What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like

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Often, bed bug bites look like a line made up of red dots, as shown in the image below. These dots appear as the bug moves along your skin, testing areas for the perfect feeding spot until it settles in and begins a full feeding. It takes about 15 minutes for an adult bed bug to feed on your blood and even less time for a nymph.

There are two sections to the mouth-part. One is used to inject a mixture of anticoagulant and anesthetic, while the other mouth-part sucks up your blood. As a result, there could be multiple bugs biting your body, and you may not notice until you wake up and discover yourself covered in red bumps!

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Bed Bug Bites on Suu's Arm showing bite pattern
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Vee was terrified after repeatedly being bitten by bed bugs.

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There are two bites here; if just one bug is biting, the pattern of bites will be close together but if you have multiple bed bugs biting, the pattern may be spread out.

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She found that her arm was near the location of the bed bug’s nest.

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She didn’t feel any of these bites because the bed bug injected its saliva to numb the area bitten.

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These bites had been occurring for a long time before she found the nest and eliminated them herself.

Most common pattern made when bitten by bed bugs, shown on side What bed bug bites look like on Monica's arm Bed bug bites on Adam's tricep Line of bed bug bites that are red raised bumps

The pictures above are great examples of what the bed bug bites look like at various stages of development! You can see the red bite mark pattern on Monica’s side, as well as the seven bite marks on her hand.

Remember that just because you have multiple bites does not mean you have multiple bed bugs; one bug could have caused all that irritation!

If the bites are from nymphs of a new nest, you may have minor bumps, as shown in the picture of Richard’s arm above. However, Richard’s whole body was viciously attacked while sleeping – his arm alone had more than 50 bites! In addition, his thigh, calf, legs, back, and face had multiple bites.

Adam’s bites were from a new infestation only 30 days old and from nymphs eagerly ready for their first feeding. The area circled in black is a grouping of bites.

Here is what bed bug bites look like on legs, arms, black skin, children, and other parts of the human body.

Heather was kind enough to share her nightmare, explaining how important it is to do an intense search of bed bugs and why you should not take this step lightly!

Bed bug rash

Blisters from bed bug bites on hand Blisters caused by bed bug bites Rash from bed bug bites on the bicep and arm Rash and red welts caused by bed bug bites Bad reaction rash to bed bug bites with swelling welts bed bug rash on butt bug bite rash on back of neck

As shown above, some people develop a bed bug rash due to the bed bug’s saliva, which can range from small red itchy bumps to large welts.
Take a look at those large painful blisters in the first picture! Her hand had an allergic reaction to the bed bug’s bites.

Bed bugs severely bit Julio’s arm, which developed a bright red rash on his bicep that took a long time to heal!

Ross stayed at a cabin with a nest of baby bed bugs that feed on his forehead, and in the other pictures, you can see swelling and welts on the arm and leg.

Bed bug bites on black people

Bed bug bites on a black female skin Bed bug bites on a black hand Bed Bug Bites on Black Skin Shoulder Bed bug bites on black persons stomach Black finger bitten by bed bugs Karinas Legs bitten by bed bugs Bed bug bites on black elbow Bed bug bite on black womans leg

People ask us what bed bug bites look like on people who have darker colored skin, be it black, Hispanic, Asian, etc. You can see bites on the face, hands, stomach, and face in the images above.

As you can see, bites on black people don’t look that different from bites on light-skinned people.

Bites on legs

Leg is scarred from bed bug bites Jonishas Bedbug Bites on her legs Vanessa had her leg bitten by a bed bug Bed bug bites on the back of Richard's leg Red swollen bites on leg from bed bugs

These are pictures of bed bug bites on various legs; some are small bumps while others have large itchy welts.

The first photo shows a severe skin reaction to the bite area. Photo #2 shows bright red welts that are raised and very painful. Karina’s photo shows dark skin and scarring. Jonisha’s shows the line of bites, while Vanessa’s leg has raised swelling in all the bite areas.

Bites on Arms

Bed bug bites on Roy's arm Bed bug bite scarring on the arm after itching Bed bug bites on richard's forearm after staying at hotel Close up of Bed bug bites on under arm of Jenny Bedbug bites on a baby's arm

These are pictures of bites on various arms, some are small bumps while others have large itchy welts.

Image #1 shows Roy’s arm after being attacked by bed bugs, while image #2 shows what bed bug scars look like, and the last image shows bites on a baby’s arm.

Bites on Children

Baby badly bitten by bed bugs while in crib Bed bug bite on child's nose Childs face bitten by bed bugs Bed bug bites when on vacation Jen shows her sons back bitten by bed bugs Bed bug bites on neck of child

Vanessa took her young son to the doctor and confirmed these bites were from bed bugs. But, look at the damage they did to his face! It’s important not to scratch the area, or scabbing may leave a scar. Vanessa explains what happened:

I am so glad I found your website. My family and I just returned from vacation two days ago, and my youngest children are covered with bed bug bites; at first, we did not know what they were.

