FAQ: What are bed bugs? Do I have them? What else could be causing this?
By nobugsonme on Oct 22, 2006 in FAQs, bed bugs, bedbugs, delusional parasitosis, information and help, misdiagnoses, other causes of itching, photos, photos of bed bugs
What bed bugs (or bedbugs) look like depends partly on their life stage and whether they’ve just had a blood meal or not. You need to know that the adults are about the size of an apple seed, and the youngest nymphs can be the size of a speck of dirt. In other words, very difficult to see. The unfed nymphs are light-colored, whereas a bed bug that has fed will be red, rust, or brown in color. Here is a photo of a colony of bed bugs of various stages.
They also hide well. They can be very thin (like a piece of paper) and can slip into cracks. They may be hiding in places you do not think anything can get into. Though they prefer to feed late at night (around 3-5 am seems to be ideal), they may bite you without your knowledge, during the night or day, in bed or while you sit in a chair or on a sofa. You can be bitten for months and months without seeing an actual bug dead or alive. And the bites can be hard to identify, and can look like several other conditions–and they don’t look the same on everyone. Our bed bug bites photos page gives you some idea of the variations. (More on some of the other conditions you might have instead are below.)
Here is a photo from Stephen L. Doggett, Senior Hospital Scientist in the Department of Medical Entomology at the University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital. This is their bed bug site. He’s also the principle author or the Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia, which can be downloaded from the same site. We thank Stephen L. Doggett for giving us permission to post this helpful photo!
Where can I learn more?
This is a highly informative PowerPoint presentation by Harold Harlan, a well-known bed bug researcher. You will be able to gain a lot from it even though it is obviously meant to accompany a presentation. Warning, if you click the following link, a PPT presentation will be downloaded. You need PowerPoint, or a compatible program, to view it. Harold Harlan’s PowerPoint.
These are some links to Bed Bug Fact Sheets from university extension services and entomology departments:
University of Sydney (warning: link will open PDF )
Harvard University Public Health site on Bed bugs and Harvard’s environmental services department’s Bed Bugs page (for photos of eggs, bugs and so on).
Armed Forces Pest Management Guide to Bed Bugs (written by Harold Harlan)
Other things that might be bothering you
Bed bugs are rapidly spreading right now, but these other closely related species may also be the source of your woes:
Bat Bugs (Wikipedia entry with photo). More bat, bird, rat bug information to come when we find it.
Less closely related are bird mites (U of Sydney page on bird mites) and scabies mites. Many of us are erroneously treated for scabies in the first instance; doctors can test for scabies and you should get them to do this before treatment if at all possible. You’ll be praying it’s scabies anyway, and hey, if you’re lucky, you’ll be right. (I wasn’t.)
This PDF from the University of Kentucky outlines a number of insect and non-insect causes for unexplained itching. Click to load PDF.
Non-insect causes include: allergies to cosmetics, animals, chemicals of all kinds may cause similar symptoms. There will, obviously, be no bed bug feces, bugs, or cast of shells in this case. See dermatologist and/or allergist.
Hot-tub folliculitis: apparently time in a hot tub can lead to a special bacterial infection that also looks a bit like these other conditions. Again, see your doctor.
Delusional Parasitosis is a condition in which people think that insects are crawling on them and biting them, when they are not. Although this American Entomologist article by Nancy C. Hinkle is entitled “Delusory Parasitosis” (click here to load a PDF), it also outlines how very real environmental, physical, and other conditions can cause similar symptoms to a bed bug infestation, including itching, crawling sensations (formication), skin conditions and rashes. While it is true that people are occasionally mistakenly diagnosed with Delusory Parasitosis (and later discover their symptoms to have been caused by bed bugs or another cause), it is a common condition.
If you think you have bed bugs but have not got a bed bug specimen, you should take steps to verify whether you do have bed bugs or another medical, pharmaceutical, or environmental cause. Enlist the help of PCOs and entomologists in identifying any insects or cast-off shells you find. You should at the very least see some bed bug feces (which can appear as small black specks or sometimes stains on the bed). Experienced PCOs can often identify the presence of bed bugs by such evidence. In the absence of any bed bug evidence, be persistent about seeing your physician and preferably a dermatologist as well, until someone is able to help you.
You will probably find these FAQs useful in trying to figure out if you have bed bugs:
What do bed bug bites look like? Where can I see pictures of bed bug bites?
Readers: Please ONLY post comments below which are about adding information to this FAQ. If you have questions or concerns about your experiences with bed bugs you can post your questions here in our forums.
If you wish to suggest additional information or links to other resources, please email me at nobugsonme at yahoo dot com and I will incorporate them if appropriate. Thanks!
