L Buchanan::

Bed bugs found on scalpThese bed bugs have invaded my scalp! I have developed huge sores from scratching them. At first we thought it was lice on my head, so I tried the two treatments of rid x without luck. A picture of one from my head is shown below:

I called my doctor and he said to try the nix, so I tried two runs of it and still no luck. Went to the doctor again and he gave me a cortisone shot and some itching pills.

We have exterminated and threw away a lot of items, I’ve tried neem oil, shampoo, Listerine, Vaseline, lavender oil, vinegar and even sprayed my scalp with insecticide yet I still have bed bugs!

They are driving me INSANE!!!!!!…so PLEASE….if anyone has any solutions out there they would be greatly appreciated!

Ashley::

My niece is only 2 years old were not sure if she got bit by a spider or a bedbug.But its in 4 swollen places. We had her dad look at it but at the time it wasn’t swollen so he said it was nothing.

After awhile it got bigger so we put ice on it to see if it would go down. It’s yellow on the outside and a red ring going around it. Her dad said if she feels light headed or running a fever let me know. She said she felt hot but she wasn’t that hot, then she said it hurt really bad and she started to scream an jump. Her leg is almost fully swollen.

What should we do?

Buggy in Texas::

I am the unhappy owner of an infestation, and have been on the net, trying to figure out what to do. Apparently, I have had these bed bugs for a couple of months. Was localized to my daughter’s room, but we thought it was mosquito bites, so she moved to the couch!!! Now, the bugs are in my $4000 overstuffed sectional, which is just over a year old.

HELP!! I steamed it and that helped for about a week. Should I just keep steaming? I have the mattress covers, I bought the goodnight spray, I kill them whenever I see one. But I can’t afford what the exterminator is asking. And I certainly can’t afford to ditch my couch. Any suggestions for getting the bed bugs out of my couch?

Marcy::

I have been having problems since last Nov. The nasty things came from the apartment downstairs and are in the walls. Both places have been sprayed a minimum 10 times. The landlords are sick of me telling them I am getting bit. I have done more than required to take care of my end of it.

I have gotten to the point I don’t want to even come home. I definitely cringe at the thought of even going to bed. My cat stopped sleeping on my bed after a month of getting bit. I have had around 300 bites so far. I hope to move someday, but will have to throw most everything away in order to be sure I will not take anything with me. I have already thrown away so many items. I am very frustrated at it all.

One big mistake landlords make is when there is more than one place infected, they need to spray all apartments at the same time because the bugs just keep going up and down the walls to find fresh food. I had to keep telling the landlords what was happening but they listened with deaf ears until finally an exterminator told them. Not only do we have to fight the bugs, we also have to fight the landlords who are in total denial.

Now, they said they have sprayed so much, I need to come up with proof of a bed bug. Duh!! I have found some and my cat has found some before. But, still denial and don’t want to be bothered.

Shari::

Hey everyone…hopefully someone can help me out! This has been haunting me for months.

I have been dating my boyfriend for almost 3 years now and I always sleep over at his house for a few days every week. This past December (08), I was home from college and was staying over his house as I usually do and woke up one morning covered in huge bug bites. It looked like regular mosquito bites, which I always have a bad reaction to, so I thought nothing of it until I started noticing more bites appearing throughout the day. I stayed over again the next night and got more bites. The weird thing is, they were only on the right side of my body and randomly spread out on my face, arms, chest, legs, feet. I got one bite on my left arm, but that was it. My grandmother, a nurse for over 20 years, said it was hives, but I was taking Benadryl constantly & it did nothing. Once the swelling went down, I noticed that most of the bites were actually 2 or 3 smaller bites next to each other. So I had somewhere around 20 bites on the one side of my body alone.

My boyfriend never showed a reaction like I did or as soon as I did, but he did start getting bites on him as well. I stopped staying over his house & was constantly nagging him about getting an exterminator, which never happened. This all nearly ruined our relationship, as I was afraid to go in his house or have him come to mine after reading information online about beg bugs & how easily they travel.

We’ve used double sided carpet tape around the bed, which found nothing. An exterminator came in just to look and found nothing. We’ve searched the bed and room thoroughly, numerous times, and never found anything. However, he gets up at 5am for work, so I told him to check the bed and run his hands over the sheets. He never actually saw any bugs, but he ran his hand over the bed in one spot and it left a blood streak, then again in another, and he said he saw small white bugs along with it..maybe the nymphs? (This was back in December).

He couldn’t afford any exterminators (plus he has never believed it was beg bugs), but he bagged everything up, took almost everything out of his room & washed it, cleaned everything thoroughly, and threw out his old bed & mattress, replacing it with the one from the unused room next to his. It is now 5 months later, I have been staying over there occasionally for the past few months, and he’s come to stay with me in my dorm at school as well as my house when I’m home and there have been no bites.

Of course there is a BUT. I slept over his house this week. We were in his kitchen/backyard late one night, which was FILLED with mosquitoes, as it is every summer. I always get bit like crazy in his yard every summer, you can see the mosquitoes everywhere. I have a cluster of bites on my right arm going into my armpit of probably 6 or 7 bites in that one area…and that is all I have on my whole body. I was sleeping in a t-shirt which covered that area and I had never been bit in the past in covered areas…so I’m hoping this time that it’s just mosquitoes….but the bites are huge and so itchy that they are waking me up (just like in December).

No one has ever had a problem in the house besides us, and there are a lot of people that live there.

Any advice or thoughts about this whole situation? I am terrified of these things and I’ve never even seen one.

Thanks!

-Shari

dalila::

Don’t know if this works for bed bug bites. It seems to help when I get cat flea bites. Hydrogen peroxide applied to a piece of tissue and left on the bite for a few minutes. (Hydrogen peroxide helps break down the protein left behind in some insect bites).
Worth a try.
Completely freaked out. I’ll never sleep in a hotel or motel again.
Dalila

Vivian Wilson::

Hi:

After some investigation I found out that I have bedbugs. A person that has a pest control business for 30 years came to my apartment and said that I don’t have them, but the very same night he said that I found a bedbug in my bed that bet me all over. Obviously he doesn’t know very much about these insects, and has still a lot to learn.

In the past I have dealt with head lice, and most of the shampoos that are sold at the pharmacies do not work. I also dealt with mice and the pest control came to my house and started to put traps for them. I told them that I didn’t think that was the solution. At the end it was me who found the solution to the problem. As you can see I don’t have all this people in high esteem.

An exterminator for bedbugs charges a lot of money. If I am going to pay all these money I would like to be sure I am not going to have the bugs anymore.

Any suggestions? I appreciate your help
Vivian

Morgan::

I Need to know whether I have bed bugs or not. I notice things crawling on me when I woke up twice and thought it was small beetle. Thought nothing of it. Then I saw something black on the ceiling. It was was about 10 of them in the corner grouped together.

I do not notice any bites on my body. However, I am terrified of bugs so I am not sure what to do. They look similar but are more blackish and aren’t flat looking. They are about the same size though. Can you please help me? Thanks!!

Valerie W::

Hi Jim,

I hope you have time to review these pictures and (hopefully) put my mind at ease.

Picture of bed bug bites on Valerie

I am praying that I have mosquito bites… spider bites… anything other than bed bug bites. I recently quit a job working at a shelter for the homeless because of their infestation. There were bedbugs scurrying up the walls, the mats, the people. I tried to be so careful – visual inspections, stripping off my uniform at the front door, showering immediately when I got home…But yesterday I woke up with bites, and now I’m absolutely panicking.

I can’t see any bugs. I’ve stripped and flipped the mattress and box and I don’t see any signs (bodies, poop, blood stains). The bites are just on my hands (which are usually outside the covers), and my partner wasn’t affected at all.

The bites are red and puffy. If I pull the skin taut, the skin appears yellow and there is a small, flat bump, the size of a pin head in the center. They are crazy itchy and the itch is radiating out along my arms and hands – not limited to the actual bite site. I’ve been putting hydro cortisone cream on them and taking oral benadryl, but it’s having next to no affect on the itch. The ones on my wrists are especially torturous.

I cried myself to sleep last night. I made my partner sleep at a friend’s house. I can’t focus for the itching.

Please, if you can take a look and let me know, from your experience, if the bites look more like Anything else.

I’d appreciate any feedback!
Thanks,
Valerie

Hi Valerie,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you – I do this on my spare time…

They don’t look like bed bug bites and do in fact look like mosquito bites. I’ve posted your pictures so that others can chime in, but I’m guessing they have not reoccurred, right?

Let me know what is happening and I’ll make sure to post it.

Best regards,

Jim

Jim, thank you so much for easing my mind!

I spoke to a nurse/friend and she immediately thought they were spider bites. The itch and inflammation have gone down but the bump in the middle is still there and the surrounding area remains red.

Whatever it was, there have been no return visitors – thank heavens! I can’t imagine why they only went after my hands, but who cares, as long as they’re gone!

Thank you again for your wonderful site and personal reply, it really kept me from freaking out completely!

Gratefully,
Valerie

Cierra::

My husband woke up yesterday with his chest broke out in what we figured was an allergic reaction… Today, my face AND chest were broke out with the same thing. Both of ours went away in about 2 to 3 hours. What is this?, bed bugs ???

Jim::

Hi Shawn,

The red marks are right on your hair follicles, correct?

They could very well be bed bugs, but if that is the case, a good review of your room should reveal them (check out my bedbug checklist for details on where to look, etc).

Fleas can do this as well, but usually bite the legs, not the stomach and sides like you mentioned.

Chiggers which are microscopic (usually from being outside in the grass, etc), can leave these marks, but they usually occur under tight clothing, such as socks, etc.

There are also hair follicle mites, but these are considered harmless (and microscopic).

I’d check the room out real good for signs of bed bugs before considering something else.

Let us know what is happening and what you find out!

Thanks,

Jim

Shawn M::

Photos of bed bug bites on Shawn

Ok, my roommate and I both started getting bug bites two nights ago, I have a lot more than he does though.

My bites are on both of my ankles, side, stomach, arm and hand.

I have included some photos of the bed bug bites where you can see very large patches of bites.

I worried about this and will try some of the suggestions you offer.

Jh::

Both of my daughters 4 and 3 have bites on the back of their neck and shoulders the bite starts out a dark red small circle and then gets swollen and larger. The color changes too it goes from dark red to light pink – I also noticed dried blood around the bite – small dark scab like balls of blood. Is it bed bugs or something else?

