.

Aug 19th house was inspected by Pest Control Company & I learned a lot & seen many of them especially under my son’s bunk which made me want to vomit.. Got rid of my bed & his bed, washed everything & bagged. Moved out for 6 weeks had house re-sprayed Sept 2nd the whole time monitoring with sticky pads all over the place.

After the second spray I have seen not one nymph. Today is Oct 12th should I have the house re-sprayed one more time? I have been sleeping upstairs (basically living up here do not sit on furniture which was sprayed in living rm twice as well) no sign up here I am constantly checking & careful do not bring much except for us upstairs.

Am I safe to go back down & purchase new beds & get couch steam cleaned -yes I know to purchase mattress coverings with zippers etc..

Jen::

i think i might have bed bugs but i’m not sure. my mattress is really old it was my grandmothers from like 20 years ago. i recently got 3 bites in a row on my stomach. they are about an inch apart and the kinda look like mosequito bites.

Marie::

Sent this twice its this one you need because had wrong email on last 1.
I have been getting bitten regularly for about a month and my boy has aswell but looking back now it was only when he sleeped in our bed he got about 20 on his bum my husband and daughter has had a few and my boy sometime still gets one or 2 but they do come in our bed in morning but i’m still getting alot. some of them start with little white heads then just go red and hurt but not itchy and some just big and red.

We do have a cat and I have checked him for fleas and found nothing. we us frontline on him and fleaed the house with spray and the cat has been staying in the shed for the last 3 weeks but I am still getting bitten.

I have been to the doctors who said they look like bed bite but i want to double check that there not flea bites and can let my cat back in and if they are bed bite what can i do? is there any spray, what can i do if they have spread into other rooms? i am going to buy pillow and mattress protectors is there anything else?

Thanks

Linda::

I’ve had these things for about 4 years now. I’ve thrown out everything in my bedroom caulked – poured scalding water on the floor – ruined my floor. And I still have them. One thing helps tho is to put your mattress in a zipped plastic (Walmart) I also put plastic bowls filled with vegetable oil with my bed post in them. And I make sure nothing touches the floor, ie my sheets or bedspread, nothing.

I wash my sheets every 3 days and also check your pillows and wash them periodically. I put down some kind of powder and it helps. They are still there. This is all I can seem to do that helps. It is awful. I’m so pissed when I get up in the morning and find a welt on my skin and know they got me again. I have so many scars on my legs, it’s embarrassing.

I guess just try and try, clean and clean. I’ve never even found where they are coming from. I hope to starve them to death but they always find a way to get me.

Jim::

Hello Maria and Terry,

Maria, bedbugs won’t bother your metal stuff, they like wood, cracks in plaster, mattress tags, etc.

Terry, if the mattress cover is zips up or ties together so that there is no way in or out, that will do the trick. Dust mites are a LOT smaller than bedbugs, so a cover for mites should do the trick for bed bugs. The bed bugs that are caught inside the mattress will eventually die without blood (but it will take a long time…)

Best regards,

Jim.

Terry::

Can you tell me if dust mite proof mattress encasements and bed bug proof are the same thing? and if a cover is waterproof, will it keep bed bugs in or out from the mattress?

Maria::

with having bed bugs, when cleaning, what should i do with the “metal” stuff like the utensils :???? i have boxes with merchandises in it, should i put them in plastic bags so the bugs wont get to them???? please help…i just found out i have bed bugs yesterday and I’m freaking out !!! and i already have the bites…its so itchy….I’m not going to rest until I’ve finished cleaning my entire house……I’d appreciate your reply…asap if possible…ty.

William::

We had an infestation several years ago. Didn’t know we had one until like everyone here, we found small itchy red spots on our arms and legs. We didn’t know what they were at the time, thinking they were mosquito bites or flea bites. Until one day we found one crawling on a bed sheet.

That is when we got into detective mode. Everything in that room got torn apart. To effectively get rid of bed bugs, you basically have to become your own exterminator. The mattresses we burned, got new ones and left the plastic on that one. The head boards/bed frames we took apart and inspected every nook and cranny. The best tell-tale signs of bed bugs is like a dark, kind of greasy splotch(s). Or what I call a dumping ground. It is near this area where the little demons are at. We found out that bed bugs tend to cluster, kind of like aphids.