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KIM | May 31, 2007 | Reply
HELLO I HAVE A QUESTION. YESTERDAY MORNING I WOKE UP WITH WHAT I ASSUMED WERE SPIDER BITES ON MY UPPER ARM. THEN THIS MORNING WHEN I WOKE UP AND WENT INTO THE BATHROOM THERE ON THE FRONT OF MY SHIRT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A BEETLE I BRUSHED IT OFF INTO THE SINK AND TRIED TO KILL IT IT WAS FULL OF BLOOD IT LOOKED JUST LIKE AN ADULT BEDBUG AFTER FEEDING. I HAVE NEVER HAD BITES LIKE THIS OR SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BUG BEFORE DO YOU THINK I MIGHT HAVE MORE PLEASE ADVSISE. WE HAVE NEW TENANTS WHO JUST MOVED IN DOWNSTAIRS FROM US AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I DON’T START A RIOT OR SOMETHING
nobugsonme | May 31, 2007 | Reply
You need to read our other FAQ “Think you have bed bugs? Some do’s and don’ts!” then call a PCO. We have a FAQ on how to choose a PCO who knows how to get rid of bed bugs (they do not all know). The PCO should thoroughly inspect your home and all adjacent units (sounds like a 2-family house). Ask them if they had bed bugs in their previous home. Don’t get mad–if you’re catching it early and in a 2-family building, it should be relatively easy to treat. They may have come from the tenants, or any number of other sources (hotels, trains, kid home from college, etc.)
But get someone good in right away to inspect and treat. If you do treat, you and the tenant need to follow the PCO’s protocols for preparing. If they do not have one, pick another PCO! If these are not followed carefully, the problem will spread. Go to our forums (http://bedbugger.com/forum)
if you need more advice, but start with the FAQs. Don’t panic, it sounds like you caught it early.
nobugsonme | May 31, 2007 | Reply
oh, and Kim– the bed bug you caught is unlikely to be the sole bed bug. I’d get the PCO in. Some people have tons of bed bugs and never see ONE.
Kim | May 31, 2007 | Reply
hello again. now that i am home and have fully inspected my bed which by the way is a water bed i didn’t see any tell tale signs of fecal matter or eggs or skins i’m not sure the bug i found this morning was a bed bug. how can i be sure. do i wait until the middle of the night and go bug hunting? i’m kinda freaking out here.
nobugsonme | May 31, 2007 | Reply
Kim,
People go months and months being bitten without seeing one, and they are hard to find. Unless you have an enormous infestation, they remain hidden during the day. They are tiny and can hide in the cracks of a bed frame, unseen. They come out when they know you are asleep (based on your breathing, generally 3-5 am). Fecal spots can be little black specks that look like pepper, or the stains that are more like ink on the cloth.
I guess it hinges on whether you got a good look at it. You said it looked like an adult that had just fed. Look at some more photos here (see links to photos on our site in right sidebar). If you did not get a good look, it might still help to look at bite photos (linked at the top of this page), keeping in mind they can vary a great deal.
I guess if you did not get a good look and are not at all confident that what you saw was a bed bug, then you might choose to wait. The next time you’re bitten, call a PCO.
Personally, I would have a PCO in to inspect and I would talk to the tenants. As long as you make it clear you won’t be mad or blame them if they’re honest. You just need to treat bed bugs right away. I don’t think you can be too cautious.
Unfortunately with no signs–fecal matter, shed skins, or bugs–PCOs are not supposed to treat (by law). Many will, because the signs are hard to find, and because bites are signs.
If you see another bug, catch it in a small jar, or on one side of clear packing tape (in which case, gently stick it to an index card). If you find a bed bug, you need to save it.
Davis | Jul 31, 2007 | Reply
Is it possible to only get them on your inner thighs? I have several bite just on my inner thighs and a few on the back of my right thigh but none anywhere else. I slept on my couch and woke up with them, I fell asleep there with my 4 year old and have inspected her and see nothing…. They itch and are hard with a scab on the top… I woke up with 30-40 of them at least they is no order to the bite at all ( I read bedbugs were usally in a row)
nobugsonme | Jul 31, 2007 | Reply
Not necessarily in a row, Davis. Many people get bitten in rows or in triangles. But others get single bites. It has to do with (from what I have been told) whether you move while they’re biting you, and also whether it’s hard to find a vein.
Could also be something else, though. Make sure you rule out other causes as per the FAQ, and look for other signs.
Davis | Jul 31, 2007 | Reply
I have read the FAQ pages and am still unsure… we have had this couch for years and this is the first… I also don’t live in an apartment (which it seem alot do) From what I gether they bite exposed skin and I was wereing sweat shorts and only under the shorts did I get bit — but none on the outside of my thighs. I am thinking of going to the doctor because my legs are becoming stiff and sore… does this happen from thier bites?
nobugsonme | Jul 31, 2007 | Reply
They can certainly bite covered skin, but this is a bit unusual–them going to that level of trouble. I’d seek other causes via your doctor. Stiffness/soreness does not sound right to me.
sue | Aug 1, 2007 | Reply
I have another question. It mentions that the bug will first insert an anticoagulant into your skin before biting. I take anticoagulants already for a heart problem, in the morning I wake up with new bruises all over my legs and arms and chest and back. Could this also be a sign?
nobugsonme | Aug 1, 2007 | Reply
Sue,
I really think you should talk to your doctor about that. I am not qualified to give medical advice (and of course, anyone who claims to be, online, may not be). Bruising can have all kind of causes and I think your doctor will want to know about that.