I haven’t found any bugs or fecal matter (as discussed in some of the comments) I did find a few spiders but got rid of them and the bites still appear. The bites are only on their neck and shoulder area and in their hairline where the hair meets the back of the neck – What is this??

Chris::

A lot of the pictures that I see here are definitely not from bedbugs, but from the Triangulate cobweb spider: Steatoda triangulosa.

More information can be found here: uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/steatoda.html

“This small household spider is easily overlooked as it weaves cobwebs in the dark corners of houses, basements, and outbuildings. The body is only about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long.

In North America it is widespread and abundant locally in and on houses.”

And sometimes they appear to come out of nowhere, suspended from irregular webs, the Triangulate cobweb spider and wait for unsuspecting prey.

“It has been known to prey on many kinds of arthropods, including ants, spiders (including the brown recluse), ticks, and pillbugs (Guarisco 1991).”

They also eat bedbugs. If there are bedbugs and you’re in North America, there are probably a lot of triangulate web spiders around. We had a massive infestation (think: the film Arachnaphobia) when we actually did bring bedbugs into our home after staying at a hotel. We also had an ant problem around the house.

Once the ants and bedbugs disappeared, we became their food.

These are very easily overlooked because some are nearly transparent. What may seem like a floating piece of dust is probably one of them. We found numerous ones that were barely the size of a pinhead.

I don’t know how often this site frequented, but I hope this saves some of you the discomfort my wife experienced. The people at the ER asserted they were not bug bites and it was not typical of bed bugs to bite in the manner in which they had. Some people are not allergic at all – others, well, you can see in the photos above – most certainly are.

If you walk out into your front yard in the morning (especially New England) and see what looks to be a ‘tent’ on the lawn, you are, in all likelihood, looking at a triangulate cobweb spider’s web. Check after rains or a nice morning dew.

Common flea/tick/spider sprays will take care of this – I forget the name of the particular chemical, but child-safe and pet-safe sprays do not contain it.

J. Tasaki::

I have been reading all these articles trying to diagnose myself because I went to the doctor on Wednesday and my doctor told me that “they look like flea bites” because a few of the bumps are aligned in a row. I explained that I’ve never had this problem before and I don’t have any pets. I’ve been living in my apartment for 3 years now and never experienced anything like this.

Images of Jonisha's bedbug bites

At first I thought it was an allergic reaction but I haven’t changed soap, detergent, or eaten anything different. So then I told the doctor that I had just gotten back from a weekend in Corpus Christi and we (my boyfriend and I) stayed in a hotel. The doctor insisted that It was fleas and sent me home saying that I should get a antihistamine for the itching.

I’ve been using bendryl anti-itch cream as well as aveeno hydrocortisone. it helps temporarily but i really want to know how long do the bites itch. And after researching information on bed bugs, fleas, and other insect bites, I’m sure i have bed bug bites. When we were at the hotel I remember seeing dark reddish-brown stains on the sheets and we thought it was blood and got the hotel to change our sheets..I never saw any bed bugs though… now I know….

oh and I forgot to describe the bites as shown above. Mostly red, swollen itch a lot, when i scratch too much little brown dots appear in the center of the bite. they are on my arms, shoulder, back of my neck, near my armpit, hands, scatted along my legs, a few on my buttocks, and a few on my feet.

and strangely my boyfriend only got like 3 bites and they are all over me…I’ve checked my apt to make sure we didn’t transport any back with us to Houston…

Katie::

Hello~

I recently just moved into an apartment complex about three months ago, and hadn’t had any problems, except with German Cockroaches, but I got rid of those….

The problems just started recently- after we adopted our two cats from Pet Smart.

I talked to my neighbor, who knew the tenants before us, an elderly lady, and she used to complain of bites…and moved out early because of them.

I figured it could be just the cats- having mites or something, but we had bathed them in a flea, tick, and lice shampoo….I figured it would kill the mites or whatever has been biting my boyfriend.

My Boyfriend has now over thirty bites all over him, mainly on his back, arm, and neck.

The Bites start out small and slightly raised, until irritated, they are almost flat, they are sore to touch lightly, and then as the day goes on, they begin to itch.

The bites I have seen on this website have been confusing me- the bites he has looks like mites, and bedbugs.

I have one bite on each hands- and some of you have mentioned not getting bit as much as the other.

When I thought we had mites, I took the bed spread off, washed everything, vacuumed our mattress, inspected for bed bugs, and sprayed everything, and I mean EVERYTHING off with Lysol.

I don’t know if it’s possible for me to have them, because I have seen them at my friends house, but that was MONTHS ago- and in which, I flipped, left, took ALL my laundry and bed spreads, and washed them ALL.

I’m a bit of a clean freak, so when the scaring of possible bed bug infestation is there, it’s freaking me out, I can’t sleep on the floor or any where’s else….

It just seems like they came out of nowhere, almost as soon as my cats came home to us…but they don’t have mites…

Help me please- I’m scared out of my mind, I can’t sleep, and I am scared for my boyfriend, he’s being eaten alive.

I just want peace of mind…I have yet to see a bedbug, but I am terrified to look again…. If I have bed bugs, this would mean I have to break the lease and move some wheres else, and the leasing office could care less….

Help! Help!

ash::

I hate bedbugs and have dealt with them on a few occasions. No amount of cleaning or sanitizing will get rid of them. It’s a long and tedious process. You will need to either call an exterminator to help rid them of your home, or try over the counter stuff such as raid etc.

I took the over the counter approach, and it seemed to work but as I said above, it’s a lot of work and takes awhile. Any over the counter product you buy for the treatment of bedbugs or fleas etc is generally not safe to inhale. So once you use it you should avoid the sprayed area for at least 8 hrs, this means pets too!!!

Spray baseboards, bed frames beds couched any wooden furniture basically spray everything. Pay special attention to base boards as well as sitting and sleeping areas and furniture.

I would suggest taking all linens and stuffed toys pillows, dog beds, anything like that ANYTHING. out first. I put all of mine in black garbage bags and took them to the laundry mat. Wash them all and dry them all on high heat. Anything that can not be washed should be sealed in a garbage bag free of holes tightly for a long while, or if possible thrown it out.

Its not recommended to spray eating areas such as the kitchen most times bed bugs will not be found in these locations. Also when using your own approach, its safer to keep the spray you choose to use away from your food/ and food areas.

Bed bugs from my experience don’t always have to be in the bed for you to have them. I did not get bit myself nor did my husband, my 18 month old however did. And she sleep in her crib in the same room as my husband and I. She broke out in a huge rash, blotchiness everywhere with a few white welt looking bites. She clearly had a reaction to them. We found nothing in her crib, or her crib mattress. We did find the little suckers in the baseboards and surrounding area.

When you find even one bed bug in your home, I would suggest treating all rooms (with the exception of the kitchen) they are spread easily. Pets can carry them, from room to room, kids can also carry them on there clothes as well as you from room to room.

If you have children. you should take all toys out of the room before its treated. You dont want harmful chemical on your children’s toys which he/she will touch and and come in contact with.

It could be much easier to call a professional to do this, but it is A LOT more expensive. You can get rid of them yourself if you stick to it and have the patience. This was my approach and it worked well for me, it may not be what everyone chooses to do. But good luck to all in getting rid of these pesky suckers :)

Colin::

I recently have been getting bites when sleeping. I don’t know if they are bed bugs or fleas. I have only gotten the bites on ankles and feet which I’ve read mean fleas.

I have seen no evidence of bed bugs after tearing my room apart. I do not have a dog or animal that would harbor fleas. I am confused. My bites are nowhere near as bad as some of these pictures but they do itch.

I only get maybe 2 at a time maybe once a week. This has been going on a month now.

Any suggestions?

Donna::

I’ve been suffering from what I think are bed bug bites for about a month. What concerns me however, is that no one else is getting bit! My husband doesn’t have one bite, and our three year old climbs into bed with us often and again not one bite. Does that sound right to anyone?

I’ve not seen one bug. But I did go out of town and didn’t get one new bite, came home and the first night 15 and 2 to 8 every night since. I’ve tried washing in high heat etc. I’m about ready to throw the whole bedroom set away and start fresh.

Sean::

I think I may have bed bugs, but if I wasn’t the only one in my bed, could I be the only one they want to bite?

Marci::

One day in the middle of the day my daughter told me she had bites on her leg that were itchy. She had a few little bites behind her knee. Being she had allergic reactions to all bug bites i just put some cream on it and left it alone.

Marci's belly bitten by bed bugs

A few days later they spread. She went to school and came home with more bites.. And a fever. I took her to the hospital thinking chicken pox. Well it’s not that. she was put on an antibiotic and given benedryl. The bites went away for about a week. Then she wakes up with about 7 and on her lower belly and very swollen, see picture below.

Again back to the hospital. This time Childrens hospital. They said it doesn’t look like classic bed bug bites. they went away for another week and now this morning at 5:30am she wakes up with more. Belly, Back, and side.

I’ve checked my bed, her bed the couch and everything.. behind posters behind my head board, behind hers, the framing pulled creases in mattresses.. I SEE NOTHING.. i check every night before i go to bed.. I have no bites.. My mother has no bites.. just my daughter.

This has been going on, off and on now for about a month.. It’s driving me crazy.. Any suggestions???? will they only bite one person? where else should i look for signs??? after a month shouldn’t i see some signs??? HELP!!!! thanks..

ASHLEY::

I have been fighting with bed bugs for a while. i currently had to move out of my apartment because they were making nests in the corners of the walls. i got a new bed and still notice i get bit at night. please help, what can i do to get rid of them?

Brenda::

I would like to know if you stayed in a hotel and brought bedbugs home, how long before you would see signs of them in your bed? I am not sure whether I am having a reaction to a lotion that I have been using for 2 weeks or I am being bitten by bed bugs.

If I was bitten by bed bugs, can the bites show up 4 – 5 days later? Is it possible to have been bitten in the hotel but not bring them home with us? I have checked my bed and the futon in my spare room and found nothing. We even have to mattress toppers and I found not evidence of bed bugs, it has been two weeks since I was at that hotel.

I first noticed just 2 areas (my thigh and forearm) and since then I have more but they are all on extremities.

Please help!! I am very concerned.

Karen::

Hello Venessa,

Don’t wait on your child, get it checked out!

Karen

Vanessa::

My 11-month-old son got bit by a couple mosquitoes yesterday on his head and legs. Its been about 30 hours and now there is lumps that are quarter sized around and off his body by about 1cm. They are leaking clear fluid also.