We got several cans of RAID, and pretty much sprayed everything. One suggestion in doing this. You have to let the item that has been sprayed air out for several days….mostly to get the chemicals to dissipate…and make sure that the item you are spraying is not something you will be near/next to….you don’t want to absorb those chemicals. If it is a room you are spraying….you have to get every crack/crevice. If you have to take everything to the bare wood, then do so. Take out the baseboards, trim, EVERYTHING. A bed bug that hasn’t fed is flat and like a cockroach, it can crawl and fit in the smallest crevice.

Another thing about bed bugs is they are like cockroaches or mice. If you see one, don’t think you only have just that one! You just found the slow one, and you have to think that you’ve got a hundred more.

Anyway, with all the bedding and clothing we had there, we bagged up and immediately washed in HOT water. We de-cluttered the room, and went to work with the RAID. Afterward, we sealed up the room and left it alone for several days. After several days, we put on a fresh coat of paint which sealed up any cracks in the walls.

REMEMBER, these little buggers can be beat. You just have to remember that just because they are call BED BUGS doesn’t necessarily mean that they only live in the BED. They will live in the walls, ceiling, etc. Also, make a thorough inspection in every living area….INCLUDING the living room. We found out that they migrated into the couches there.

As for the bites themselves, the best thing to do is not scratch them. Using an anti-itch cream makes it tolerable. Another thing to consider when I looked at some of the pictures is they might not be bed bug bites. If you have pets that live indoors, they might be flea bites. And mosquito and spiders tend to only have one specific bite.

This was our battle story with these monsters and how we won. But every now and again, we keep an eye for them…..you just never know.

Jim::

Hi Christine,

The best way to bring bedbugs into your home is from buying a used mattress! Set the alarm clock for 3 or 4:00am and look around for bugs. Also, check out my checklist for a list of areas that they may hide in.

Best regards,

Jim.

Christine::

Hi there,

I just moved into my first apartment, and for the sake of being cheap I bought a mattress and box spring off of Craigslist from a very nice Indian woman who lives near me. I have been living here for about two weeks with the new mattress, and on Sunday I went on a motorcycle ride with a friend to a berry farm to pick blackberries (I wasn’t wearing a jacket, just a loose white tank top). Since then, I have had maybe 10 bites if that, only on my back and stomach, and they definitely aren’t as big as the ones posted on here (not swollen, itchy but they don’t look anything like mosquito bites or poison ivy).

They aren’t in clusters, really, and maybe I’ve just made myself paranoid from reading so much about them. Do you think they could have come from riding or the berry farm rather than bed bugs? I am tearing my bed apart looking for these things, and I found a little brown thing in the bed that looks a bit like cardboard (I did have things in cardboard on my bed earlier). My sheets are totally white, and I don’t see any spots. I sleep with my legs and arms exposed and they are not bitten to my knowledge.

Am I just freaking myself out because I bought a used mattress?

Cathy::

Summary: What looks like bed bugs turns out to be Urticaria Hives!

So….long story short.
I have been going absolutely crazy thinking I have bedbugs. Here’s the story… Over the past month I have been waking up to find numerous bites all over my body. Mostly neck, shoulders and hair line but also her and there on my hands, fingers, stomach, back….etc. I could itch more at night and wake to find more in the morning. Sometimes they would appear out of no where. They would be a single “bite” or a grouping…lines of them or just a few.

I had 3 different pest control people at my house over aq course of a few weeks…they found nothing. I myself spent ENDLESS hours tearing my bedroom apart, flashlight, magnifying glass in hand looking for fecal matter, eggs, shell casings….but always came up with nothing. Even moved furniture out of my room, threw away pillows, washed clothing and blankets in hot water….BASICALLY everything you read to do for bed bugs. AND my husband and 2 kids had no bites….I thought I was going crazy. Sound familiar? After reading all these posts on her and other sites I see I am not alone in this.