BedBugUncertain | Sep 3, 2007 | Reply
So, i took a picture of a bug on my boxspring that I thought looked a bedbug.
But when I blow up the photo, it doesn’t seem to have six legs — looks more like it has lots of them all around it’s body. (they look like numerous spikes, too many to count, all around the perimeter of the body)
Any thought on what else it could be? (I am still going to call an exterminator in to be sure, but this is the only bug I’ve seen and caught)
Thank you!
nobugsonme | Sep 3, 2007 | Reply
bedbuguncertain, it’s not a bed bug. (other readers: BBU sent me the photo.)
That does not mean you do not HAVE bed bugs. They may be hidden elsewhere.
It just means this is not one.
I would get a PCO who knows bed bugs to inspect your home. We have a FAQ on how to find one. Keep in mind they often hide well (for example, inbetween cracks in bed frames, rather than in or on the mattress itself.)
BedBugUncertain | Sep 3, 2007 | Reply
Thank you — good to know. And yeah, I am definitely having an exterminator come in later this week, and will be cleaning out all my clutter no matter what.
Whether I have bed bugs or other, I still want to be bug free.
nobugsonme | Sep 3, 2007 | Reply
Decluttering is good, but be careful how much cleaning you do before the PCO comes in. If you move things, you can move bed bugs. If you clean things, you can clean signs of bed bugs away. Best to get a thorough inspection first.
Jeff | Sep 8, 2007 | Reply
Hi, i like many of the other posters on this site, am loosing my mind! I say that sarcastically, but honestly I have so many issues that I feel like I truly may be going crazy. I noticed about a month ago a strange pimple like mark on my face. I am very conscience of my skin being clean and am a well groomed person. This marking that I thought was possibly a zit only grew in size and it looks like it has little tiny tiny red specks inside of it. It isn’t raised like a zit, but more indented in my skin like a tiny little crater. I know I should not have picked it, but I did of course. It hurt like hell, kinda like I was pulling off something that really didn’t want to be pulled off. Since I made that mistake I have had several more of these pop up in random places all over my face. The original one that I picked, came back but bigger. They bleed forever if I pick at them and they don’t go away even when I swab the markings with alcohol or acne medication containing salicylic acid. I don’t have a doctor and don’t feel that a trip to the ER is really the right thing to do. My room has kind of a lot of clutter in it. I am really busy, and lazy too, and haven’t unpacked boxes that were in storage for awhile. I am going to spend the day trying to get everything cleaned up so that I can eliminate any possible areas for any bugs to hide. But I need to do something about what is all over my face, it is looking really bad. Please any advice, help that you can give me would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.
nobugsonme | Sep 8, 2007 | Reply
HI Jeff,
Sorry you’re going through that.
Although people have really different bite reactions, as you can see from the link at top that says “photos of bed bug bites”, I have not heard a single person describe the original bump (before scratching) as a “crater” indented inward, as you did. I also have not heard anyone talk about bed bug bites being filled with red specks.
Therefore, I would be skeptical about this being bed bugs. I also would note that most people do not initially get bitten by bed bugs on their faces unless they sleep with almost everything else covered. Bites beginning on the legs, feet, arms, shoulders, and back seem to be more common. (Often people begin sleeping covered from head to toe to avoid bites, and leave only their faces exposed, making this more likely.) But it’s mostly your description that tells me this is probably from another cause.
So, I seriously think you should see a doctor. There are a lot of medical conditions that might cause such bumps and you really should get them looked at.
Cathy | Sep 22, 2007 | Reply
Hi!
I’ve come from my holidays on Tuesday from Portugal. I stayed in an old windmill converted in to a house. I noticed in bed some itchiness but did not get any bites or red marks. I came back home and washed my clothes but when I went to bed I started getting itchy everywhere. Now I’m not in bed and still feel it. As I’ve read the bed bugs bite so I think it should not be that… do bed bugs always bite? Do they make people itchy without biting or is it something else??? What is it???
Thanks!
nobugsonme | Sep 22, 2007 | Reply
HI Cathy,
I would get a doctor to rule out any medical conditions. There are a number of things which might be causing this besides bed bugs.
Bed bugs are possible: they can feel like you’re being bitten, even when you’re not. So you might be bitten at night but FEEL like you’re being bitten in the daytime when there’s nothing there. We have some FAQs on this.
And although most people have itchy welts or bite marks of some kind, I have heard a few people complain of itching without marks.
So I’d check with a doctor. And look also at the FAQs in the Bed Bugs 101 section here:
http://bedbugger.com/faqs
and click “Photos of bed bugs and signs of bed bugs” in the top banner. This will help you be alert for any signs–which may be quite hard to find, in a new infestation.
