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Next in Bedbug Bites Guide
In some cases, it can take days for a reaction to occur to a bedbug bite. Not everyone reacts the same, so the size of the bite and its physical appearance can differ depending on the person. In many cases, a bedbug bite doesn’t require treatment. However, to ease the symptoms that occur, it’s best to treat them quickly.
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What Do Bedbug Bites Look Like?
If you’re experiencing abedbuginfestation, you will likely have bites on your body when you wake up in the morning, as bedbugs prefer to feed at nighttime. The bites will be seen in clusters that contain three to five bites, often in a zigzag pattern, as this is how bedbugs feed as they crawl across the skin.
Other characteristics of bedbug bites to look out for include:
Can You Feel Bedbug Bites?When bedbugs feed, they release a chemical similar to an anesthetic that numbs the skin. They also inject an anticoagulant to keep the blood from clotting while they feed. The combination of the anesthetic and the anticoagulant keeps you from feeling the bites when they occur.
Can You Feel Bedbug Bites?
When bedbugs feed, they release a chemical similar to an anesthetic that numbs the skin. They also inject an anticoagulant to keep the blood from clotting while they feed. The combination of the anesthetic and the anticoagulant keeps you from feeling the bites when they occur.
Signs and Symptoms of Bedbug Bites
At-Home Care for Bedbug Bites
Bedbugs do not typically spread diseases to humans, but the bites they leave can lead to infection, especially if you scratch them because they itch. You may notice bites in the morning upon waking. When you notice bedbug bites, you should:
How Long Does It Take for Bedbug Bites to Heal?Bedbug bites are not typically cause for concern, and with at-home treatment, they can heal within a week or two.
How Long Does It Take for Bedbug Bites to Heal?
Bedbug bites are not typically cause for concern, and with at-home treatment, they can heal within a week or two.
Medical Treatment Options
While bedbug bites will resolve within a week or two, people with severe reactions to the bite or a secondary infection from scratching the bites may require more extensive medical treatment.
Medical treatments that may be needed include:
How Many People Have Severe Reactions to Bedbug Bites?Roughly 26% of people between the ages of 11 and 65 experience no reaction to a bedbug bite. After 65, approximately 42% of people don’t experience a reaction.
How Many People Have Severe Reactions to Bedbug Bites?
Roughly 26% of people between the ages of 11 and 65 experience no reaction to a bedbug bite. After 65, approximately 42% of people don’t experience a reaction.
How Bedbugs Are Diagnosed
How to Get Rid of Bedbugs
Bedbug infestations are notoriously difficult to deal with. The best way to manage an infestation is to address it promptly and with the proper methods. The first step is cleaning household objects that bedbugs can hide in quickly as possible. Bedbugs may be found in:
To clean everything properly and remove bebugs, you must steam-clean mattresses and other upholstered items that cannot be washed in the washing machine. Since bedbugs cannot survive at temperatures above 122 degrees F, you will need a steam cleaner above that temperature.
Smaller items, such as stuffed animals, small pillows, and other non-washable small items, can be kept in a freezer for four days or longer.
Anything that can be washed should be washed using hot water and dried in the dryer at a high temperature for at least 30 minutes. Mattresses, clothes, curtains, bedding, mattress pads, and other upholstered items—must be thoroughly cleaned.
If you cannot wash items, they must be disposed of. You must also steam-clean and vacuum your home using a full. Vacuums with a cloth bag will not be effective against bedbugs because they can become infested with bedbugs. It’s best to use a vacuum with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter to get rid of bedbugs.
How to Check for Bedbugs
If you suspect you have bedbugs, it’s important to check for them. The best way to do this is to look for signs of bedbugs, such as:
What Do Bedbugs Look Like?While you won’t always be able to spot bedbugs in an infestation because they are typically only visible if there are many of them, it’s important to know what they look like if you have an infestation. Physical characteristics of bedbugs include:Adults:Small, oval, flat and reddish-brown, adults are roughly the size of an apple seed and become larger after feeding.Nymphs:Young bedbugs, or nymphs, are smaller than adults and are either translucent or whitish-yellow. They are only reddish-brown after feeding.Eggs: Eggs are pearl white and small as the head of a pin.
What Do Bedbugs Look Like?
While you won’t always be able to spot bedbugs in an infestation because they are typically only visible if there are many of them, it’s important to know what they look like if you have an infestation. Physical characteristics of bedbugs include:Adults:Small, oval, flat and reddish-brown, adults are roughly the size of an apple seed and become larger after feeding.Nymphs:Young bedbugs, or nymphs, are smaller than adults and are either translucent or whitish-yellow. They are only reddish-brown after feeding.Eggs: Eggs are pearl white and small as the head of a pin.
While you won’t always be able to spot bedbugs in an infestation because they are typically only visible if there are many of them, it’s important to know what they look like if you have an infestation. Physical characteristics of bedbugs include:
Nonchemical vs. Chemical Home Treatments
There are non-chemical and chemical treatment options for bedbugs, whether you do it yourself or hire a professional. A professional may use heat treatment, which involves creating a far too hot environment for bedbugs to survive within the home.
Pest control professionals will heat your entire home using space heaters and fans. It typically involves only a single treatment, and there are no residual effects from this type of treatment.