The bites started after the first night of staying there. They increased in number and became worse over the week. We had no clue. Bed bugs never crossed our minds. I took them to the doctor as soon as we got home, and we got the news, BED BUGS!

I was disgusted and freaking out! I still am, and I can’t sleep at night. I worry that we brought them home and feel my children’s pain. They are pitiful! The bites do not seem to be clearing up and itch like crazy. My husband and I only have a few each. I will never go on vacation again!

Another visitor, Ava, had her neck badly bitten by bed bugs. For many months, her baby boy had bite marks which doctors initially suggested might be scabies or fleas.

A few months later, when Ava’s older son complained of his skin crawling in the middle of the night, she checked on the baby and found his bed frame and mattress covered with bed bugs, with many in the process of feeding!

This poor baby was helpless to do anything while being bitten by bed bugs. If you ever see something like this, it may indicate the infestation is close and should be easy to locate.

More pictures of bed bug bites

Yes, that first image below is of a tiny bed bug that crawled into a woman’s nose and lodged itself in a hard-to-reach spot. She could feel it moving, but nothing she tried could dislodge it, so she used a hydrogen peroxide nasal irrigation technique (Not sure if this is safe or not), causing the bug to turn into the white mass you see hanging from her nose. She was then able to remove it with tweezers.

Bed bug inside nose

Bed bug inside nose

A bed bug climbed inside this woman's nose while sleeping and she...
Pulling a biting bed bug out of nose with tweezers

Pulling a biting bed bug out of nose with tweezers

Pulling biting bed bug out of nose w tweezers
Bedbug Bites on Danielles Face and Eye

Bedbug Bites on Danielles Face and Eye

Danielle was bitten on the face and eye by bed bugs
Red swollen bed bug bites on female breast

Red swollen bed bug bites on female breast

Red swollen bed bug bites on woman's breast and chest
Bed bug bites on Lauras Face

Bed bug bites on Face Laura

Laura's face was bitten by bed bugs multiple times
Bed bug bites on Andreas face under the eye

Bed bug bites on Andreas face under the eye

Andrea shows us the bumps from bed bug bites on her cheek
Bed bug bites on mans forehead and face

Bed bug bites on mans forehead and face

Left side of white males face reacts badly to bedbug bites
Bed bug bites on female face and neck

Bed bug bites on female face and neck

Amelia was bitten by bed bugs on her face and neck
Bed bug bites on Forehead of Ross

Bed bug bites on Forehead of Ross

Ross had his whole body attacked by starving bed bugs and these are what the bites look like
Womans breast bitten by bed a bug

Womans breast bitten by bed a bug

Bed bug bit this woman's breast in multiple locations, red and swollen
Grouping of bed bug bites on womans neck

Grouping of bed bug bites on womans neckbedbug-bites-womans-neck-red-welts

Grouping of bed bug bites on woman's neck that are raised red bumps
Side of woman bitten by bed bugs and red marks

Side of woman bitten by bed bugs and red marks

Side of woman bitten by bed bugs and red marks and swelling show bite area
Bedbug bites on womans chest

Bedbug bites on womans chest

This woman's dark skin shows raised welts and swelling on her chest from bed bug bites.
Woman bitten on the back by a bed bug

Woman bitten on the back by a bed bug

Woman bitten on the back by a bed bug shows red bites
Bed Bug Bites on Sally Mae's butt

Bed Bug Bites on Sally Mae’s buttocks

Bed bug bit Sally Mae on her butt multiple times
Red painful bed bug bites on right shoulder

Red painful bed bug bites on right shoulder

Bed Bugs Bites on Beth's shoulder showing row pattern
Bed bug bites on Niki's chest

Bed bug bites on Niki’s chest

Niki's chest was bitten by bed bugs and now covered in red bumps
Bed bugs bit mel's face near his ear

Bed bug bite on face near ear

Mel shows the bed bug bites near his ear
A bed bug bit shoulder multiple times

A bed bug bit shoulder multiple times

Elizabeth's shoulder has three red bite marks from a bed bug
small red bites on the stomach and side of female caused by bed bugs

small red bites on the stomach and side of female caused by bed bugs

Brittany was bitten on the stomach and side from bed bugs leaving small red bumps
bed bug bites on face and arm with painful welts

bed bug bites on face and arm with painful welts

Ronnie's face and arms were badly bitten by bed bugs leaving red swelling painful welts
Breasts bitten by bed bugs

Breasts bitten by bed bugs

Both of these woman's breasts were bitten by bed bugs
Bed bug bites on face of Asian woman

Bed bug bites on face of Asian woman

Bed bug bites on face of Asian woman
Katrina was bitten by a bed bug under her eye

Bed bug bites under eye of Katrina

Bed bug bites under eye of Katrina

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.
These medicines and tropical location were prescribed for bed bug bites

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

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