Jenni | Sep 28, 2007 | Reply
Hi
Two weeks ago I stayed in a hostel in Portugal which appeared to be immaculately kept. During the night I woke feeling like I there were several creatures crawling on me. At about 2 am I woke up enough to realise that I was infact not alone! I got up and turned the light on and found three brown bugs in the bed, which I quickly flicked onto the floor. As it was the middle of the night, I got the top sheet and shook it, then wrapped myself in it like a mummy and tried to cover my head and hands. I could feel them walking through my hair and over the sheet. Over 24 hours later bites appeared mostly on my hands, face and neck with a few on my legs and feet. Years ago I was bitten by bed bugs in Indonesia, although I never actually saw them.
My question is could the bites be from something else similar? I thought they were more oblong shape, though similar size and colour to the photos on the web. I have studied biology and was sure the bugs were beatles with a dividing line down their back, not with the segmentation that the photos all show. (Ofcourse when I saw them it was only for a few seconds and it was late and I didn’t stop study them!) what do you think? Thanks Jenni
nobugsonme | Sep 28, 2007 | Reply
There’s another bug called the blood-sucking cone nose that sucks your blood, and other insects (like masked assassin beetles) and mites that bite. The mites would be smaller. There are some kinds of ticks that might be possible. We have lots of photos on the site and links to others in the sidebar–I’d look at more photos and see, since bed bugs look different depending on life stage and depending on whether they just ate or not.
Lili | Oct 12, 2007 | Reply
Hiya,
Caught something that looks very much like a bed bug (light brown, 6 mm long, striby surface, flat). A couple of things make me doubt (wish!) it might be something else: it didn’t move particularly fast; it was crawling around my bed in the middle of the night but while the light was on; it has at least 8 legs (and on most photos it looks as if it’s only got between 4 and 6). What do you think?
nobugsonme | Oct 12, 2007 | Reply
If it was crawling slowly, it may be because it had fed. Did you look through all the photos posted and linked to here:
http://bedbugger.com/photos-of-bed-bugs-and-signs-of-bed-bugs/
?
They look quite different at different life stages and also before and after a meal. In the third photo down in the link above, the nymph clearly has 6 legs and two antennae. Could you have mistaken the antennae for legs?
Your best bet would be to catch a sample on the back of a piece of sticky tape. I know how hard that is.
Are you being bitten? Are there other signs? Is there any reason to think you may have bed bugs? How good a look did you get?
Renata | Oct 12, 2007 | Reply
Hello,
this web sites are so useful!! I am so glad I found them. I and my flatmate are having very difficult time now so I am searching for information everywhere. We surely have bed bugs at flat - we saw them, most of them in the morning or over the day. It means our flat is infestated very much,doesn¨t?:(
But the problem is - we are 3 in flat and we all saw a doctor. But to one of us the doctor said that she had been bitten by bedbugs but I and the third girl were said ( from different doctor) that we had been ill with scabies.
It is so difficult to decided if the diagnosis was right or not!! Copinng with scabies and bedbugs together is really terrible. I know that you are not a doctor - I just would like to hear your opinion. Do you think that scabies could be a wrong diagnosis? But my friend had a rush over all body, even on her belly and I dont know if bugs bite on such places:/We are very afraid of having scabies- to us it looks more infectious and serious than bugs.
nobugsonme | Oct 12, 2007 | Reply
Renata,
It is very difficult for doctors to diagnose bed bug bites. If you click the link above to “bed bug bites photos” you will see many variations. Lots of doctors do misdiagnose bed bug bites as scabies, since the skin conditions can look similar in some people.
Scabies, as I understand, can be detected by analyzing a skin scraping. I hope your flatmates will go back to the doctor and request this. It is POSSIBLE to have scabies AND to have bed bugs at the same time, though the two conditions are not related in any way, and this would be very bad luck to have both conditions at one time. I have heard of it happening.
However, it is also possible, if scabies were diagnosed purely on visual evidence, that your flatmates’ rashes are from the bed bugs. Though their first choice would probably be to bite exposed areas of skin, bed bugs can and do bite under clothing as well as exposed areas. Bites on the belly and other covered areas are common.
Since you have seen many bed bugs during the day, it does sound like you have a significant infestation. You must get treatment for your flat. You should also talk to the owners (if you rent) and neighbors. If your bed bugs appeared suddenly, in large quantity, it can be that a neighbor used a “bomb” to treat them, making them scatter to neighboring flats. It can also mean someone who had bed bugs moved out, and so they came looking for you. Of course, it is also possible that you have had them for a while before you reacted and/or saw them. But there’s a good chance neighboring flats or even the whole building may be infested. Treating one flat, in such a case, will do little to solve your problem.
One more thing–scabies may sound terrible, but it can be solved with the application of a lotion from the doctor. Usually one treatment is needed, sometimes two. All clothing, sheets, towels, etc. must be washed and dried on hot.
