All About Bed Bug Bites

Bed bug bites look very different from one person to another. Some bedbug bites are larger, some smaller, some have a red dot in the center, or a scab. Many appear to be flea or mosquito bites, or pimples. Some bites are in a group of 2 or 3, others are in a line or even form a circle. And sometimes they can leave just a single bite.

Bed bug bites ... notice the line patterns

Bed bug bites may go unnoticed or be mistaken for a type of rash, especially since they are difficult to distinguish from other insect bites. It can be quite difficult to identify because they can look like little bumps and sometimes doctors misdiagnose them as some other skin condition. The bites are essentially an allergic reaction and therefore resemble the typical symptoms associated with everyday allergies.

We hear some industry experts report that whether you get multiple bites in a pattern could have to do with whether the bedbug is disturbed while feeding (if you move, they may move and start over) and also whether your veins are easily accessed by the bed bugs (if they are, they need pierce only once).

Bed bugs bite and suck blood from humans. Bed bugs are most active at night and bite any exposed areas of skin while an individual is sleeping. The face, neck, hands, and arms are common sites for bed bug bites. The bite itself is painless and is not noticed. Small, flat, or raised bumps on the skin are the most common sign; redness, swelling, and itching commonly occur. If scratched, the bite areas can become infected.

Close-up shot of a bed bug feeding on human skin

How long do bed bug bites last?

Anywhere from a couple days to a few weeks. It mainly depends on how sensitive or allergic you are to them. Some individuals are highly allergic and will require more time to heal. More often than not the itching will cease  first and the actual bite mark will eventually disappear.

Bed bugs have not been conclusively proven to carry infectious microbes. However, researchers have implicated bed bugs as possible vectors of American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease), and studies are ongoing to determine whether bed bugs may serve as disease carriers.