What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like

Q: How Long Does a Bed Bug Bite Last?

A: Bites heal within 14 days, but scratching can extend that time to a month and cause infection. Depending on a person’s resistance levels, they may not show any symptoms for 14 days after the bite, so it is possible that the whole process (from initial bite up until the time the bumps go away could last 30 days).

People who have been living with an established infestation and have been bitten repeatedly may have immediate reactions to the bites.

For those bitten for the first time, there may be no reaction, or it may take up to 14 days before the person begins to react. Two weeks is a long time, and if you sleep in multiple locations, it might be challenging to figure out where you were bitten.

Q: Do bed bug bites itch?

A: Yes, a bite from a bed bug can cause a powerful desire to itch, and that is the worse thing you could do. Infection, scarring, and a whole host of other problems can come from itching.

The more frequent the bites, the more sensitive your skin becomes, and the stronger the desire to scratch.

Whatever you do, do not itch these bites; it will only worsen and lead to infection and scarring, making the bite last even longer!

Q: Can bed bug bites cause MRSA?

A: Take a look at this woman’s hand, which she states her MRSA started from a bed bug bite; there are also comments from our visitors about their similar infections.

Q: How are bed bug bites treated?

A: Baking Soda paste is the best home treatment for bites; mix water with baking soda to make a paste that you then place on the area and let dry. Here are the instructions:

• Make sure to wash the bed bug bites with soap and water.
• Make a thick, sticky paste with the water and baking soda, not too runny and thick enough that it will stay.
• Let the paste stand until completely dry, and then wait an hour or so. Some let it stand for hours, while others find that an hour or less is effective.
• Gently wash the paste off and pat dry.

Natural remedies for bites include:

• Witch hazel, St. John’s Wort, and Lemon juice all work by removing the desire to itch (Astringents).
• The gel from the Aloe plant is how many treat bed bug bites and contains anti-fungal and antibiotic properties that work great! Just trim a tip and apply the exposed area to the bite.
• Handed down from generations is a bath with a half cup of peppermint oil to relieve the itching.
• Claude suggested a “hot as you can stand it” shower or bath to treat the bites. The itching will intensify for a few seconds, but the relief lasts for many hours. Some believe the heat from the water overloads the ends of your nerves and prevents them from telling your brain to itch. Some think that the heat causes your body to release more histamine than usual, thereby less histamine around the bite. Whatever the reason, it’s commonly used as a solution to itching caused by bites.
• Lemon juice on a wad of tissue placed lightly over the swollen area to reduce itching
• Chrissie said that a dab of Essential Oil of Basil with a cotton bud on each bite brings the ‘poison’ the bug has deposited to the surface (she lances her bites with a sterilized pin (flame heat/wiped clean)). She then dabs the bed bug bites with lavender oil, and her itching subsides.
• Sam uses crotamiton creme followed by lotrix creme for 15 days to

In Richard’s case, the itching was so bad that he ended up at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Urgent Care, where the doctors prescribed Calamine Topical Suspension USP, Cephalexin, and Hydroxyzine HCL for the bed bugs bites.

• Calamine helps to keep the bite area from oozing
• Cephalexin helps with bacteria of the infection bit
• Hydroxyzine helps with the itching that some people experience after being bitten.

Rachel had a doctor prescribe her betamethasone valerate to relieve the itching. She says it works but doesn’t get rid of the bites.

Bridget’s Dr. prescribed a topical cortisone cream to stop the itching and told him that diphenhydramine (Benadryl) would halt the itching too.

Julie’s Doctor suggested using tea tree oil as a repellent and fucidin H on the spots. He suggested that I should spray everything with bed bug dust, even the mattresses.

Rob’s Doctor prescribed locoid lipocream and found it to be most effective. He tried a sample of foaming medication in a small can which didn’t seem to work. He treated his swollen bites 3x the first day with the lipocream, and by morning it was 100x better with significantly reduced redness and swelling.

We have an entire page of home remedy and treatment discussions shared by our visitors if you want to learn more.

We have additional Bed Bug FAQ‘s.
Want to see more images? Check out these pictures of bedbug bites