But bed bugs can persist for months, even with treatment. So in my opinion, they can be more serious. Please get a professional to help you right away, and talk to the people in your building.
Renata | Oct 13, 2007 | Reply
Thank you very much for your quick answer:)The problem is in the whole house, we have just got to know that a neighbor above us underwent the same problem.
But because we are students we just rent this flat so we of course want to move as quick as possible. BUT!!!of course we know that we can’t move with all our things becouse that would only spread bed bugs to this another clean flat. So we plan to be very careful, move there just few necessary pieces of clothes at first. And the rest of our things after professional de-infestication in the old flat.
So I have thousands of questions I hope you can help me with. We need to avoid to spread bedbugs to our jobs (hotel, househodls),so..
1.Can bugs stay in your hair?
2.We are from Czech republic and here is not usual to have dryer at home. So would be bedbugs and eggs destroyed by normal washing in washing machine? And
how high should the temperature be?40°c or 60°c or 90°c?
3.And would be enough to just put (dive) thing in the water for 2-3days? (back-pack, big rucksacks, school bags, etc - things which are to big to put them into the wash.mach.)
4.And what about freezer? I mean the normal one that we use to freeze food. Will it destroy bugs@eggs?;) and how long should we leave things there?
5.What about shoes? Do we have to clean our daily used shoes after each night before going to work, etc.? I know that before going somewhere we should always take a shower and wear a clean clothes but how to do it with shoes?
6.Do you have any experience if the bed bugs hide in papers in drawers in writing table?
7.Could be eggs found alone without any other signs of bedbugs? We are afraid of glancing over the eggs because it is difficult to find them in books and papers,…
I hope that you are not infest with my questions:)
Thank you very much. Renata
Leah | Oct 15, 2007 | Reply
I’ve heard that there have been several recent cases of bed bugs in the Prague area-I live in Prague 2 and have been attacked viciously for a month by the creepy creatures–I finally found 2 adult sized bed bugs last night, living in my bed frame. I am furious! I just moved into a new, renovated flat and this is the last thing I’d expect…yuck. I have an exterminator coming later this week ot treat my bedroom and perhaps my entire flat. I was told that it would cost between 1500-2000 kc. GOOD LUCK. L|G
nobugsonme | Oct 15, 2007 | Reply
dobry den, Renata,
I wish you were having a better time. Bed bugs are very difficult to kill.
1. No– they should not be living in your hair or on your body. They can hang out in your clothing, but will run and hide as soon as they can. A shower and clean clothes will help.
2. entomologist Michael Potter suggests a washing machine will kill bed bugs but not eggs. Read the article linked from this FAQ for Dr. Potter’s information. It might be worth going to a laundromat if they are available, but otherwise, you can only do your best.
3. Immersing things in boiling water might work. I think it is the temperature not the length of time that matters.
4. The freezer should kill bed bugs and eggs. However, it can take longer than you think. You should determine the temperature of the freezer. Items might need to be left as long as 1-2 weeks if it is not very cold, and then opening the freezer will raise the temperature each time. All the good data on freezing times assumes lower temperatures than the standard home freezer is likely to have.
5. The FAQ linked above and the others here might help.
6. Yes–they will hide in clutter. They prefer to be close to where they bite you (which can be in a chair as well as in a bed).
7. You may not be able to see eggs. I would follow Leah’s advice and get a professional to treat your home (and make sure the landlord does this for neighbors on all sides, top, and bottom, as well as anyone else with a problem). All must be treated at once and you will likely need more than one treatment–spaced about 2 weeks apart. The two of you are not the only folks in Prague who have written in lately. I think it is a big problem there as everywhere else.
Ami | Nov 8, 2007 | Reply
Hi, firstly, thanks for the very informative site, though it’s freaked me out more now!
I’d like to get your opinion on whether or not I may have bed bugs.
For the last 11 days, my partner and I have been getting bitten from the waist down whenever we’re in bed. Initially, we did think we had bed bugs, so did some research on the web for signs and ways to confirm infestations. Somebody suggested that during the night, grab a flashlight and quickly check under the sheets between 3 - 6am as we’d be able to find bed bugs looking for a feed. My partner did this while I was sleeping, several times through the night, and saw nothing.
Secondly, we have no bedbug poop (in the sense that we have no black stains on the bed)! Or blood stains. And last night, as I hopped on to the bed (with all my clothes - pants, shirt, jumper), I got another bite, and during the day some time, with my clothes on again, I got 4 bites on my hip. So unless there are some very diligent bedbugs in my clothes…. I’m not sure.
There were two nights where we didn’t get bitten at all - I had vacuumed on the first day, sprayed the mattress with insecticide (as a per a recommendation from a friend who had bedbugs and said that worked… I’m doubting it now) and sprayed the entire surrounding area of our bed (we have floorboards). I repeated the spraying ritual around the bed on the second night, too, and got no bites.
This morning I thought it might be fleas, and was about to go buy flea aerosol bombs, until I saw your site. Which says
1) I may never see a bed bug!
