If you wake up in the morning with an itchy mark on your arm, you may have been a feast for some bed bugs while you slept. While you might assume your bites were from a more common culprit like mosquitos, there are certain signs that suggest that you were bitten by bed bugs instead. To see what the tell-tale sign of a bed bug bite is, read on. For more tips on how to determine if you are dealing with an infestation, see If You Smell This In Your Bedroom, You May Have Bed Bugs.
The bites are grouped.
When you have a group of bites you are particularly likely to beg begging. “One of the most tell-tale signs that you have been bitten by a bed bug is that there is a group of bites in an area of your body that made direct contact with your mattress while you were sleeping,” he says Zack DeAngelis. “Bed bugs usually don’t leave a single bite and often leave several in clusters.”
To find out the tell-tale sign of another insect, be sure to prepare for an insect invasion if you see this in your yard, says USDA.
And they’re red and puffy.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and not all bed bugs bite in groups. So if you see a single bite, it may still be due to a bed bug.
People have a variety of reactions to bed bug bites, but something that is common across the board is that bed bug bites are often red and puffy. “Depending on a person’s sensitivity, bed bug bites can range from a small red bump to an inflamed itchy red bump,” says the entomologist and pest control manager Mike Duncan.
To see what scary mistake warrants calling officials, read If You See This Terrible Insect, Call Authorities Immediately.
The bites don’t go away quickly.
In contrast to mosquito and flea bites, which only last a few days, the detection of bed bug bites lasts longer. “Bed bug bites can take up to two weeks to heal, depending on how severe the bites are,” explains DeAngelis.
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He also notes that if you have bed bugs, the bites will likely keep coming, making your skin irritated for a long time.
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And they itch.
Itching is a common reaction to bed bug bites. “Most likely, after getting a bed bug, people will feel a strong source of discomfort and itching at the source of the bite,” says DeAngelis. “However, the level of itching and discomfort will vary as it depends on that person’s immune response.”
It’s important to note that if you get the bite in the middle of the night, the itchiness may subside upon waking – so a non-itchy bite could also be from a bed bug.
To see if you have an even bigger bug problem, see If Your House Smells Like This You Might Have a Bug Problem.