Today I went to see a dermatologist. He said if its not bedbugs but rather Urticaria Hives. If you read about it and look at the pictures, You will be BLOWN AWAY and say to yourself “THAT’S IT!!!”! I hope this helps all you out there that are in the same or similar situation! Good Luck! I hope you find peace like I did! Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite! THANK GOD!

See pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1002327

Katie G::

Hi, I have been getting bites during the day and night! I have been lifting the mattresses up looking for them every day! Vacuuming everyday! Moved furniture and inspected it! i AM going crazy with all the HORRIBLE ITCHING!!!!! I went to the Hospital ER! they told me it was scabies!

I used the cream still didn’t work! Next i used Sulfur Ointment 2-3 times a day for 4 days! Still didn’t work! Well now the sulfur has left my skin Dry and WRECKED! it has been 6 weeks and i still am getting new ones about 2-3 every other night!

My husband has no signs of bites nor do my other 2 roommates! We have been sleeping in separate sheets enclosing our bodies like a cocoon while we sleep. STILL BITES!!! Last night my husband went to sleep 1st, with my sleepy eyes i saw a bedbug crawling up the covers going after HIM!! AHHHH!!! i grabbed it and put it in a zip lock bag !!

It looks just like the pictures on this site. Its not very big!! BUT to my surprise i am happy to know its not scabies!

Now we can MAKE A PLAN and get rid of them! YAY finally PROOF OF MY INSANITY!

Jim::

Glad to help Calvin and thanks for the kudos!

That is exactly what the site is here for, to help those with bedbugs understand and exterminate them. It also serves to let people know that other people around the world are having the same problem. Bedbugs can happen to anyone and it’s becoming more of a problem than ever!

Have a great day!

Jim

Calvin::

Hi, I recently found your site, and this gives me a lot of relief and almost joy. For the past year or so, me and my brother have been getting strange bites all over at night. We both share a room, and we only got bit in there. We were the only ones, and it was only in this room.

We got rid of mattresses, sheets, pillows, everything. My parents ruled out bed bugs within like 5 days because no one else got bit. We had biopsies and all kinda of tests, and they all said the same thing, ‘some kind of bite that could be consistent with an arachnid’.

Our family has been trying to find out what these bites are for a while, and recently, me and my brother moved out of our room. He got the room next door, and I went into the basement. We figured that since we only got bit in that room we would be ok. We were in our new rooms for a day or two, and we have now started to get more bites.

We already have an exterminator coming so I will have to tell my parents that it could really be bed bugs. This site helped me identify bed bugs in my bed, blood spots, and the fact that not everyone will get the rash like bites, only those with a reaction.

I feel like I should be upset about having bed bugs, but just knowing what it is now is amazing for us. =)

Tim::

I live in Brooklyn and haven’t seen any (signs of) bedbugs but have seen something resembling what Vaughn mentioned in post #11 on August 25th, 2007 at 11:22 am. I’ve got some sort of bite on my back, in what I’ve realized is the most difficult part of my body to examine using a mirror, below my left shoulder blade.

At any rate, In other places I’ve lived I’ve typically left house spiders alone with the logic that they keep down populations of any other bugs, and this has seemed to work. Does anyone know anything about using spiders to control populations of other (say, bed) bugs?

Seems like fostering a healthy home ecosystem might be part of the answer….though that said, I’m not currently one of the people suffering from an infestation.

Samuel::

Bedbugs do not bite everyone or at least not everyone has a reaction to their bites so they may be present and biting just not really showing up as welts on the other three.

I have seen several say that the exterminator did not get rid of all of their bedbugs and wanted to remind them what we found out. A lot of bedbugs are growing chemical resistant to what the PCO are using so while they may kill 99% of what you have, you may need another chemical to get the last one or two or you may need a non-chemical treatment.

We ended up using a bedbug spray. These are contact sprays so they only work on what they are sprayed on but we carry this with us when we travel and we continue to spray it around our place (6 months after last sighting – call it paranoia but when you have been in bedbug hell, you never want to go back).

Jim::

Hi Tanya,

Bedbugs are very good at finding following the source of the greatest carbon diaxoide, so it is possible that could have zeroed in on your, however, it’s more likely that you are most sensitive to bites than the others.