I myself have bad bug allergies too but nothing like this has ever happened to me… Do you think its just an allergic reaction to them or should i get that checked out?

Thank you,

Vanessa

Shaun::

Hello,

I am not sure if these are bedbug bites, but I’m not gonna take that risk. There is about 7-8 bites on my back, and 3 on my right leg. For the past two nights I have felt very itchy. I recently showed my mother them, and she had said they look like welts, so I assumed they might have been bug bites. None else in my family has them. They do not seem to have been long since I only started getting bitten a few days ago.

Is there any way to get rid of them, and treat the bites that I have received so far? If so, I’d love to hear.

Thanks,
Shaun.

Julie::

I was at church sitting on a chair (which has material, cloth, etc) when something bit me on my lower right leg, mid calf in front . It started itching a little later. I went home and woke up with about a dozen all over me.

Three in a row on my front leg, about 5 on my right hand, 1 on my left hand, 2 up near my collar bone and 2 on my upper left arm in back. They itch and have a pimple in the middle and have bumps around the pimple, like when you get goose bumps.

They are red and the size of a nickle now. I have taken benadryl for 24 hrs and have a cough somewhat too now. Could they have been in the carpet at our church? That is where i got bit, i know it.

How i got more i don’t know? It must have gotten on my hand when i scratched my leg cause there are bites on my hands, then my collar bone and left arm next. I’ll wait to see if more come.

How can i find out if they are bed bugs or spider or flee bites ?

jessica ulloa::

actually I have a question, Can you get Staph Disease from Bedbugs?

Bev::

I had small red leg bites after sleeping in a hotel room. But it turned out to be flea bites rather than bed bugs. The hotel owner’s son & his dog had stayed in the same room the night before.

Mary::

Hi,
I’m wondering if I may have bed bugs. I found three little raised bites in a row on my stomach. They have been itching for a few days. I checked underneath and around my mattress, sheets, etc., and have found no signs of any bugs, eggs, spots, or anything unusual. I am also not even sure if I got these bites at night. One thing I have noticed, though, is that they have been getting itchier as time goes by. I have not traveled anywhere recently. Does it sound like I have bed bugs (I really hope not)? What else could they be?

Chris::

Jersey City

Hello,

On Monday October 20th, 2008, new tenants in this condominium building, next door to me, made a complaint with the receptionist about bed bugs in their apartment. The receptionist informed the building’s superintendent. The superintendent told the tenants to contact an extermination company on their own which does not follow the building’s protocol for such a situation. There are a number of different versions regarding what was done to help them with their situation, from the superintendent, the property management company and the condo board president. Ultimately, nothing was done.

They followed up again with the superintendent in mid November and again in December and once again got the runaround. The superintendent telling the tenants to call the management company, the management company telling them to speak with the superintendent. Once again, the problem was allowed to continue unchecked. Keep in mind that no other tenants, be they renters or owners, was ever made aware of what was going on until it was too late.

On Saturday morning, February 14th, I awoke to find 2 bugs. 1 on my bed and 1 on my pillow case. I took a photo of the larger bug, searched the internet for pictures of bed bugs and confirmed that this is what I had found. I informed the super that morning of the situation. He asked me which apartment I lived in. After I told him my apartment number, he looked at me and said “I know where they are coming from”.

After speaking with the condo board president, the superintendent told me I would have to wait until Monday for treatment as the exterminators were closed for the weekend. After scheduling an appointment with my own choice of extermination companies and informing the superintendent, I was told to “cancel my guys” the in house exterminators would do an emergency treatment the following morning (all this occurring while I had visible welts on my neck). The exterminator arrived Sunday morning to do an emergency treatment. He confirmed that source of the infestation was my new neighbors. The condo board president also appeared at my door that morning and said, “First of all we are very sorry that this has happened but we are only coordinating this for you because you have been effected by this situation. We were not responsible for doing anything until a neighbor has been effected”.

There are many, many details I have not included here. I do have a very detailed time line of all events since the tenants 1st complaint in October. I have time/date stamped photos of the bugs as well as dead specimens. My apartment has been exterminated 3 times yet I have seen 2 live bugs since my last treatment. I have since hired an extermination at my own cost ($535) for a single treatment.

The reason I decided to write to you is that the condominium board has decided to charge the exterminations separately to each effected apartment, which also includes another apartment which I share a common wall with (she was forced to do the extermination even though she has not seen a bed bug and a preventative treatment was all she needed do do). The superintendent, the management company, the receptionist (and likely the condo board president) where all aware of the situation back in October and allowed it go unchecked for 4 months. Is this a violation of my civil rights?

Also, I have been unemployed since July, 2008. I am barely able to make my mortgage payments and I certainly don’t have any extra money to pay for a series of extermination treatments that, if handled in a timely and professional manor, should not have been necessary in 1st place. The management company president, told my neighbor and I, separately, that we would not be charged for these services. The condo board has since changed that to bill each apartment separately.

Thank you for reading,

Chris

danielle::

I woke up last Thursday morning with what seemed like a itchy rash on my left inner thigh. It itched a bit first and after a day it started to get sore, I guess from my thighs rubbing against it. It has now been 4 days and it hasn’t gone away but it has starting to scab with a black spot on it… my symptoms sound like those of some of the other people here… except my I’m really sore…. could i have bed bugs… i haven’t checked but i will tonight if it is bed bugs, what can i do?

gallo::

if you think you have bed bugs inspect you boxspring then use cooking oil or baby oil and applied to the legs, wheels of the headboard and footboard, as well on the bed frame legs. this will help you to sleep good

lawrence jacobs::

Hi there, every morning i wake up with this tiny insects on my body that looks like a spider and they really stick to my body the only way i can remove them is with my nails they leave a small red dot can you please advise? Next time i will take a picture

regards

Chris::

Hi,

I’m fairly sure that I have bed bugs (I’m staying in a hostel), but am a bit unwilling to tell them that they have bed bugs until I’m sure. Is there anyway that they will appear on an unslept bed between 3-4am? i.e. Were I not to sleep on the bed and come in at 4am, would I be able to see them?

Hi Chris,

They are attracted to the Carbon Dioxide your body emits; this is how one person can be bitten all over while the other is hardly bitten (or not at all) when sleeping together in the same bed.

Have you looked at my bedbug checklist (located at the top of this page) for signs of bed bugs in the hotel room?

By the way – if you like, I can check to see if there are any complaints against the hotel for you, I just need the name and location of the hotel. Just leave a comment here and I’ll check the hotel.

Note: To cut down on junk, all comments are moderated (they won’t appear on the site unless I approve them), so if you don’t want me to approve something on the site (like the name of the hotel), then let me know in the comment and I’ll make sure It doesn’t appear – BUT, if they do have a history of bed bugs, people should be made aware of that!

Best regards,

Jim

Wyda::

Hi,

I need help please. I move to this house 6 months ago. Since them I been bitten 7 times. The bite is always red, but it only itches for a day after that it hurts.

I went to the doctor twice and the doctor tells me that it looks like a spider bite. However, no one else at home its affected. The bumps are big, sometimes they have a white heads, but in other cases they do not. They seem to be black on the top.

Antibiotic makes it better, however they leave a mark. I looked around my bed, however, I do not see anything.

PLEASE HELP!!!!

tony perez::

I have had ‘something’ here for quite sometime. I feel like I am always itching. I get these ‘things on my skin, many times you can barely see them. All of a sudden I will go right to it on my body, could be anywhere, though more often I find them on my arms legs and on the back of my neck.

They appear to be a little ‘scab’. Looks just like a light brown scab. Scabs don’t usually just appear. Maybe after an insect bite or a scrape, you bleed a bit then then it scabs up; these are scab like… I have to dig my fingernail underneath it to remove them! After I remove them there seems to be a bit of a hole in my skin where this thing has obviously been sucking my blood!

This ‘thing’ is usually flat and does not look like like it’s full of blood by no means!…. and even more disgusting this thing has very obvious white/ clear ‘prongs’ that look like ‘roots that are embedded into my skin which is why they are so hard to pull off of me! I have been to the doctor several times. The doctor insists they are not bugs or parasites! She says I have folliculitis… which as far as I know is no different than any other type of ‘allergy’!

I have one in particular on my upper neck/ right above my hairline in the back. I can’t get rid of it. I swear I’ll leave it alone and expect for it to just go way… and it doesn’t so I start fooling with it.

Eventually I get to the point where I pick (pull, pry, dig) it off of me! There is a bit of a whole there that bleeds a little and then about a day or two later, it’s back again in the same exact place.

I seem to also find these ‘no mistake’ eggs on my skin as well!. I would like to say I have actually never actually seen a ‘bed bug on me! But I think just the other day for the first time I have!!!

I thought it was an ant, but it looked different. And was nowhere as easy to swish and kill like an ant. I am embarrassed to save these things and take them into a doctors office with me. The doctor I have seen was actually supposed to be a skin ‘specialist. I can’t imagine a skin specialist not recognizing the slightest case/ of bed bugs.

Though I’d swear I have bed bugs after seeing these pictures on your site, I have never had these big red blotches that looks like everyone else here has and I have yet to see a photo of what these ‘tentacle’ root’ like prongs look like in a photo. PLEASE HELP!

I once thought maybe I had scabies only because a girl I worked with had scabies. Although the doctor ruled out that I did not have scabies, she prescribed the ‘soap’ that is used for treating scabies. I think i never used it. Will this ‘soap’ kill bed bugs on my body?

Hello Tony,

Wow, it does sound like something other than folliculitis. For those that don’t know what this is, it’s a condition where the hair follicles become infected. In the severe cases, scars and loss of hair can occur. It appears as a small white head, itches and usually clears up within a few days.

From what you describe Tony, these are not white heads and scabbing up that fast seems odd, especially the white/ clear ‘prongs’ that look like roots!

Can you take a picture of this? Let’s get this up on the web so that others can help identify it. It sounds very interesting and I would love to see an image!

Thanks!

Jim

lkh::

Hi, any help would be so appreciated as to what type of bite it likely is and how to address issue. So scared to sleep at moment. The bites I have are shown below, from Wednesday to Friday which is also similar to hobo bites I saw online.

Bug bites on Lanah's hand

A week after moving in to our fancy new Vancouver place in early Feb I had a bite one bite on my arm and the next day one on my wrist. Both welted up huge radius with a central blister that eventually oozed, scabbed and scared by 3rd week. Pretty bad. Then, a month of no bites and now a set of 4 on my hand so bad this time with 4 in one spot my whole hand swelled up and had to go to expensive clinic. It is important to note I have ALWAYS had a crazy immune response to even just mosquito.

