What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like? Get Other Questions Answered.

Bed bug bites are just plain nasty. No doubt about it. If you’ve ever seen any pictures of them you know what I mean. Red. Festering. Itchy. Besides, the mere thought of being attacked in that way is enough to make your skin crawl. Especially at night. While you sleep?

And once bitten you are always on the alert. Sensitive to anything that feels like it may just be another unwelcome guest crawling on you about to make a meal out of you. And how gross is that?

I mean I’m not here to scare you or anything but these bites are something that will not only leave you with itchy and irritated skin but they can cause you to become paranoid as well. Thinking that they’re constantly crawling on your skin even when they’re not.

Truth is bed bugs have become a huge problem. And I mean HUGE. Who knew such a small insect could cause such bedlam if not outright panic? Some states, think Ohio or New York have been especially hard hit with bed bug infestations. So perhaps some answers to a few of your questions might begin to make you feel better?

What are we dealing with exactly?
Bed bugs are tiny critters that hide in places like under the bed, on headboards, baseboards, sofas, light fixtures, behind your wall clock, even in the electrical outlets. Or almost any cracks and crevices they could can find. They are nomadic travelers in their own right hitching rides on clothes and in luggage. The wider they spread the more mayhem they cause.

This bed bug epidemic is not just something that strikes your home. It’s not uncommon to find them lurking in public places now too. That would include theaters, hotels, stores, libraries, schools and homeless shelters – you name it. Public transportation too. Even five star hotels can’t escape this scourge.

This is why it’s also not a good idea to pick up used furniture left on the curb. Or to pick some quaint piece out of a dumpster. Anything can harbor bed bugs which you might unwittingly bring into your home. Which will really be upsetting when you wake up and find yourself covered with bed bug bites.

How do you know if you’ve been bitten?
Bed bugs bite people because they find carbon dioxide that we humans exhale quite enticing. That is until they realize how much more exhilarating feeding on human blood is. (Offering a tiny and non-contagious version of the Vampire Diaries perhaps?) But they really are true blood suckers. The thing is bed bugs are expert cons in that you wouldn’t even notice that you’ve even been bitten. And that’s not just because you’re asleep most of the time they strike. They may also feed on you even when your eyes are wide open. What they do is release a certain chemical substance that allows them to execute their crime unnoticed. And so you don’t realize you’ve been bitten until you already see bite marks on your once flawless skin or find some blood spots on your bed sheets or pillow case.

What do bed bug bites look like?
Truth is they look different on different people. Looking at bed bug bite pictures, you will note that some appear as a row of bites all lined up in perfect precision. Some more or less form a circle. Others appear as a bad rash or raised bumps clustered together. Bed bug bites can be mistaken for pimples or mere mosquito bites.

What areas are commonly bitten by bed bugs?
Bed bugs love to feast on bare skin. Commonly affected body parts are the shoulders, arms, hands, neck, the face and the sides of the body. Although they may also affect the entire body in some severe cases.

What do the bites feel like?
Ah, detecting bed bug bite symptoms. Like I said you likely won’t feel anything during the actual biting itself. Clever creatures these bed bugs. No signs of bites may show up until the next day or a few days afterwards even. You may find bed bug bites to be very itchy as a result of your skin’s allergic reaction to the bite. The itchy feeling is really irritating. So much so, some can’t resist scratching them until, well until well the past the point where you should have stopped. On the other hand, some people have no reaction at all so they won’t notice or feel anything at all. Lucky them.

What diseases do bed bugs transmit?
These bites are not like mosquito bites that can carry less serious to fatal diseases. If there’s any consolation here it would be that these guys don’t transmit any diseases. So other than the disgust you may feel, the worst it can get is the bite may become real itchy and you scratch it like crazy until it gets inflamed and leads to a bacterial infection. There are also cases when the bed bug bite can cause an allergic reaction that can lead to anemia or asthma – yet that rarely happens.

How do bed bug bites affect you psychologically?
Another impact of these notorious bitters is they can find a good way of stressing their victims out affecting them psychosocially. Ask any traveler who has come home from a trip abroad and been a bed bug victim. Think about it. If you were to discover, after the fact, that the mattress you slept on in the hotel was infested with bed bugs and you were now itching all over how would you feel? Some travelers come home so traumatized by the experience so that they wake up several times during the night to check for any signs of bed bugs crawling. Future travel is unpleasant. Even a visit to a friend’s home may result in constant vigilance. How’s that for lack of sleep and paranoia?

How do you treat bed bug bites?
If you think you’ve got a bed bug bite right there, do not scratch it. Otherwise it will only make the bite itchier and much worse. The best treatment is to wash the affected area with soap and warm water. Then counter the itchy sensation with a dab of Hydrocortisone cream which can be brought over the counter. If an infection has already developed you may already need to treat it with antibiotics but make sure you get a prescription from your doctor.

How do you keep from being bitten to begin with?
Once you’ve already been personally attacked at home the best way to prevent being a repeat unwitting blood meal is by getting rid of the culprits. Problem is there are few safe and effective bed bug insecticides available today. Which is why the best advice usually is leave bed bug elimination to the experts. The services of bed bug exterminators don’t come cheap however. Plus it’s not a fast process. But at least you can be confident that no traces of these feisty little creatures will left behind to torment you further. In other words no more bed bug bites for you.