2) Tell-tale signs may not be there for everyone, and,
3) Aerosol cans are going to worsen a bedbug infestation
So I thought I’d ask what I should do now. I don’t wanna make it worse with the aerosol bomb, and I’ve inspected all the seams of the mattress and found nothing. So I’m very very confused and lost now! Please help!
-Ami
Ami | Nov 8, 2007 | Reply
P.S. Our bites are extremely ambiguous in the sense that they look like normal mosquito bites but smaller (like some of the photos you have up here on bedbugger), so I can’t tell if it’s fleas or bedbugs as they’re just regular itching bites to me.
nobugsonme | Nov 8, 2007 | Reply
The appearance can vary widely, Ami, and the photos on our bites page do not represent all possibilities.
Your situation certainly sounds like bed bugs. I would not try and self treat, but would get a PCO in. Everyone eventually sees some signs but in the early stages, they may be minimal. Many see black, brown, or red fecal SPECKS rather than stains as in the photos. The specks are little black flecks. The color may vary along the red-black range. But if you have only been bitten a short time, there may not be many. Using white sheets and clothing helps.
I’d get a PCO in asap. And if you live in a multi-unit, consider that they may have come from neighbors, who will need to be inspected and treated by a PCO. It is common for people not to react to bites, so they may not even know.
katie | Nov 29, 2007 | Reply
Hi, Over the past few days I have noticed various bites come up on my legs and arms and chest, the reactions I have had to the bites has been very inflamed and itchy. I usually react badly to bites however these are particularly bad due to the sheer amount of bites. My bed sheets are black therefore I cannot make out any markings on my sheets. Im unsure what to do now as im not sure I actually have bedbugs.
Katie
nomorebugs | Nov 29, 2007 | Reply
With this many bites, you might see something. Check the seams around your mattress. Check very carefully as they are small. Google or google flickr.com bed bug for what you should check for. Check everything near the bed.
hopelessnomo | Nov 29, 2007 | Reply
Also, sometimes for some people when they first start reacting all their previous bites surface at once.
Switch to white sheets and white bedclothes and save anything you find for identification.
There are additional FAQs and photo resources on this site.
goinginsane | Dec 9, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
Thanks for the great forum. 3 months ago my parents visited and we stayed in an invested London hotel, but we didn’t realize this until we slept one night in my apartment (with my mom on my couch). My parents left after that night. I washed all clothes i brought super hot (and ruined some), my backpack, vacuumed *all* furniture, floors, etc., and very thoroughly cleaned in every way recommended on the websites. Hours of work. My (small) apartment is in brand new good condition, absolutely no clutter, with no cracks or anything i can see.
Then a few evenings ago, I see one little brown bug crawling down my couch. Definitely a bed bug. I tore the couch apart and haven’t found any signs of feces or molted skin, nor have i had a single bite.
I would call a PCO, but i live in Germany and i can’t even begin to imagine who i need to call. We’re scheduled to throw the couch out tomorrow morning, but i hate to throw it away because of one solitary bug and no other signs. Could it be that he was the only survivor and that i should wait for other signs? What would you do if you were me?
Thanks for your help.
Psychosomatic in Cologne
nobugsonme | Dec 9, 2007 | Reply
goinginsane,
Sorry you have bed bugs. I doubt that this is a solitary bed bug. Try to call someone who does pest control first, since they may even be able to salvage the sofa. If you must throw it out, be sure to destroy it first (slash it up with a knife) because if your neighbors salvage it, the cycle can begin all over again–they can come back!
You can be assured you are not the only one in Germany, and so there will definitely be people who can help. This is a map of European bedbugger.com readers. As you can see we have many in Germany. Find someone who does pest control, a well-known, good company with lots of experience in your city should have had some bed bug cases already–they are everywhere!
Good luck and come to the forums if you need support. Click the blue button at top right that says “forum.”
tab097 | Dec 10, 2007 | Reply
Hi,
Yeah, i find it hard to believe it is just one bug. I learned the word for Pest Control (Schädlingsbekämpfung) and chose a company that advertises that it’s been in Germany for 45 years with offices around the world. I talked to a guy today who is going to come by wednesday morning and verify that my dead bug is really a bed bug (which i’m already sure of) and check out my couch. Thanks for the map. If this guy can’t help me i’ll definitely choose one of your readers!
Thanks so much for your reply and cross your fingers for me (or as the germans would say: press your thumbs)! Even if i have a war ahead of me, it’s nice to know i’m not alone.
Tabitha
nomorebugs | Dec 10, 2007 | Reply
This is the first I’ve heard of bed bugs in Germany. I would be interested to learning if a PCO in Gemany is better able to eliminate bed bugs.
Are there no or little German language blogs or forums on bed bugs?
Guess I’m always looking for new information (provided it’s some factual science and research behind it).
nobugsonme | Dec 11, 2007 | Reply
HI Tabitha,
Good to know the German for PCO!