They presented as just an unnoticeable itch Monday, then Tuesday swelled up and itched so much by Wednesday I went to the doctor as I thought I saw a red streak up arm and was sure it was a spider bite.

At first the doctor said it was a hand infection and that I MUST start clindamycin ASAP or risk needing IV drugs. So, I went home in tears (b/c of issues for other condition i have) and started antibiotic (took 3 doses) but read more online about issues it had for my other condition and really doubted and infection so I saw another doctor on Thursday who said it was totally a histamine reaction to a bite – total opposite of first Doctor! She said it was histamine only and to stop the antibiotic and antihistamine which immediately helped swelling go down and now swelling almost gone except for four clear blisters surrounded by red remains, but thank God the horrendous itching is gone. I Am putting neosporin on it now.

Originally, I was sure it was a spider as I thought bed bug bites were always tiny, but as I react so badly to mosquito bites, I now am wondering. I found this site with a pic of someone who overreacted to the bed bug bites and it looks just like my 4 bites on my hand Reaction to bed bug bites and note that Vancouver now has an epidemic of bed bugs even in the fanciest of places – ugh. I am just terrified of getting more than a few bites as my system could shut down after seeing what 4 did!

After looking online I went back in room and noticed brown paint like drops on our baseboard heater I remember noticing when we moved in. After reading, it looks like it could be bed bug excrement. I then found it on a bag my boyfriend had under the bed. Then, found some blood under covers so am thinking bed bugs (ugh!) but would love anyone’s advice. Also, my boyfriend had 2 little red marks on his chest today which look like normal bed bug bites.

I called a thermal exterminator and a regular one but am worried about chemicals and cost but currently scared to sleep in own bed! I’ll keep you posted on what I find out!

Update:
After 2 inspections – the first one said 99% sure no bed bugs because everything is new and no signs at all, then, the second guy came few hours later and guess what – one ran across the mattress! Long story short, our condo strata (although we just moved in 2 months ago as renters) is going to pay for a few units as they found out our neighbors were getting bites for a while but didn’t know what it was. If only people knew so they could stop it earlier! Seems like every condo/rental unit should be informed and make their tenants aware of how to identify the bug, prevent them from spreading and who to inform should one be found.

I think it is important, very important for people and Doctors to know that these bites can be very, very serious. The first doctor didn’t even think it was a bite but wanted me on IV antibiotics which would have caused more harm than good.

My bites fortunately responded to benadryl and are healing faster than the first ones which I attribute to my super healthy diet, Vitamin B, C and Olive Leaf (natural antibiotic) this month are helping.

Why the health departments and cities seem to be not taking this seriously I can’t fathom;
A) it carries blood and other pathogens
B) a few can cause a serious allergic reaction
C) I hypothesize zillions of people are in costly hospital being treated for staph and MRSA only to have bedbug bites and likely respond to Benaydryl unless they pop them which I strongly suggest against.

I have no doubt if I had 100 bites like in some of the pics I would surely be in hospital on IV antibiotics for staph that would only make MRSA resistance worse because wrong diagnosis.

I just wonder how many doctors misdiagnose people and how many people have no idea a bed bug could do this if you are sensitive. Guess I am one of the ‘hypersensitive’ like the article link which looked just like my bites. So thankfully we saw one and are pursuing it urgently. And, I am going to inform the incorrect doctor about it when I am fully healed (It will take a few weeks for everything to disappear).

Thanks a lot and here is hoping the issue is sorted soon – they are deciding on pesticide versus the thermal so fingers crossed. If anyone has advice for getting through these treatments that would be good to know, hope to find out today about which one. I am hoping the thermal as it sounds safer for humans and deadlier for bugs and less hassle of personal items. Here is hoping no more bites and i hope this post helps someone.

Rose::

HELP! My boyfriend and I moved into this apartment six months ago. Landlord & realtor did not tell us that the previous tenants had moved out due to bedbug fumigation until the DAY WE WERE MOVING IN. If we had known – we never would have signed the lease!

My boyfriend has been getting mysterious bites for the last month or so – I had not gotten any. Tonight we found a bedbug crawling on our sheets. I looked it up online and it was a perfect match. We caught it in a tupperware container to show to the landlord. I also noticed a few bites on my back for the first time tonight. I am absolutely horrified. I want nothing more than to just LEAVE this disgusting place.

What are the first steps we should take??? I’m obviously going to be calling the landlord tomorrow – but there’s no way we want to stay here while they bomb this place out with chemicals….especially if there’s a chance they will return, which there obviously is.

We want to be out of here by tomorrow night (going to stay with relatives..) but how do i make sure we don’t bring them with us????

Please help – it’s 3am and i can’t sleep…I’m having panic attacks just thinking about this mess.

Hi Rose,

You need to make sure the items you take do not have bedbugs and the best way to do this is wash all your cloths with HOT water, DRY them on high (depends on the fabric, you don’t want to shrink everything…) and stick them right into plastic containers. If you are bringing material other than cloths, you’ll want to make sure they are clean as well – check out the bed bug treatment section of this site for details on how to do everything.

As for your Landlord / realtor, that was NOT fair! Visit LawRefs.com (a free online legal service) and ask them what rights you have; They should be covering the cost of all expenses!

Please let us know how it turns out for you!

Best regards,

Jim

Tina::

Why is it that the bedbugs are only biting my toddler and not myself or husband?
I have searched my beds from top to bottom several times have found nothing.

Thank goodness for this site because I now know that they are in the play room where my son plays and that may be why we aren’t getting bit. My question is will they stay in one spot or will my whole house become infested?

Hi Tina:
As the bed bugs multiply and grow in number, they will seek out food (that being us humans) and more often than not, you will unknowingly transport them from room to room. Best to act right now and don’t wait! Check out the bed bug treatment section of this site to find out what you need to do.

ruth::

We’re having the same problem on the apartment we’re staying now… few months ago I and my husband discovered that every night is like an itchy game for us. we didn’t sleep well. we thought it’s because the room is 24 hours AC and the dust didn’t go outside.

Then we notice that something is crawling on our legs & arms but when we check it, we didn’t find anything. Until the time came we’re suffering on those bites, we checked the mattress and bed sheet and we found out that there are lots of insects. i thought they are only cockroach so i didn’t panic on that time. i just catch them with tissue on my hand then kill them. i notice that their body is full of blood. so i was thinking that maybe that blood is from us. so i tell that to my husband that that’s not an ordinary cockroach because they sip blood so when he examined the dead insect, he found out that it is the bed bug! that’s why i felt so scared and very conscious. i don’t want to sleep on that bed anymore.

We slept on the other vacant room for awhile and we didn’t experience those itch. we decided to move on that new room. then the bed sheet was full of bed bugs was sent to the laundry service. hoping that all of them will disappear when they washed up. we used the bed sheet from laundry service then after 1 month here we go again, bed bug bites. Every night is an itchy game. We just ignore and didn’t try to look for bugs yet because we’re afraid to accept that fact that we also have bed bugs in our new room.

Then 1 day when i woke up, after taking a bath and putting some lotion on my arms and body, i noticed lots and lots of bed bug bites on my arms and few on my body. i was so afraid and very worryed. i showed them to my husband. he also has the same bites on his body but the reaction on my skin is very obvious. that’s why, we examine the mattress and bed sheet then i feel hopeless when we found so many bed bugs. they are worst than before! we have tossed the sheet and mattress and bought new. so i discovered that bed bugs didn’t disappear even you will wash the bed sheet.

until now we have lots of bed bugs in our bed. and i don’t know what insecticide i will spray. i just catch them one by one. i’m so tired. bed bugs is really a pest and the #1 problem in your house when you have it. I’m hoping that they will disappear if i will use insecticide everyday. any suggestions that are good for bed bugs? hope you’ll gonna help me on this.

– ruth

Tuya::

Hi,

Just a few weeks ago I started to get bitten by something when I woke up morning. At first I thought it was mosquito. But day after day i was getting up with bites regularly. Take a look at the picture below to see my bed bug bites.

Picture of bed bug bites on Tuya's shoulder

Those were too many for mosquito. My neighbor said that it would be bedbugs and I sprayed one pesticide around my bed. It didn’t work.

Then I changed my room with my brother, and he sleeps in my old room, but nothing bites him. I was sleeping without any bites for week. Last night, he came into my room and said he woke up by pain of byte. Then he decided to sleep on the floor of my room with his big blanket. But I think his blanket brought those bugs into my new clear room and i am now being bitten.

We are moving to new apartment and only thing I wanna ask is do I have to keep those bed which is infected? Or we only throw them away?

Joy::

Jim,

Yesterday I woke up with an odd shaped red welt on my wrist, see image below.

Image of bedbug bite on Joy's wrist

I thought at first that I had gotten into something at work the day before because I work with a lot of chemicals. I talked with a nurse and she said to put hydrocortisone cream on it and now that some of the inflammation has gone down it looks very much like the pictures of bedbug bites.

I searched the bed last night and found one little corps, but it is so small it is hard to tell if it is a bedbug or not and all of it’s little legs where broken off, see the picture below.

It is starting to sound like it though from all I read. It had a hard black speck attached to it’s rear-end (maybe blood or guts that got squished out when it died?) Anyway – I’m starting to freak out a little – I really don’t want to have bedbugs. It appears that I have about 8 separate bites. Could that all be from one bug in one night or would that indicate an 8 bug party on my tab?

Bed Bugs found in Joy's bed

I can’t figure out where we would have picked them up from – neither on of us has slept anywhere else in months. Anyway if we have the little buggers… I was wondering how effective a Rainbow vacuum would be? Since everything is sucked into water and then dumped outside. I’ve seen information about freezing them out and heating them out, but will they drown easily? Also what about the ‘over the counter’ bug bombs, are those effective? Our mattress was bought new and we haven’t brought used furniture into the house in well over six months.

There has been a fowl odor in our house the last couple of weeks – like something decomposing, not sweet, but pungent. It was strongest in the kitchen and bathroom (on opposite ends of the house) and hardly noticeable in the bedroom in between. Could that be another sign of bedbugs? Sorry if I’m asking too many questions, but this has me worried. Thanks for all your help.

Joy

maggie::

Hi, its Maggie again. To my surprise two days ago i finally spotted those bed bugs, my son was sleeping and around 12am went to look and finally spotted two running, I was horrified!

This morning, I spotted another bug on my older son’s bed. It seems like the whole room is infected and I have no clue what to do?