Chemical treatment is another option that can help eliminate bedbugs and prevent infestations from occurring again. Pest control professionals will use three chemicals:
Deciding Which Is BestThe type of extermination method you choose will be based on what you’re most comfortable with, what the pest control professional recommends based on the level of infestation, and your sensitivity to chemicals. Other factors, like the number of treatments and how quickly the job can be completed, should be considered.
Deciding Which Is Best
The type of extermination method you choose will be based on what you’re most comfortable with, what the pest control professional recommends based on the level of infestation, and your sensitivity to chemicals. Other factors, like the number of treatments and how quickly the job can be completed, should be considered.
Scabies vs. Bedbugs: What Are the Differences?
Preventing Bedbug Bites
The best way to prevent bedbug bites is to avoid coming into contact with them. That means avoiding bringing them into your home when possible and getting them promptly eradicated when you notice them or thebites on your body.
You can use protective materials, such as covers for mattresses and pillows, to keep bedbugs from infesting the crevices of your bedding, and always watch or check for bedbugs when moving to a new home or bringing in new furniture to your current home.
Bedbugs are also excellent hitchhikers, so watching for bedbugs while traveling is essential. Tips to avoid bringing bedbugs home with you after traveling include:
How to Ensure You Do Not Spread Bedbugs
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you have a lot of bites all over your body and they are painful and itchy and continue to cause discomfort, contact your healthcare provider. They will suggest various ways to deal with the bites and offer advice on how to avoid infection.
Summary
You cannot typically feel a bedbug bite, but when they occur, you will see them as they will be small, flat or raised, and red. They typically appear in clusters because that’s how the bugs feed, and can occur all over the body.
When a bedbug bites you, the bite can be itchy and uncomfortable, but it is typically not a cause for concern. You can usually treat bedbug bites at home unless you develop an infection from scratching or have a severe allergic reaction. To get rid of bedbugs, clean or dispose of any items in your home that they could hide in, or contact a pest control professional if the infestation is significant.
If you notice bedbug bites, it’s important to check for infestation and treat them as soon as possible to prevent a larger infestation. You should always check for bedbugs while on vacation to ensure you don’t bring any home.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Peres G, Yugar LBT, Haddad Junior V.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner sign: A hallmark of flea and bedbug bites.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):759-760. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187384American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.Fésűs L, Jobbágy A, Kiss N, Horváth E, Avci P, Lukács A, Mayer K, Bergler-Czop B, Wikonkál N, Bánvölgyi A.Dermatologic aspects of bed bug epidemic: An atlas of differential diagnosis.Postepy Dermatol Alergol.2021 Apr;38(2):184-192. doi:10.5114/ada.2021.106194Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Bed bug bites: How to identify them, get relief, and prevent future bites.United States Environmental Protection Agency.How to find bed bugs.Health Canada.Bedbugs: how do I get rid of them?Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Management.Non-chemical bedbug management.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Pesticides to control bed bugs.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Peres G, Yugar LBT, Haddad Junior V.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner sign: A hallmark of flea and bedbug bites.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):759-760. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187384American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.Fésűs L, Jobbágy A, Kiss N, Horváth E, Avci P, Lukács A, Mayer K, Bergler-Czop B, Wikonkál N, Bánvölgyi A.Dermatologic aspects of bed bug epidemic: An atlas of differential diagnosis.Postepy Dermatol Alergol.2021 Apr;38(2):184-192. doi:10.5114/ada.2021.106194Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Bed bug bites: How to identify them, get relief, and prevent future bites.United States Environmental Protection Agency.How to find bed bugs.Health Canada.Bedbugs: how do I get rid of them?Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Management.Non-chemical bedbug management.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Pesticides to control bed bugs.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Peres G, Yugar LBT, Haddad Junior V.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner sign: A hallmark of flea and bedbug bites.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):759-760. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187384American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.Fésűs L, Jobbágy A, Kiss N, Horváth E, Avci P, Lukács A, Mayer K, Bergler-Czop B, Wikonkál N, Bánvölgyi A.Dermatologic aspects of bed bug epidemic: An atlas of differential diagnosis.Postepy Dermatol Alergol.2021 Apr;38(2):184-192. doi:10.5114/ada.2021.106194Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Bed bug bites: How to identify them, get relief, and prevent future bites.United States Environmental Protection Agency.How to find bed bugs.Health Canada.Bedbugs: how do I get rid of them?Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Management.Non-chemical bedbug management.United States Environmental Protection Agency.Pesticides to control bed bugs.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.
Peres G, Yugar LBT, Haddad Junior V.Breakfast, lunch, and dinner sign: A hallmark of flea and bedbug bites.An Bras Dermatol. 2018;93(5):759-760. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20187384
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.
Fésűs L, Jobbágy A, Kiss N, Horváth E, Avci P, Lukács A, Mayer K, Bergler-Czop B, Wikonkál N, Bánvölgyi A.Dermatologic aspects of bed bug epidemic: An atlas of differential diagnosis.Postepy Dermatol Alergol.2021 Apr;38(2):184-192. doi:10.5114/ada.2021.106194
Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Bed bug bites: How to identify them, get relief, and prevent future bites.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.How to find bed bugs.
Health Canada.Bedbugs: how do I get rid of them?
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Management.Non-chemical bedbug management.
United States Environmental Protection Agency.Pesticides to control bed bugs.
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