Look at my bedbug checklist and give that a short early in the morning. Let us know what you find out.

Regards,

Jim.

Tanya::

Do bedbugs bite everyone because we have a pretty bad infestation and there are four other people living in my house yet I’m the only one getting bitten. Does anyone know?

Jim::

Hi Jana,

First thing that comes to mind is a rash of some type, but if you have them on multiple parts of your body, then they could be something like bed bugs.

You said you did find any sign of bugs, so I’m guessing that’s not it. You can always set your alarm clock for 3 of 4am and look around (best time).

Do they happen on a regular basis now? And remember, a bite from a bed bug might not show for up to 14 days (usually happens right away).

Keep us posted on your progress!

Best regards,

Jim.

Jana N.::

I’m praying these aren’t what I think they are, bites from Bed Bugs. A few showed up the beginning of last week, and then a few more showed up by Friday. I didn’t really notice them until a friend pointed them out at dinner on Friday.

I’m not sure if I have been bitten more times, but last night, these bites didn’t have the red dot in the middle–which as you can see some of them now do. I’m not sure if this means they are getting better, or worse. I have a couple of bites on my other elbow-maybe one or two, but I don’t have them anywhere else.

It was strange. I went online to your site last night, and I was reading about what they are because my boyfriend has some friends staying at his apartment. They told him they think he has bed bugs. We haven’t slept at his place for a week or so, but suddenly, as I was reading up on them for her—I started thinking about the bites on my arm.

I haven’t found any trace of them–no streaks on the sheets or actual pieces of the bed bugs.

What do I do? Should I go to the doctor? Please let me know, and I will go right after work today.

Jim::

Hi Becky,

Check out the Bed Bug Treatment section of my site and you’ll find all the solutions recommended by visitors to this site.

Best regards,

Jim.

Becky::

I suffered from bed bugs bite for almost 9 months, the exterminator came to spray our apartment but it didn’t clear all, some few left then they multiply. I got a lot of marks all over my body especially in my hand and leg. I’m shy to put on a shirt and wear shorts because of the bite marks. It lowers my self confidence, can somebody help me here to recommend a lotion that can help lessen my bed bites marks or any medication. I’d appreciate your help..tnx

Aran::

The past couple of years, I’ve been deceiving myself mercifully, writing off every night I spend plagued by crawling skin as either a mental condition of some sort or an allergy that has absolutely nothing to do with anything living that’s smaller than either of my dogs. But it might be time to take action- the sensation has not ceased.

I’ve finally found some courage, and have begun to research this “bed bug” phenomena. One thing that gets me- from what I’ve discovered, victims rarely tend to feel the bite in action. Though many of my frequent blotches are similar to those pictured in this and other similar websites, what drives me the most insane is the constant feeling that infinitesimal beings are running all over my skin. I’m wondering if anyone else gets this? I truly can’t see anything, and am thus surprised when actual welts and bumps appear in the morning. However, the crawling thing doesn’t only happen at night, leading me to believe that either this thing also resides in certain items of clothing, or that I’m actually unlucky enough to have some sort of weird prickling allergy as well as bed-bugs.

Though the crawling thing has been pretty consistent over the last couple of years, the intensity of the bites comes and goes. The worst period was right after I stayed in a sketchy hotel in Paris- two of my friends had similar symptoms when we came home- I’m thinking maybe we brought something with us, and that’s what gets me from time to time? My room is incredibly cluttered, making the prospect of an infestation infinitely more terrifying.

Someones got to be able to relate to this- the pages of fear have given me faith.
Thanks

Matt::

I am questioning whether or not bites that have been appearing on me the past 2 weeks are bedbugs or not. Some nights they occur, some they don’t.

When I sleep it is always in shorts, with a tshirt. There are plenty of arms and legs to bite, but so far I have only had a single bite on my neck. The rest have been on the inner thighs, left AND right. They appear as small red welts, not really bites. They do not itch at all, usually. I’m not sure what it is, I’ve inspected my entire mattress up and down with no sure signs of bugs.