Not sure if our readers can help–but they’re at least proof you aren’t alone. When people say “bed bugs aren’t a problem in (Cincinnati, Glasgow, Prague, Halifax, Alaska, etc.) I love to point them to the map. It’s in the sidebar midway down if you want to see your cohort outside Europe.
Your PCO is likely to know what they’re doing (or be in touch with someone who does). The only thing better would be if they had a PCO who’d been there since the late 40s, when the great mass of people last had to deal with bed bugs without DDT. (There have been cases since, everywhere, but not like before, or now.)
—
nomorebugs,
As far as we know there is a Francophone bed bug blog out of Montreal (La Cibole de Cimex) and a number in the US in English, three of these in NYC alone (see links to right). Only a few of the Anglophone ones are active or solely about bed bugs, and as far as I know Bedbugger and thebedbugresource.com forum are the most active.
I speak only of bed bug blogs and forums; many more blogs became “about bed bugs” for a time while the author dealt with the problem; they’re often as interesting even if the bed bug story only lasts for a limited time. And they’re in the links too. I haven’t got them all there, but most of the ones I’ve seen.
(Don’t know of any in other languages or countries, but I don’t doubt they’re out there, or on their way, and we’d love to hear about them.)
Ottawabugs | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
Hi,
Your site is great. We (my husband, myself and our 2 children) went to Ottawa for a visit about a month ago. When my husband woke up the next morning in our hotel room, we noticed red “dots/smears” all over the bedsheet but there was nothing on his body. (I had slept in the sofa bed with our daughter) We did not recognize this as a bedbug sign but just thought the sheets had not been changed since the last people and were disgusted. The hotel changed the sheets for us and we stayed 2 more nights with no other signs of anything.
A week later, back at home, my husband started getting red bums on the back of his arms and on the sides of his hips. Through our research we discovered that the hotel must have had bbs but my question is: could my husband have reacted a week later to the bites or did we bring some critters home with us?
I freaked out and washed everything from the trip including bedsheets etc. My husband’s rash went away in a few days and we thought that was the end of the ordeal, that his was just a delayed reaction to the bites. But now, 2 days ago I woke up with what looked like a solitary mosquito bite that was itchy (gone the next day) and my daughter has now woken up with tiny red pinpricks (2 on her face, 1 on her hand and 2 on her back) We have not seen any evidence (live bugs, feces, eggs etc.) but now I’m freaking out again!
Should we be calling a PCO or are we over reacting.
nobugsonme | Mar 9, 2008 | Reply
Ottawabugs,
It is possible that your husband originally had a delayed reaction. Some of the university fact sheets tell us reactions can happen up to nine days later. However, since you and your child are now reacting and it has been a month, you absolutely do need a PCO.
Please read the other FAQs and feel free to post additional messages and questions on the forums. (Click the forums button at top right.)
bettwanzen | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
Hello there,
thanks to your site I’m able to know what was going on with me. I rented my apartment for two months because I was going for a long trip and when I came back I started to notice these itchy bums every couple of days on me. After a month I realized they were bedbugs but didn’t see any until 3 weeks ago that I caught one, I thought was the only one because I didn’t get any bites until today, when I woke up with new bums. I made crazy-cleaning and found another little guy, and of course got very upset.
What should I do?! I’m an international student in Hamburg (Germany), living in a flat with another guy, funny to say he hasn’t had any bite ever. I could “easily” leave to another apartment but it will cost me some effort or I could fight back stronger these critters.
What do you suggest me?????
I’m desperate to find a solution, been already 2 months of not sleeping well!!!
nobugsonme | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
Hi Bettwanzen,
Sorry for your trouble.
You need a pest control professional. I am sure there are good ones in Hamburg. If you own your apartment, then you probably have to pay. If you have a landlord, the law may require them to pay (we don’t know the housing laws there). In any case, you really need a professional to come and treat.
If you look at the map of our readers, you will see people are logging in to this website from all over Germany.
This suggests bed bugs are a big problem there and a good pest professional should know what to do.
You may also need your neighbors to be professionally inspected. While this may have come from your recent tenant, it can also come from neighbors. Your roommate can be bitten and have no idea (we’re told 50% of people may not get itching or bite marks), so he must have his room treated too–the whole apartment, in fact.
Come to the forums if you have further questions!
http://bedbugger.com/forum
Emma | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Hi,
I moved into a flat last july and bought all new furniture but about a month ago I noticed some bites on my legs mainly, since then they have appeared on my hip, arm and back. It isn’t alot just one here or there. I have checked my bed for any signs of infestation, I sleep with white sheets but I haven’t found signs of anything. No fecal spots or flecks, nothing! It’s getting really frustrating now. The woman who lived in the flat before me had a cat, is it possible it fleas? But it just seemed so odd that it happened oput of the blue, I have had no visitors, no second hand furniture, nothing has changed.
Thanks
Emma
nobugsonme | Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Could be fleas. You can get a flea trap and test this idea.