I’ll try some of the stuff I’ve read about to see what happens. I want to call a pest control but then again i don’t know if it’s such a good idea. I also need something to get rid of these marks. The kids legs and arms looks horrible and as for the itching, if anybody out there knows of any remedies that will stop the itching from these bedbug bites, please let me know. Thank you.

Frank::

Hi, I live in New York City and apparently we’re undergoing a swarm of bedbugs returning or something. Anyway, I found a bedbug around November and we had an exterminator come by and spray the place. I got a new mattress and everything seemed fine for a while. But just the other day I was looking around my ankles and I saw what I had noticed back when I first thought we had bed bugs.

They were four very small red dots in a line. I had gotten a few of them on my legs when I first noticed the bedbug, but to be honest, I was never sure if they were bedbug bites since they aren’t welts and it doesn’t really itch at all. I’m worried because I know we can’t afford another spraying so I don’t know what we’d do if this turns out to be bed bugs again. They only just started appearing again.

Thank you for your time.

karen::

It could be that I’m allergic to bed bugs. I’m so itchy! Tiny little red dots, I itch until they bleed and then they scab and I cant stop itching them even though I know this makes it worse. They’re all over my legs and arms, chest and right around my hips. I’m losing my mind trying to figure it out.

Jim::

Hi Glen,

That is extreme and I’ve seen this before on BadSpiderBites.com – the red line is NOT a good sign and you should see a doctor. This usually indicates an infection and comes with warmth. I’m not a doctor and you should rely on my advice, but if it were me, I’d go in asap.

If you look at similar pictures and read their associated stories on BadSpiderBites.com, the doctors almost always tell the patient they are lucky they went in, and, it’s usually a spider bite.

Don’t take any chances Glen, get it checked out and please, let us know how it turned out, will you?

Best regards,

Jim

Glen::

Bedbug bite with red line going up Glens arm

Hi, I’m positive these are two bedbug bites as i woke up while it was light out and my arm looked normal but was itchy, then when i finally got out of bed it started swelling up and the redness appeared to be going down a vein in my arm.

When i got up i found a bug on my bed and it wasn’t moving so i looked up what a bedbug looks like and it was definitely one so i killed it and blood came out.

Anyway, yea I’ve seen a lot of pictures on the internet of bed bug bites but my arm looks like a pretty extreme case, unlike any others I’ve seen so here are some pics.

In the picture above, its my left wrist and it’s swollen to almost double it’s normal size if you cant tell.

Please get back to me asap

LH::

UPDATE:

Well, it has been over a week now. I have washed everything I own, got covers for my mattress and box spring, and my apartment has been treated. So far I have not seen anything else, and no more bites. It took a while to fall asleep the first night back in my bed, but bit by bit it has started to feel like home again.

Although my land lord was not nice about the situation, the Exterminator was wonderful. He took the time to explain to me what he was going to do, and told me that that I prepared well for him by removing and washing all of our clothes and bedding, and pull the furniture out for him. He even treated our storage room which is in the basement of our building. I did not get the opportunity to speak with him after the treatment, but he made me feel a lot better about things.

Just hearing other stories about other places he has seen which have been just crawling made me feel like what I found was very manageable. Right now I feel good, but I hope it does not come back. I do not know if I could do it all again. My exterminator believes it is most likely I got them from a hotel, as we do travel quite a bit. I also spoke to the health inspector who was also very nice and helpful in letting me know the buildings history, and he even offered to follow up with the exterminator before he came to ensure he would check other parts of the building.

All in all my stress has decreased, and I hope this is over. Thanks for all the info and support on this site. I will write back in a few weeks and let you know if the problem has stayed away.

Rebecca::

My elderly neighbor had been heavily infested with bed bugs about a month ago. I had opened my apartment to her and her cat while her place was sprayed. Well I ended up getting bites all over my arms, torso, and groin area. I knew of course that it must of been bedbugs. I did a lot of research online and became obsessive with trying to find where they were hiding but I had no luck.

My landlord had someone come inspect and they found nothing as well. The inspector said that because she couldn’t find anything that it was probably just one possibly two. She said that they will bite several times before they get a good spot. That’s why their bite marks are in lines or clusters. Also that even just one bug can cause your body to be covered in bites within a few nights.

Now if you have one or 2 bugs and notice that you are getting red bites that look anything like mosquito bite, I would do some serious inspecting and immediately wash all of your bedding. One bug once full grown (which takes 4 feedings) lays 5 eggs a day… within 6-8 weeks you have a full blown infestation.

The inspector recommended drying all of my bedding for 15 minutes minimum, which will kill any bed bugs, and investing in bed covers and pillow covers. Even if you haven’t been infested with bed bugs yet, I would personally recommend getting bed bug covers as to avoid ever having to deal with these awful creatures. Bed covers are a little on the expensive side, but more affordable then loosing and having to buy new furniture and pay for professional help to spray them.

Since I dried everything and got the bed bug covers I have not had one single bite. I still, 3 weeks later, have the bites. They have now begun to peel a little and look kind of like ring worm (not very pleasant). I am still looking for something that would help them heal.

I hope that this information has been helpful!!! I wouldn’t wish these things on anyone.

Jim::

Hello LH,

Don’t panic – it does sound like you have a small infestation of bed bugs and you do NOT need to toss everything you have.

Go to your local store and buy a mattress cover that is designed to keep dust mites out. The mattress cover should encase the entire mattress and zip shut.

Also go to your local pet store and ask for Diatomaceous Earth – it’s non toxic and you sprinkle it all around your floor boards, base of your bed, etc. When this stuff gets on the bed bugs, it dehydrates them and they eventually die.

Also, on my treatment section, you’ll find a ton of information on what you should do to control the bed bugs.

Don’t worry – you can get rid of them as long as you are methodical about everything.

The fact that you found a bed bug on the wall in the closet is strange? What time of the day did you find it?

The pest control company should give you some good advice, but do all of us a favor and let us know what they say.

As for you lovely landlord, check with the city to see if there are previous complaints. Also, the pest control company may give you some good information as well – ask them if they have been to your place before :)

Best regards,

Jim.

LH::

Hey everyone, thanks for posting all your stories. I have had bumps for a while, but they have mostly been fairly flat and round like the size of a nickle. I could not usually see a spot in the middle and after seeing several doctors, some saying bites, some saying hives, I have moved on to a Dermatologist who has taken blood for testing.

I have used the steroids and antihistamines , no change. However, 2 days ago, after several months of paranoia, and my partner never getting bit, I found a bug on my newly cleaned (put on the day before) sheets.

At first I found two bed bugs on my sheets, then one on my wall. I have repeatedly checked my mattress over the past few months but never saw the typical signs. I then discovered several larges bed bugs on my padded head board, and 1 on the wall in my closet.

In the past two days I have spent over 100 dollars washing ever bit of clothes I own, and have thrown away my pillows, pillow top, sheets, and comforter set that was on the bed. I am waiting for a exterminator to come in a few days a spray my apartment.

My Land Lord has been an ass, and is sure that no one else in my building has ever had the problem, and that it is in every way my fault. Although I very well could have brought them in for somewhere I have been, it is very difficult to go through. Almost everything in including my bed and sofas were bought brand new when I moved into the apartment almost 2 years ago.

I also have another couple living with me who have not found anything in their room. For the past 2 nights we have been sleeping in the living room, and I am terrified that they are out there everywhere too, even though I have not seen them.

I am a social worker for child protection, and never thought that this pest problem could happen to me. I feel devastated, and worry that nothing will ever be bug free.

I have 100 thoughts a second going through my head; should I move, should I throw away all the things I have worked hard to buy, do I need counseling? I worry I will never be able to sleep again, although I do not want to throw out my fairly new bed. I wonder if I should be steam cleaning while I wait for the pest control, should I spray my bed and rooms.

They contacted a health inspector who said that the pest control should work, and that I should not be spraying my room before they come as I could be sending the bugs running to another area of the house.

I feel like I am going crazy, I don’t know if I should throw up, cry, burn all my things, or if I just wait it through the next week or so things will be ok.

Any extra advice? Should I be wrapping my mattress and box spring until pest control gets there? I was told that my infestation seems to be minor and can be dealt with easily, but I fear like may of you it will come back. Do they normally come back? Do people recommend disposing of my life’s contents?

Help, my insanity is slipping.

jia::

I have tried everything and the bed bugs just don’t seem to finish.

Earlier when a professional sprayed my house i thought they had all gone, but then while i was out i saw one on my bag and on my clothes, and i was so annoyed. so i washed all my clothes and sheets.

The biting started again because the clothes that i hadn’t washed had bed bug eggs on them and they hatched and the biting started all over again.

Then i found out during the summer more of them seem to bite and during winter they only bite when the bed/room is warm.

Every night before going to sleep i cover my self from toe to head making sure my socks cover my pajamas which are tucked in and i wear a muflar hat and gloves all interlocking each other. but then my face would get bitten and i would know when the bed bugs were biting so i would open the light and make sure it was bed bugs – which always were.

I dread going to bed at night because of the bugs and haven’t had a proper night’s sleep for a long time. I even used to make sure the room was boiling hot so i wouldn’t get bitten but then i would not be able to sleep because it was too hot.

One thing i know for sure is bed bugs are attracted towards body heat / respiration because for example if you have a glove and full sleeve shirt on they would be making their way towards my face.

I remember how i got them but at the time didn’t know they sucked blood or that they were even bugs – didn’t know anything about them.

I was having a sleepover at a family friends house and during the night i itched myself really badly and felt like I had massive spots all over my legs and arms, I exposed my legs and arms to see what the matter was and saw massive thick red spots. I thought they were rashes or i was allergic to something. All night i continued to half scratch my self to sleep. In the morning i didn’t want to say anything to anyone because i had know idea what had happened all night. So i phoned my dad to pick me up immediately, he kept on asking me on my reason for wanting to immediately return home, but i didn’t know what to say, as i didn’t know my self.

Ever since then i have had them and found out what exactly they are and that they also live on animals as well. It’s been a nightmare!

Went to Japan::

I was bitten by one of these creatures when I lived in Japan. I taught in a public school, and often saw the bites on the legs of the female students, so I knew bed bugs were around. When it happened to me, ouch! It didn’t itch, it stung, like a wasp sting, with a welt. That must be an allergic reaction.

Charise::

Feb 28th, I have noticed big welt like marks on my back and shoulder. They itch and are red. Could these be bed bug bites?