Charles::

Jennifer and others,

Bed bug bites usually appear some time after the bite, usually within 1 or 2 days. I only had a brief skirmish with them, I noticed myself itching in the afternoon at work. They actually bite in the early AM hours (like 4-5) except in unusual or very severe cases.

The bites should only appear where your skin is exposed while sleeping. Occasionally one may crawl up a sleeve, but they shouldn’t appear anywhere you’re covered. (You might have something else instead of or in addition to bed bugs. If your visitor didn’t stay overnight but got bit, it’s likely that it’s something other than bedbugs)

There are many things that bite, what distinguishes bedbugs are that they look and feel just like mosquito bites (and except for the itch/allergic reaction, never cause any other illness), and the pattern of bite appearances is key to identification (both in terms of time and location). To name a few other bugs I’ve encountered, there are fleas, chiggers, and mites.

Jessica::

I woke up yesterday morning to find that my shins and forearms were covered in blotchy welts. I hadn’t slept well the night before and was aware of scratching around these areas in my half-consciousness, but thought it was just a case of the chiggers I was getting over. I took Claritin (an anti-histamine) and got in my friend’s car, who said, “No. Those are bed bug bites; my sister had them so badly that she had to be hospitalized.” Later that day, the welts mysteriously faded and my skin looked normal.

Now that I’m home, I’m terrified to sleep in my bed. We washed the bedsheets and mattress pad and I vacuumed the carpet. Unfortunately we don’t have a small vacuum so I have to either heft the Hoover onto the mattress or wait for my grandma’s Dirt Devil tomorrow.

I’m afraid to sleep on the bed: partly because of paranoia, partly because of what I might find tomorrow morning. I suppose if there are terrible blotches tomorrow I’ll photograph them and post them.

Jennifer::

I woke up a couple of days ago with about 12 bites in and around my underwear region. They itch like crazy. They started out small and then got bigger. It sounds like bedbugs like to bite arms and legs so I’m wondering if this is something else. Please help. Thanks

Shawna::

Okay this is worry me tremendously I have been reading all these articles on bed bugs and now I am almost certain that’s what I have too! My fiancee stays at hotels when he is gone on his trips he’s a truck driver! I think he has brought bed bugs home with him not only are they getting me while I’m sleeping on my ankles but they are now getting my arms and back and stomach too! What do I do?

I have never had this problem till he started staying at these hotels. What can I do and use I’m getting married Tuesday and my legs look horrible my dress is a semi short one! Help what kind of sprays do they have as well as stuff for my legs!!!!!

I will be sure as to post a pic of the bites tonight!

Rachel W.::

Rachel with bed bug bites on her leg

Hello,

I’ve included a picture of what appears to be bed bug bites on my legs and body. You can see from the picture that my reaction is very bad.

I stayed at a cabin out in the woods for a few days, so the place must have been infested.

The bites itch and hurt very bad.

Chosk::

Dear jim and All at bad spiderbites

Thanks for your excellent site! Three weeks ago I went on holiday. When I awoke after the first night in the accommodation I saw insects crawling on my bed. I was very lucky the sun was streaming in directly onto the sheets as the room was dark. I touched one of these little black spots and there was a tiny streak of blood on the white sheet! What?

I had not felt any bites and in fact did not see anything for two days. I began to suffer from a blinding headache and felt very ill and hot.

The night of the second day in the unit I stepped out of a hot shower and saw my body covered in CLUSTERS of red welts just starting to swell and itch.
I was very lucky to find an after hours doctors who recognized the bites immediately, he told me to tell the managers of the accommodation. I explained I had done that the first morning, but they had disbelieved me to the point of calling me a lier! The doctor said I must go back as the owners had a responsibility to investigate and treat this infestation. They refused to believe me so I went to the local council environmental health officer who took it very seriously. I asked her to send her entomologists which she did the next day – definitive diagnosis very bad infestation of bed bugs.

The second week the doctor diagnosed my condition Severe TYPE IV Allergic Reaction to the bed bug toxin. Not everyone gets this thank God, but I was very ill and almost wanted to end it I felt so down. It also affected my immune system he said as I had to take masses of harsh medication. This had flow on effects to other health conditions.