You might want to get the doctor to rule out scabies and folliculitis (per the FAQ above).
Bed bugs can come from neighbors or can be picked up and brought in (though the former seems very common in apartment buildings). If you are renting, your landlord may be liable to pay for inspection/treatment. If you do have them, neighbors above, below and on all sides must also be professionally inspected.
You can probably rule out fleas and scabies fairly swiftly.
destiny | Apr 15, 2008 | Reply
How long do bed bugs fest before they start to feed. I purchased bed mattress 2 years ago. I’m wondering if the mattress was infested at the time of purchase.
nobugsonme | Apr 15, 2008 | Reply
Bed bugs would have started feeding you right away. It is true that some people do not react for awhile (say a few months) and some never react. I would guess in your case they came from elsewhere–a neighbor, workplace, school, public transportation, etc.
If you have more comments or questions, please go to the forums:
http://bedbugger.com/forum
LittleBuggers | Apr 24, 2008 | Reply
Is it possible to have bed bugs and not see any bites?
Last night I was awoken from deep sleep (about 3am) from something biting me (back of my knee). The pain lasted a couple of minutes. No sign of a bite.
Previously I’ve had the same thing happen on the tops of my feet, back of my thigh shortly after going to bed.
I’m convinced it’s either bugs or fleas (we have a cat, but he gets regular treatment) but have never found evidence (husks, excrement etc).
livingnightmare | Apr 29, 2008 | Reply
I really need help. I can’t eat or sleep I’m so freaked about this. This is a long post so let me state my question up front first–how do I find a PCO in my area (Baltimore) who will deal with this when I have no obvious signs other than one dead bug that popped out of the dryer tonight as I pulled out my laundered sheets (THREE WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL EXPOSURE, ARGH), a possible egg casing collected from my sheet this morning (ewww), a few blood spots on the sheets, and a random bite here or there.
I have inspected and vacuumed my mattress and seen no bugs or eggs–nothing but possible very light droppings in one spot on the baseboard near the bed. Still one or two blood smears a night. And now I find a couple of round blood spots on the sheet covering the living room furniture that my dogs sleep on (normal dog-related stuff or bedbugs, who knows?). Mostly I am concerned that my dogs are spreading bbs around the house–they sleep on the living room furniture, the floor of every room (some carpeted, some hardwood with lots of cracks), the futon in our guest room, the upholstered chair in my den, the bed, everywhere. Should I be trying to keep them contained or is it too late? I have kept everything vacuumed and laundered as best as I can since the initial exposure (nasty hotel room that we were only in for about 2 hours before realizing), but you know how overwhelming dealing with a house full of stuff from the last 10 years is.
I want to try a PCO but I’m so afraid they won’t help and I feel overwhelmed trying to find an experienced one that will also consider my pets–a Google search turned up nothing useful. I feel like getting in the car and going to buy a steamer and some DE now but I’m so exhausted from all the vacuuming and inspecting and finding nothing but possibly a little fecal matter on the baseboard (but possibly dirt, how can I be sure) and those evil blood spots and that dead bug (only one we’ve ever seen in this house) that I feel I’m about to crack. Also I am concerned that through all the laundry I have done my laundry room is infested, despite the dozens of bags I have used to transport things.
And what about my car? We brushed ourselves off as best as possible before jumping into it as we left the nasty hotel but not everything was bagged at that point and it was quite late at night–I’m worried that every time we ride in the car we are picking some hitchikers up and bringing them in the house.
I have read all the FAQ and know I’m not supposed to panic, and I am a rational person, but how can I not panic? I have lots of summer travels and visitors planned. I am smoking cigarettes again, skipping meals, hitting the Jameson, and popping valium like crazy but the whole thing is just making me literally insane. So sorry for the long rant, I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before.
nobugsonme | Apr 30, 2008 | Reply
HI livingnightmare,
Please copy and repost your comment in the forums:
http://bedbugger.com/forum
You will get many responses there and can also read old posts discussing Baltimore PCOs. It might help to find a local PCO that has access to (or trusts) a bed bug dog, which can be an aid to detecting cases especially in early stages.
Gregg Strouse | May 6, 2008 | Reply
I’ve been battling bed bugs for half a year. I ordered a kit: bed cover, spray, DE, slippery tape, and I did it all. I washed everything. Lifted the carpet and vacuumed. Bagged all my books. And I still get bites!! Since the first infestation (which was massive) I’ve only seen 2 bugs. I don’t see any feces, no shells, no blood, but my legs are devoured. WhenI go away on vacation, the itching stops. I still spray, put out DE, change my sheets, to no avail. How can I find them? How do I end this? It’s causing mental anguish.
nobugsonme | May 6, 2008 | Reply
Gregg,
I would seriously recommend getting a professional who knows bed bugs to come in and treat. See the FAQ on choosing a PCO so you know what questions to ask.
I know bed bugs can be hard to treat, but you should be able to beat them with the right help.
Please come to the forums if you want more support (click blue forums button at top right).