I’ve included some pictures below…
Bed bug bites on Charise's back and shoulderCharises arm is swollen after bitten by bed bugs

March 6th, Yesterday I noticed 2 more mosquito like itchy red bumps on my forearm. I didn’t scratch them, dabbed Benadryl itch relief on them and tried to forget about it. Today the bumps have turned into raised welt like blisters filled with clear liquid and it’s oozing as you can see from the picture below:

The whole area and lower arm is swollen, red, itchy, stretched tight and hot. It’s like I’m having an allergic reaction to the bites. I’m taking Benadryl to bring down the swelling, continuing to put itch relief on it and I’m about to take an Aveeno oatmeal bath to help also.

I fear this is the same thing that bit me before and gave me those marks in the pictures above (scroll up) I don’t know if I’m infested with bed bugs or not, but clearly these are bites.

All I know is I am “something’s” hot meal at night and this is ruining my life. I’m embarrassed and miserable. I bought mattress and pillow zipper covers, washed and dried everything I own and cleaned my room. The only thing left to do is hire an exterminator or see a dermatologist. I don’t know. Please help!

Victory::

I also stayed at the phoenix crowne plaza the next day I got itchy in the afternoon. Huge welts on my back. Then the spots traveled to my arms. I am going to the doctor today, at first my greatest of all fear shingles but bed bugs sounds more realistic. Thanks for sharing Cindy!

PS, my wedding photos next week are going to look great with all these red dots.

Jim::

Hello Julio,

Half off the room! They should have moved you to another room for free and given you a voucher for another stay free of charge – at the very least!

I did some research and found some very disturbing reviews of this hotel. For example, take a look at trip advisor and you’ll see a number of poor ratings, there is also a comment titled “Dried vomit on Bed” on July 18, 2006 that talks about bugs. Another one titled “Hello Bedbugs” talks about bedbugs under the sheets and pillows.

If I were you, I’d ask Renee over at LawRefs.com what options are available to you. LawRefs is a free (yes, free) legal service.

If you search my site, you’ll see a number of very successful lawsuits against hotels that have a history of bed bugs, especially those that fail to work with you. In one case, a lady won a case on the grounds she was unable to sleep in a hotel from that point forward – too traumatic.

Below will give you an idea of the figures involved in these lawsuits:

$20 million bed bug lawsuit filed by a Chicago woman against Nevele Grand Resort and Country Club in Ellenville, N.Y. She claims she received more than 500 bites when she stayed at the hotel for 3 nights. See usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2006-03-08-bedbugs-catskills_x.htm

In 07, Rose M. Pagley-Brown filed a bedbug lawsuit against Stone Motel in Arkansas. She stated mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation on top of her medical bills.

In 08, An opera singer with claiming more than 150 bedbug bites filed a lawsuit against the Hilton Corporation for $6 million.

The list goes on, from people renting apartments to hotels to even emergency rooms!

If you should ever wake from your stay to find bites over your body, you should not only seek medical attention, but take pictures of everything. Look at our bedbug checklist to locate where the bugs hide, then take pictures. Document everything!

Hotels don’t bring the bed bugs inside, it’s the customers and it can happen to any hotel, no matter how clean they are. As long as they act fast on pest control and have regular inspections, they are doing everything they can.

It’s when a hotel (or other organization) fails to act, has bad reviews and a history of bugs that they open themselves up to legal action.

Julio, please keep us up to date on how your body heals and of your outcome. Feel free to send more pictures and thanks for sharing!

Julio::

Hello,

This is what I believe I got from my stay at La Kiva Hotel in Amarillo, Texas.

Horrible bite marks on arm from bed bugs!

I have them all over my body, in my arms, legs, back, and head, and it got worse the night after, I guess because I scratch a lot, can’t stand the itching you know.

I brought this up to management and they were kind enough to move me to another room at half price.

La Kiva Hotel & Conference Center
2501 E Interstate 40
Amarillo, TX 79104
(806) 379-6555

Julio.

BugsBite::

My roommate got bed bugs once and ever since I’ve used those zipper polyvinyl covers for the mattress and box spring, every now and then I’ll take it off spray down the bed with lysol and then put it right back on, these things aren’t cheap, and they aren’t durable, but they HELP, Steam Vac the carpet, steam vac the bed, and cover it with that mattress cover (mattress and box spring) I went crazy and washed ALL my clothes in hot water (clean or dirty didn’t care) I was not going to have bugs… so GOOD LUCK GUYS!

maggie::

I think i have a similar problem its just that i cant tell what’s eating us like that. we just move to an apartment and in the beginning i didn’t see anything, we went to a furniture store and purchased a brand new bed and mattress for our older son. Three weeks later i see he started itching and bunch of red marks on him. and the little one had his crib that he sleeps on, he also started with itching and those red marks. I slept in the room the same thing happen to me as well.

So i was thinking could that be bed bugs….I looked all over the kids room, the crib, the mattresses, tho box, all over i can’t seem to find any stain of bed bugs. another thing is that after the bite is healed the still itch. My husband is very hairy so they don’t seem to bite him, that’s why sometimes he thinks im crazy.

My question is that …Can bed bugs live inside the mattress? and also we have wooden floors can they also be in the wooden floors?

Can someone tell me if the bed bugs got to be visible because i cant see them but every night i put the kids in bed, they like when i put them to bed and sometimes i fall asleep myself in their room and when i get up I’m all itchy and little red marks on me as well. The marks are a little similar to what I’ve seen but not as much on our skin maybe three to four bites a day.

Donna::

I moved into an apartment in September 08 and have been experiencing random bites in my bedroom for the past three months. I have vacuumed like a mad woman and washed all the linens in extremely hot water as well as dried them and I am also in the process of removing all of my furniture in order to replace it.

My landlord has exterminated at least three times since I’ve been there due to a “roach” infestation from the tenants that used to reside upstairs, and he has renovated the apartment upstairs as well. Could they have traveled from upstairs down to my bedroom in the absence of the old tenants?

I am replacing my furniture as I mentioned earlier and there will be a period of time before the new furniture arrives that there will be nothing at all in my bedroom so I’d like to take this opportunity to treat the rug, do you have any suggestions?

Amy::

Picture of bites on Liz from bed bugsMy sister woke up with multiple large swollen pink bite marks on her hip last week. We thought they might be spider bites. After a few days of pain and itching they subsided. A few days later she woke up with with the same bites on the base of her neck.

Bites at both locations seemed to be very swollen pink splotches that are larger than a quarter and seem to be concentrated in a single area (1st her hip, then her neck).

We texted the picture above to you this afternoon of the bites on Liz’s neck. I think bed bugs, she was hoping spider bites. What is your opinion?

Awais Q.::

I’m from Pakistan, currently living in Saudi Arabia, at night when I was sleeping, I don’t know if a bed bug bit me, next day when I was in office I feel some itch when I saw at home It was red spots at the backside, and day by day it’s getting worse.

Bed Bug Infection

In my room some times I can seen some different kinds of bugs/insects, please find the above picture, and suggest me any medicine as soon as possible, I am really horrible from this situation.

Thank you!

Awais Qurni

Update: 13 days later…

Picture of awais bedbug bite 13 days after.

Awais used a product that could not be found in the FDA database but has generic names of Nystatin, Neomycin or Gentamycin.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a cream and mention these generic names to make sure you get the right product.

99852877::

Seems like only certain people get bedbug bites, correct? After reading what has happened here, I hope I do not have any for the rest of my life!

Fondy::

I woke up at around 4:50am the other day scratching my hand profusely. I have had bed bugs in the past and this was a sure sign of them. I have had two small red bumps on my hand for the past 3 days although they are not itchy and quickly stopped itching after the bites the morning after.

This is what was strange–usually the bites are itchy for much longer and get much bigger and are in a row of three, not two.

What could this be? I cleaned with bleach, neem oil and cleaner today and sprayed some Pyrethrins and Piperonyl butoxide pesticide all over my apartment. Hopefully this will help.

What do you think it is? Bed bugs, spiders, allergic reaction?

Thanks

tcaudilllg::

Just found a bed bug for the first time on our matress. Small, looks almost like a tick. Came right up out of the mattress. But we’re quite certain they are all over. Mostly babies… like little dots… sometimes impossible to see.

They make a regular meal of us even when we are sitting down, that much is clear.

We’re going to buy some powder and see if that will work.

Nikki::

I stayed in a filthy hotel in NYC 4 months ago on my way home from a trip. I noticed some bites in the airport next day and put it down to bad luck. Its now 4 months later and every few nights I was finding myself being bitten on the face and arms but could NEVER trace the source.

The bites were strange too – sometimes like mosquito bites – small and white and hard, sometimes with a distinctive puncture mark in the middle of an almost-perfect circle. Some even had what looked like a comet tail that curled around.

Today I waged all-out war, took up the mattress and scoured the bed frame. The entire underside (timber) was marked with what I had previously thought were small black mold stains. Turns out there were over 15 small cracks, each of them hosting one of more bedbugs.

Sprayed insecticide, hoovered, dismantled the bed and took it to the dump. So be warned the bedbugs definitely like to hitch rides in luggage.

Kim Garcia::

Hi, I have had these bites now since Nov 08 and my daughter who is 5 and half months pregnant also has them, but not as bad.

We have been treated by 1 doctor as an allergic reaction that didn’t help. We then went to dermatologist who said flea bites although we have no pets; we got medicine for that and exterminated the house but still that didn’t help.

The landlord said the bites looked like bed bug bites but we have had our beds for over 2 years and never had a problem until the after we moved into this house (first week of November). By the third week in November we had bite marks. We do have a really bad case of German roaches and have used powders, sprays, traps and it seems nothing kills them! I killed one that was crawling on my foot and within 30 minutes my foot was itching and now there’s a welt. Are these bed bug bites or something else?

Please, I’m desperate for help.

Elizabeth::

I have been finding bites for the past few weeks, but they have been very very very tiny (definitely itchy, but I have eczema and am used to itchiness), but never became very raised or puffy. They seem to be healing and going away for the most part and I haven’t noticed any new ones in the past day or two…

Today I realized that some of the bites that seem to be healing are actually configured in perfect little circles. I have two areas like this on my arm, both about the size of a dime and consisting of a thin ring of tiny little red dots like pin pricks, with nothing in the center except for very slight yellowing of the skin. These rings rarely itch and seem to be just scabs from former bites, but I never noticed their circular formation before.

From everything I’ve read it seems very likely that I have bed bugs, but these rings look different from the other descriptions I’ve read.