I read others on this great site talk about “the Nightmare” – I agree it was very nasty and I felt disbelieved and quite “crazy”. I have scars where from the bites, and I had to bag and bin many nice items which were damaged or could not be treated. But the worst thing was being treated with such cruelty and disrespect.

I have lived, worked and traveled around the world, across all the continents and I have never had this happen to me before. It was a bad experience and I thank you very much for this site – it is very comforting to read exactly the same symptoms as mine, I often thought I was going mad – I was told I had brought it on myself or made it up or exaggerated the terrible itching and swelling and bites, although I knew all this was untrue, to be honest I had started to believe it. Now I know other folk out there have been through the same I feel so much more normal and even a little sane!

Many many thanks
T’na
Brisbane
Australia

Jim::

Hi Jennifer,

Yes, the bed bugs could have traveled to other areas of the house! Before you throw everything away, try some of the suggestions found under the Bed Bug Treatment section first.

Good luck!

Jim.

Jennifer::

I will have to get someone to help me take pics of my arms and the back of my neck so I can send them. I am certain now that the bites/rash I’ve been dealing with over the past 6 weeks is from bed bugs. I had my bed in storage for about a year, and as soon as I moved into my new place (with my old bed), I started itching and coming up with bites on my neck, back, arms, etc.

I am very allergic to insect bites, fleas/mosquitoes, etc always blister up and itch horribly….these have the same reaction. The blisters itch and when I scratch, seems like the bites “spread” like impetigo. The worst part was the intense itching I had in the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. No bites there, just itching, almost like hives would cause. (I do have bites/itches on the tops of my hands and on my fingers, and the “new bites/rash” seem to be on my hands.) I can only assume the hands/feet were itchy due to severe allergic reaction and that the new bites/rash on my hands is from handling bed linens, etc, while washing/cleaning.

I have treated myself with antibiotics to get the bites to heal up. I also used an OTC poison oak/poison ivy medication that is made to “dry up” the weeping pus from those rashes. At the time, my bites were doing just that and the cream made a HUGE improvement within just a few hours of application. The itching I have to treat with benedryl. The hands/feet itching is pretty much gone.

Since I’ve done all the cleaning up……I have only noticed a few new bites. The strangest thing is that I get new “itchy” places in the middle of the day…while working….while driving……but I don’t ever notice anything actually biting me.

How can bed bug bites just “show up” at such random intervals?

I never saw any bed bugs myself, and couldn’t find anything on the mattress that looked like blood stains like the pictures here (mattresses were cream colored, should have been easy to see them?). When my landlord put them out for the trash man, he said he saw some little red bugs on it.

What I have seen: spiders. Wolf spiders and what could be: baby wolfies, small brown recluse or yellow sac spiders. I have not seen any “necrosis” type reaction in the bites I have, so don’t think these bites are due to spiders. The pics of bed bug bites are most similar to what I have.

WHAT I HAVE DONE TO TREAT:
Threw out my bed. No carpeting anywhere but living room, so swept and mopped with bleach ALL floors before putting in new bed. Washed ALL bedclothes, even the ones in the closet not in use. Steam Cleaned the living room carpet. Threw out all the bed pillows and throw pillows from my room (even the dog bed). Washed all the throw rugs in the house. Gave the dog a bath. (Twice: at first I thought he might have brought some poison ivy into the house on his fur).
I have not used any pesticides so far, but plan to just to make sure they are all gone (and to make sure I don’t have any imaginary itches).

CONCERN:
What if they have migrated to my sofa? My daughter was here a couple of weeks ago and complained of itching/bites without even knowing about the problem. The sofa has the many pillows for the backrest part instead of one singular piece, and has a sofa bed inside. How can I treat the sofa without also exposing myself/my daughter to skin contact with the pesticides? SHOULD I JUST THROW OUT MY FURNITURE TOO? Believe me, after all this itching, rash, and bother, I’M WILLING if necessary. I itch when I sit in the living room but don’t want to throw out the baby with the bathwater just because I have a case of heebie jeebies (imaginary itches).

Any suggestions are appreciated. I can’t stand having these bites all over me and certainly don’t want to expose anyone else to them (i.e.-no company at my house!).

