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Do bed bugs bite?

September 17, 2021 2 min read

When you find suspicious-looking bites on the body, it’s normal to wonder what kind of insects you are dealing with in your personal space.

Bed bugs are small, stubborn insects that feed on the blood of animals or humans. They hitchhike around on people’s belongings and will live in clothing, carpet, bed, furniture, and others. Bed bugs are also flat and oval-shaped. They are intelligent crawlers but do not fly or jump. Knowing that these are blood-thirsty insects, you might ask the question – do bed bugs bite?

Bed bug and their extent of danger

The short answer is Yes. Bed bugs bite, which is how they get to the blood in the first place. However, their bites are rarely dangerous. But these bites can be extremely itchy, and itching them can become infected. For some people, these bites can result in allergic reactions. Nevertheless, you might wonder how to decipher bed bug bites from the bites of other insects like mosquitoes.

What do bed bug bites look like?

Many people don’t realize that bed bugs have bitten them because they release a mild anesthetic before they feed. But soon, the following symptoms might develop, making it easier to figure out if they are bed bug bites:

The bites will be swollen and red, with a dark spot at the center of the bite.
Bites might appear in clusters or lines as bed bugs tend to bite multiple times grouped.
Bite marks will be extremely itchy and, in some cases, might become fluid-filled blisters.
These bites can also happen anywhere on the body as long as the skin was exposed when you were sleeping. So, you might find bed bug bites on your arms, neck, face, and hands.

Do also realize that bed bugs can go multiple days without coming back to their feeding source, unlike mosquitoes.

Identify if you have a bed bug infestation

Identifying bed bug bites isn’t enough to know if you have an infestation. It’s always ideal to look for other signs of bed bugs so you can follow the appropriate method to get them out of your home.

Look for these bugs or signs (discussed below) in pillows and bedding, carpeting around baseboards, cracks, and seams of furniture, curtains, spaces behind electric outlet plates, bed frames, box springs, bed frames, and mattresses.
If you don’t find the bugs themselves, you might see black dots of bug droppings or drops of blood.
You may find translucent skins and eggs around as well.

Once you have confirmed the infestation, it’s essential to take steps to eliminate them from your home. Consider a comprehensive approach using vacuuming, steam cleaning, laundering, and finally bed bug repellents to eradicate the infestation.

Concluding Thoughts

Do bed bugs bite? Yes, they do, and their bites can be extremely itchy. Although these bites are not disease-carrying agents, they might get inflamed and cause skin infection. Some people actually have allergic reactions to the bites.