I also live in the basement level of an apartment, and my room connects to a lower-level storage space that is used by the entire building and seems pretty dirty…

I sleep on the floor on a mattress and can’t afford to buy a new mattress (I’m an art student- no money)

Thanks!

Barbara Redden::

I have bites mostly in a row like people talk about . I keep getting bitten. I have a mattress that is about 2 years old and there is not a mark on it or anything at all in the seams. It’s clean as a whistle.

I have has some little blood spots on the sheets. The box springs look good too. I can’t see any bugs ever. I have frese ( long shag) carpet and can’t afford to replace it right now. So it would be impossible to sprinkle the carpet.

I have tried to isolate the bed, but the problem just seems insurmountable. I would move if I didn’t own the townhouse. How can there be bugs if there is no sign of them? I could never clean all my clothes. I have 70 suits alone. What do you think of the heat treatment to get rid of them?

Jim::

Hi Summer,

Early in the morning is their favorite time and chances are you have many more if you saw two in such a short time span!

They could indeed be living in your mattress but that doesn’t mean you have to toss the mattress. Instead, check out your local stores and get a mattress cover that prevents dust mites (which will also prevent bed bugs).

Make sure to review my checklist and look around the bed and in the room for signs of infestation.

Please, if you can send pictures, it will be a big help to those experiencing the same situation as you.

By the way – are you waking up with bite marks?

Thanks,

Jim.

Summer::

Well for months and months now I have been being bit throughout the night. I have 2 dogs, one of which has a flea problem so I thought his problem was my problem. I got him treated, bombed the house, washed the linens and the bites stopped for a bit.

When they came back i knew it wasn’t fleas because he doesn’t have any!
So i started googling bed bugs, and came up with the info and all but saw NO SIGNS on the bed at all.

Last night i had a bit of insomnia and was awake til about 5am. As i was lying there watching tv I see this little flat bug go by. I turned on the light, and caught the little bugger in a small makeup jar.

IT IS A BED BUG!!! so I immediately freak out because I have already read all of the horrid stories about these things, and am so scared I wont be able to get rid of them EVER!

I go back to bed, and before even lying down see another on my pillow!
how could i have not seen any of these before?!

I must ask- if i saw 2 bed bugs on my bed in less than 30 minutes, does that mean i have a lot of them?

I will go with all of the tips on here, but i really will be trying the Diatomaceous Earth. I hear good things about this one.

My mattress has a hole in it, where the dog scratched it, and i was wondering if i should get rid of it due to this. They could be inside INSIDE the mattress now, right?!

I still have the bugs trapped at home and will pic it for the page, and i will take pics of anything i find on the mattress along with my bites!

Lou::

Yes, what Tim, Kevin, Vaughn are referring to is a spider beetle. This species is called the hump beetle or shiny brown spider beetle, Gibbium aequinoctiale. It’s all fused, no hindwings, just crawls. The larval stage is small & grub-like. They feed on organic buildup, dried plants, dried animals (incl. dead insects), dried food items, probably skin scales, hair, similar to dermestid beetles in the home.

ButterFlyGirl::

My daughter came to me with a two bites on her leg, that looked liked mosquito bites, then a week later she came with 3 bites on her arms. I thought they may have been flea bites from a neighbors house, but this morning my grandson had two bites on his arm, he slept in her room. Her is the question I am 98% sure that I may have discovered bed bugs but, Nobody goes to bed usually until well after 3:00am so what time should i look for them. The search I did before was during the day and I didnt find anything.

Also has anyone else tried the lavender oil, I would like to try it first before I try the other item recommended.

Thanks
ButterFlyGirl

kevin::

Vaughn:
Your “bulby bugs” are spider beetles. They are insects (6 legs) with a hard, round, almost spherical body. They’re harmless.

I live in Greenwich village and every time the landlord guts and rebuilds an adjoining apartment I get trouble. Next time I’ll put down a residual insecticide before they arrive. Home Depot sells a House & Garden (Ortho I think) in a white plastic gallon container. It’s the more expensive of the two they carry. May be a problem to pets, especially to birds.

Marc G.::

My fiancee has five bites on her, three on her right buttock, one on her cheek and one on her left hip. They are very painful to her, they itch, and looking at them i can see them pulsate with her heartbeat. But we do not know what they are, we stayed in a hotel the other night when our truck broke down, but we sleep very close to one another and i don’t have any at all on me?

I can see points on all of them, but on one it looks very much like a spider bite, the other ones however don’t have the multiple piercings that a spider leaves behind or it may just be that she is too swollen in those spots to tell really well. Sorry i don’t have any photos for you, but any information you may have would be great. Thank you for your time.

trina::

This is my first time going through something like this and I’ve been itching the bites and then when I scratch myself a big red bump appears! Please tell me what to do.

joanna::

I have been getting these little red itchy bumps pretty much all over my body. Mostly my arms, but also legs, feet, hands, lower back and bottom. I live with my husband and my five month old. They do look similar to mosquito or spider bites. I have been getting these bumps for about 3 months or so and they go away but then I just get more.

My husband is not getting any bumps however my 5 month old seems to be developing some, but not as bad as mine. I pretty much get new bumps everyday and I seem to discover them mostly at night before I go to bed or an hour or so after getting up in the morning.

They are seriously driving me crazy and they look a lot like some of the pictures here. On two occasions I have sworn that I saw an almost microscopic little spidery light colored bug making its way across our bed sheet one morning and one also on a book that I had picked up from the couch which it had been sitting on for roughly an hour.

We live in a very rundown apartment with lots of very old wood and lots of cracks and crevices and a dirty old used couch. It’s not always the most clean and sanitary place either. Please tell me that these are bed bug bites and not some rare deadly skin disease which is eating me alive!

Jim::

Hi Katie,

Bites from bed bugs may not appear right away and may not even show until later in the day.

Hey Missy,

You could send them a certified letter stating your problem and the anguish it is causing you. You could also get in touch with your neighbors to see if they are having problems and send a letter as a group – that would be pretty hard to ignore.

If I’m living in an apartment and bed bugs make their way into my unit because the unit next door is infected, you better believe I’m going to get upset and do whatever I can to get management to act.

Visit LawRefs.com and ask her ‘Renee’ what you should write. She is an attorney that offers free legal advice through on this site – she’ll explain exactly what to do to set yourself up for winning a case (should it come to that).

I would also spread around some Diatomaceous Earth (check out our treatment section for more details on how this works).

Also, there are a number of lawsuits that have been successful listed on the site that may help you.

Keep us informed as to your progress, will you?

Thanks,

Jim.

Missy::

Hey everyone,

I have been dealing with bed bugs for a couple months now we tried steam cleaning and vacuuming at first but it didn’t work. We have had our apartment sprayed 3 times already and still I’m getting bit. My brother and his girlfriend are not being bitten at all. It is hell to go through I vacuum my mattress boxspring carpets baseboards dressers end tables everyday but they seem to always come back!

I believe others are infested in this apartment and I suggested to my landlord to spray the entire building at once. What did he say? well its not our fault they are here so why should we fork out the money to do an entire building This is ridiculous, I don’t sleep half the time anymore because I’m afraid they will bite and it is hell living with all these bites.

Even having a mattress cover on my mattress and boxspring isn’t helping…I’m so sick and TIRED of this..I’m also wondering if this could be a reason to sue my apartment company.

katie garcia::

Wow, I was really freaking out as I woke up this morning and found I have been eaten alive! My whole body has itching burning welty bumps that sting and look a lot like the bed bug pics. The weird part is that i have more bite marks now then what i did when i got up?

kookimebux::

Hello, I live in Russia and have been dealing with bed bug bites for more than a year now. I have not heard of this earth material but will try it around the rooms.
Thank you.

Victor::

I’ve been bitten all over by what I think are bed bugs. There is are little patch / yellow colored bump appearing at the tip of the bites, they itch and hurt a lot! Could those be the eggs? I just took a shower in relief.. sitting down now, comfortably and no itching but still going to go to doctor tomorrow. I’ll let you know what the doctor says.

Krista::

Ok, so here’s an update…

I put the DE all over the place but to no avail the bed bugs continued to bite and bite! So, next course of action….I went to the exterminators and bought this stuff called Pro Bug X. I’ve spent this last week cleaning and packing everything up in storage bins. The exterminators told me that I needed to wash all clothes and bedding…basically everything in the house in hot water and run it in the dryer for 40 minutes. Then bagging the clothes and twist tying it. So I have been forever doing laundry!!!

On Sunday I sprayed my whole house…cracks, along baseboards, closets…top and bottom, kitchen, living room, couches, box spring / mattress, basically EVERYTHING and removed myself, my daughters and my cat from my house for 17 hours.

Last night I found two little buggers dying on the floor so I know this is working! I have to do the spraying again in 5-7 days because I was told that absolutely NOTHING can kill bed bug eggs. Also, I have to vacuum everyday, sweep and mop, and doing laundry consisting all the bed clothes and clothes that we are wearing.

So in short….I am living out of bags for the next 3 weeks as I have to wait 10-14 days after the second treatment to even think about putting the clothes back in the rooms. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me but I am soooo glad I caught these lil buggers early before they multiplied a million times!

NOTE: The Pro Bug X active ingredients include (.20% Tetramethrin and .20% Permethrin) which are commonly used as an insecticide and affects the insect’s nervous system. If you want to buy a generic brand, you can ask your local retail / hardware store for a similar product containing these ingredients.

Serenity::

My son has about 6 or 7 red pimple like bumps that are very itchy. They are larger than a pimple and hard to the touch but I have been told the hardness could be from scratching. Right now they are only on his arms. Some of the bed bug bite pics look the same but I don’t know. Does this sound like bed bugs or something else?

TC::

I moved into an apartment building a few months ago. The first few days of being there I noticed what I thought was ticks in my bathtub so I bought some flea and tick spray and sprayed my apartment with it. I informed the management of the problem. After a week or so of living here the sent an exterminator to exterminate the whole complex saying people were complaining of spider bites.

Over these past few months I have been awakened at night itching terribly and have bites all over me (on my face, neck, between my fingers and toes, on my back, arms (especially my elbows), my knees and my feet.

I thought I had had an allergic reaction to a transfusion that I had but was check by a doctor who ruled that out. I was given prednisone and other anti-itch medication and was told it was probably an unknown allergic reation to something and sent home. The marks have continued to show up for months. I could not sleep because of the constant itching and burning from the sores all over my body.