Kelly::

To Duke. What you did is wrong, you tortured the creature! Imagine yourself in a microwave having your insides start to boil and then burst all over. you would not like it. If you are going to kill it, just step on it. Don’t be cruel!

Duke::

I have no advise, no photos etc. Just want to tell everyone how angry these little (non rent paying) blood slurpers have made me. Anyway I caught one the other day and sealed it carefully inside transparent sticky tape… then microwaved the bed bug full blast for 3 minutes and i enjoyed watching it pop and fizz……. I slept better that night!!

Jim::

Hello Amanda,

Review my checklist and look for signs of bedbugs, then let me know what you find.

Also – try sticky tape and set the alarm clock for 3:00am and look around. If it’s bedbugs, they’ll be in and around your bed at that time.

Regards,

Jim.

Amanda::

All of a sudden I’ve been seeing bug bites on my armpits, legs and even around my private. WHAT THE HECK IS BITING ME????? I’m pretty sure I’m getting them at night when I’m sleeping. I haven’t been out of the city that I live in. I’ve been wearing long sleeves and pants, and haven’t been out at night.

Some of the bites are big and some of them are small, they are all red and sort of round. I don’t see a trace of a bed bug. Can you help solve this annoying mystery? I would really appreciate it.

Julie::

Hi my daughter is getting bites nearly all over her body in this past month, they are like mosquito bites but one of them today got water in it like chicken pox, they take about a week to go away.

Doctor said that they are insect bites, maybe fleas. She is all the time itchy! I checked mattress and clothes but I did not find anything. Doctor said to put teatree oil as a repellent and fucidin H on the spots. He suggested that I should spray everything with the green baygon even the mattresses.

Leanna::

Oh my word!! I know how to get rid of them!!! Finally!!!!

Go to a pet feed store and buy Diatomaceous Earth. It is 100% safe, chemical free, and all natural. God bless mother earth for that. It is also very cheap. The parasites have a waxed shell and the powder (ditomasis fossilized earth) sticks to their bodies and dehydrates them. They eventually dry up and die.

Put it:
Under your mattress
Along the baseboards in your place
On your bed frame
Under all your furniture

My family and i were bitten all over. I was pregnant at the time and was so worried about diseases. All went well in the end. You’ll have powder (the fossilized earth-it’s a white powder) all over your place but it is worth it. They can lay dormant for up to 18 months.

In your walls, baseboards, and any where they can find wood. So we have had the fossilized earth laid out for about 6 month. Since then i have found a few dead ones and 1 live one. We are in an apartment and are planning to move in a few months so we will leave the powder down until then.

We don’t want to take them with us. Good luck everyone!

Note: Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. Diatomite is used as an insecticide because it absorbs lipids from the outer layer of insects which causes them to dehydrate.

Vicky::

I have got bit by a bed bug last night i assume and today in the morning i woke up with a pain in my shoulder and as the day progressed the pain got worse and the spot got more red. it hurts very much that it has given me a headache. i really don’t know what to put on my shoulder to make the pain go away…what can i use to treat this?

Jim::

Hi Laurie,

That sounds more like an allergic reaction rather than bites from bed bugs. The bedbug bite will become red, but I’ve not heard of them going away and then coming back at a later date (same locating, etc…).

Monitor what your husband is eating and drinking and make note of the food consumed the day before.

Best regards,

Jim.

Laurie::

My husband showed up with these “spots” on his back after quite a bit of traveling last spring. The were red, swollen and itchy. He had been to the doctor and found no diagnosis.

I read an article on bed bugs and figured that was what he had. He took a trip to the dermatologist’s office and he also was not able to diagnose. The dermatologist wanted my husband to come in immediately should the spots flare up again, as he was curious about this situation.

As I said above, I do believe what he has now is scarring from bed bug bites (I am happy to report that he did not bring any critters home with him), but my only question is – do the bite marks flare up or come and go – because his redness and itchiness seems to and we can’t quite pin point the cause??

I would love to hear back on this.

This is comment page 7 of Bed Bug Bites.

[bed-bug-bites]

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