Today, 1/17/2008, I was surfing the net and came across some pictures of bed bug bites and noticed how similiar they were to my bites. My husband shows no syptoms. My husband and I went into the bedroom and checked the mattresses and behold there the little blood suckers were. I was horrified. I’m itchng now thinking about them.

I have never seen nor had a bed bug bite in my life until now. My skin looks horrible. We looked for some treatments on the internet and purchased some Neem oil and Diatomaceous Earth to do some immediate treatment. As soon as I sprayed the Neem oil mix, they began to run. I captured some and placed them in a zip lock bag to show to my landlord.

I sprayed my living room and my sofa the carpet and but the DE powder underneath the sofa and the bed and around the cracks of the walls. I, sprayed my clothes with the Neem oil mix. I am now sitting in a chair with my feet propped up, afraid to go to sleep. I have been being eaten alive for three months and now I know how and by what.

I wonder if the bed bugs were what was the cause of the supposed “spider bites” that the complex was exterminated for when I first moved in? I plan on asking my landlord on Monday. I am quite upset. I don’t have any pictures but will submit some later.

leroy::

What can use to get rid of bedbug bite spots, in my skin. What the best powder I can use to kill them and keep them away?

Curtis::

I Have gotten bed bug bites from a friend’s house and i dont want to perform any legal action against them. Is there a cream or anything i can put on my dark skin to get the spots away.

Jim::

Great information Krista!

Please let us know how this works out for you!

Thanks for sharing!

Jim.

Krista::

Ok….so I ran around all over my city looking for Diatomaceous Earth today and the only place I could find it was this place called Cowtown and they only sell 50 lbs bags of it. So I came back home and started looking up this stuff and I found that it is also called Silica Dioxide or Silicone Dioxide which I fortunately had on hand because I used it to kill ants last winter!!! So just to let everyone know, if you are looking for this stuff…you can find it in the ant/insect killing isle of most major stores and its really inexpensive! It’s called ChemFree Insect Killer. Safe for pets and children.

Thanks for all your help Jim! Hopefully this stuff really works. I’ve gotten rid of the infected bed and only found 4 bugs in my room on the floor so *keeping my fingers crossed* hopefully I wasn’t infested too too bad!

*Sigh* Bed bugs might not cause actual headaches but they are a headache!

Krista::

Hey Jim,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I was wondering if you could tell me if bed bugs can cause awful sinus headaches and pressure and crazy dreams??

—-

No problem Krista,

I have not heard of headaches before, but I would imagine that if you have a large number of bites and your body is not reacting well to them, you could experience headaches (I’m guessing that the bites would be inflamed, etc).

As for the dreams, sure – a bed bug could be crawling on you while sleeping and your subconscious may craft any number of wild dreams!

Regards,

Jim.

Jim::

Hi Krista,

Bedbugs can zero in on the warmest person giving off the greatest amount of carbon dioxide and this may be the case with your boyfriend. Most likely, you have been bitten, you just react differently to bites that your partner.

Now that you found them, make sure you visit our treatment page and read up on where they hide, how to eradicate them and how to prevent them from coming back!

Good luck,

Jim.

Krista::

Hey… I found bedbugs in my bed when I was moving my mattress to get a new bed. We immediately disposed of the bed, washed all linen and pillows in hot water, removed all clothing to be washed from the room, moved all furniture and vacuumed the whole room out, cleaned the closet, etc etc….

Until leading up to the finding of the bugs, my boyfriend had been experiencing the bites for weeks. He went to the doctor and they told him that it was an allergic reaction and gave him so hydrocortizone cream. What I am wondering here is why would my boyfriend be noticing so many bites and have this reaction and I haven’t noticed one bite or even a bit of itching?

Jim::

Hello Lauren,

The smell is important, but if you are not finding any signs of bed bugs, then it leaves me puzzled.

From time to time I get a rash that looks a lot like bed bug bites, but I know it’s a reaction from food – exactly what food, I still have not pinned it down. It happens once in a great while, there is no smell and they itch like crazy!

Have you tried getting up early in the morning and looking around with a flashlight?

Check out the pictures at the beginning of this page – there are some excellent examples of what eggs and dropping look like!

You have me curious, so please, keep us up to date on your findings!

———–

Amanda,

If the bites are not going away and you are not itching them (irritating them) and they seem to be getting worse and not just new bites, I would see your doctor. The bites should only last a short time (people react differently to the bites).

Make sure to document everything as the apartment complex may have an obligation to pay the bills if they knew about the bed bugs and failed to act.

———–

Charissa,

You may very well have a case if the landlord knew about the problem but didn’t act upon that information. If you want a free opinion from a lawyer, I’d suggest visiting LawRefs.com and post your question there – it’s an excellent free legal site ran by a medical malpractice attorney.

———–

Best regards,

Jim.

Lauren::

I’m not sure if its bed bugs……..HELP! So here’s my story. About 2 months ago I got a severe headache that lasted about 11 days straight. The doctors gave me several different medicines that didn’t work at all.

I thought I would have a headache forever until the 12th day when I woke up with no headache but a rash all over my arms and legs. I of course went back to the doctor’s office and he thought the headache was most likely viral and the rash was a sign that it was leaving the body. He prescribed a strong antihistamine for the itching and the rash disappeared within 4 days.

I have been healthy as a horse since that incident until this morning…..I woke up this morning with the exact same rash. It’s only on one arm this time. It looks exactly the same as before though. It looks similar to hives. Little raised red itchy bumps. There is no eye in the center of them or anything.

I was researching rashes when I came across a picture of bed bug bites. They look so similar to what I have. Then I started researching bed bugs. I am completely flipped out. I tore my bed apart and found nothing. I never see any blood or brown spots on my white sheets either. The one thing besides the rash that makes me think it may be bed bugs is when I read about the smell that is sometimes accompanied by these bugs.

I have driven myself crazy for about six months now trying to find where this weird smell is coming from in my bedroom. I’ve cleaned from top to bottom but the smell doesn’t go away. I guess the best way to describe it is to rotten tangerines?!?! I don’t know. Very weird. Nobody else smells it but me so maybe I’m just crazy. Does this sound like bed bugs?

Most of the stories on this site say the bites are constant but my rashes seem to be few and far between. I have had the same bed for over 7 years now. Are there any other ways to tell if you have them when you don’t see any sign of them on your furniture?

I’m so freaked out now =/ Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Lauren

tia::

I have had a skin biopsy done and the verdict was bed bugs, we moved into this house that had been not rented for 8 months, the bites are driving me nuts. I Have try creams and borox bathes, which seem to ease the bites. I am having a bad reaction to the bites because of scratching, also there are small little black things that I take out of the bites.

Do you think this is bed bugs? I have done scabies treatment and now I find these black things on my arms and feel I get bit during the day as well, I think I am going crazy, please help.

Thank you, I’m at the point that I want to cut my hair off and cut these sores from my arms and legs they have gotten to the pus filled spots and have gone and made holes in my skin that will leave really bad scars, and now I am getting them on my face, don’t want to see people or leave the house because of it!

Amanda::

Hello everyone – I’m desperately hoping someone can help me with my problem. Our apartment, and a few others, have bed bugs. While my boyfriend has the worst of the bites, I did get one in an …unusual place.

I’m wondering how long the irritation lasts, as it’s been about a week and just seems to be getting worse. I haven’t been able to get in to see my doctor, but I’m extremely worried.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Eden::

I am not sure if these bites are bed bugs or what are they but they really itch. They are bites that swell up and are red all around. I have sprayed my mattress, the rugs, walls, anything i can think of. I have washed everything that is washable.

I only get these bites at night and only in areas that are uncovered during the night – Feet, hands, neck, arms and face. Once they heal they leave a dark mark. I have moved from bedroom to bedroom, even tried sleeping in the sofa but it seems they follow me where ever I go.

Does this sound like bed bugs???

Charissa Griffin::

I have been living at my apartment for 6 months and experience bed bugs my son moved out after having bites all over his body. We brought spray and threw away two beds but nothing helped. I made the owners aware but since an attorney has been appointed to take over the building. I suffered nights without sleep and marks on my body as a result.

I haven’t paid my rent for 5 months and now the compensate attorney is starting eviction proceedings. I asked him who is going to me for all my pain and suffering and the beds I had to replace.

Do I have a case to sue or not?

Stacey::

Over 2 weeks ago i had about 5 bites on my back right at the area my sleep pants sit with the elastic part. Mine went away after just a few days. right afterward my son has been getting them totaling to over 60 all over body mostly on his bum, and back and some on legs in back. He only wears underwear to bed and did sleep on floor some as well. We just moved to this house 3 months ago. Went to doctor gave a fucidin cream (which cost me 50 dollars) and it did nothing the bites or marks are still on him and not really going away.

Since i have received about 5 more bites 4 by my pantyline on my pelvis and one behind my upper leg. There are all itchy and since the bumps i feel like things crawling all over me too, probably just the thought but it sucks. Have washed all sheets in his room looked over mattress and even beat it with our hands to see if anything came out. there was not fecal matter i found or bugs at the time but was during day. I read the 3 am check and will do that tonight. I do have 4 cats but have checked them for fleas don’t have them and they are itching anyway. I have had chicken pox before so i thought possibly shingles for me but my son hasn’t had it. We sleep in different rooms. My father also has been staying here and now just hes mentioning red marks/bites that are itchy as well.

We also don’t have a soft water softener and the water here where we recently moved to is so super hard. It is the first time we have not had soft water, so I’m wondering if this is a problem too. Or with laundry soap because of hard water not maybe getting it out of clothes and our skin is sensitive to it.

‘ve been searching on the net for so long now trying to diagnose this because the doctor here is an idiot. Told me some kind of bug that covers them all. Well i need to know so i can fix it. we’ve been cleaning and searching and the only one bug i found so far was a tiny baby black spider in the xmas box in the spare room which came out when i went to put the xmas stuff away. Other than that no other bugs have been found. I do have another apt with the idiot doc tomorrow and will bring in all my findings that it could possibly be:
These are what i found: bed bugs, mites, chiggers, pityriasis Rosea, hives, shingles, ear mites, Urticaria hives.
I am getting so frustrated and tired of always feeling like things are crawling on me.

Any ideas, what do you think they are? They look like a mosquitoes bit or a zit and are very itchy, i will do the 3 am bed bug check tonight and look around room again and wood too see if i find any of the bed bugs.

All these beds were at my mom, very clean house and when we moved in the uhaul the mattresses and box springs were covered with plastic.

If anyone has any advice or ideas please let me know thank you

[bed-bug-bites]

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