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Bite primer - information on bites and reactions
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Bed Bug Bites Preface
It is important to understand that the variables involved in the development of a bite response are vast and many. Therefore it is really not possible to diagnose an infestation of bed bugs from bite symptoms / morphology alone. This document aims to outline a few of the variables that have been seen in recent years. It must also be stressed that not every bites you have will defiantly be from a bed bug, if you get a single lone bite and nothing for months and months it may just be a something unrelated to bed bugs.Will you react at all?
Some people never respond to the bites, they can live unaware of the fact that they have bed bugs until they seen one or find the signs that they have been present. It is believed that this figure is as high as 60% of all exposed people and accounts for the main reason why some people seem to get bitten while a partner in the same bed is bite free.
This is the most common reason for an infestation going undetected in a hotel room, if no-one complains it may not get detected for a very long time.
When will you respond?
Some people respond immediately upon contact with a bed bug while others can take up to 14 days to develop a reaction. This is very much a factor of your own immune system and if your body perceives it as a threat. It is not uncommon for someone to respond quickly after a previous encounter with bed bugs as the body learns that bite response can be a good early warning signal. The more severe the reaction to bed bugs the faster the response will occur.
Are some bites more severe?
Yes some people have an extreme reaction to bed bugs and develop what is termed a bullion eruption, a severe reaction which swells and appears to be like a blister while others report nothing more than a red area that fades after a few minutes. You may also find that you skin responds differently in different parts of the body, as a rule try to avoid bites on the hands, feet and face as they tend to react the most. If you develop bites that develop into blisters within a few minutes seek medical attention immediately.Sometimes the bites itch and sometimes they don’t, why is that?
Again our bodies respond in different ways at different times. Bites are more likely to itch if you are over heated such as in a warm bath or shower, during exercise or in a warm car. They can also itch more if your skin is dry or exposed to harsh conditions. You should avoid over chlorinated water such as swimming pools and body lotions with alcohol in them.
It is not uncommon for people to report increased itching after an encounter with bed bugs, the skin just seems to become more sensitive to things.
How long will a bite last?
The duration of a bite will depend mainly on your bodies ability to heal itself, if a cut or nick would heal quickly then you are more likely to have bites that clear quickly. If you scratch a bite then it effectively becomes an open wound on your skin and is susceptible to secondary infections, if left unscratched a bed bug bite from a normal reaction will usually heal without an scaring. If you have bullion / blister type reactions seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Does the environment play a role?Yes it can play a significant role. The more polluted the environment the more likely you are to react to bites. This is because a bite is basically a small puncture wound in the skin, just the same as a cut or scratch will react more in a polluted environment due to your bodies immune response the same will occur with a bite. It has even been reported by numerous people that a change in environment or regular travel pattern has coincided with a sudden response to bites and the uncovering of some advances infestations.
Is stress a factor?
Yes the more stress you are under the more likely you are to respond to bites. It’s really your bodies way of telling you mind that something is wrong and that you need to stop and look for the cause of the problem. Although it is difficult to not obsess over bed bugs when you have a problem but it can play a massive role in some peoples infestations.I know I don’t have bed bugs but I keep getting bites
It may be that your body is still reacting to something in the environment or it could be that something else is actually causing the problem. Some people with prolonged exposure to bed bugs develop a sensitivity to the material that makes up their skins, chitin. As this is a common component of most insect skins you can become hyper sensitive to it, almost as if you body wants an early warning signal for potential infestations. The problem is that this is a common material and can even be used as a filler for food products and supplements (non insect derived of course) but taking products containing chitin can result in bite like reactions. It is also possible that other insects such as pscocids can start a bite like reaction even though they do not generally walk on people.My old bites seem to flare up from time to time
Again environment, stress and many factors can result in an old bite flaring up. I have even seen some people just think about bed bugs and bites appear.I have read about bites appearing in threes but I usually only get ones or two’s, why is that?
Although some people report the classic “breakfast, lunch and dinner” bite patterns it is not something that everyone gets. Although there is no scientific data on the subject it is safe to assume that if a bed bug is able to get enough food from a single piercing then it will not feed again and will return to its refugia to digest the meal. If it is unable to get a full meal due to blood clotting, difficult skin to penetrate or some other factor then it may need to pierce the skin again. In which case it is safe to assume that it is likely to bite again in a close cluster. In the numerous feeding experiments I have conducted I am yet to witness more than a single piercing event from a single bed bug during a feed.I sometimes feel a pin prick like sensation can that be bed bugs?
Generally people report that bed bug bites cannot be felt and it is certainly my experience from feeding in the lab. However I have noticed that when I have spent time in heavily infested locations I often get a needling sensation on my skin for hours afterwards, I have also noticed it in properties where inappropriately high levels of insecticide have been applied or where layers of insecticide have been applied without any removal. It is unlikely that any prickling sensations are directly due to bed bugs but it can form part of your bodies early warning signs of them being present. In some exceptional circumstances people have used this response as a quick evaluation of if an area has bed bugs, it does not replace a thorough inspection but I have seen it used to encourage further inspection to eventually find samples.After treating for bed bugs my skin felt a little “crawlie and tingley” why is that?
Some people who are more sensitive to chemicals report this as a symptom of exposure. This is one of the main reasons why appropriate protective equipment must be worn, especially with store bought products.
Prolonged feelings of things crawling on your skin can be a symptom of other medical conditions and should be discussed with a medical professional if it persists for more than a few days.How can I tell what type of reaction I get to bed bugs?
Although this is not something that we would recommend the only way to establish exactly what you reaction is involved performing a series of experiments comparing the difference between known bed bug bites on your skin and small punctures made with a blood sampling needle. You should not attempt this if you have a more aggressive or irritating bite response.I keep getting bitten but can’t find any signs of bed bugs, why is that?
Unfortunately bites alone does not equate to bed bugs, there are far too many other things that could be an issue to think this way. If you keep getting bitten and can’t find any signs then you need to consider other possibilities. I would suggest that if you get to 20 bites a night or 50 bites in total and cannot find any faecal traces then it is unlikely to be bed bugs if you feel you have searched everywhere.Things that are known to make your bite reaction worse:
Getting over heated such as a hot bath, shower or exercise. If you need to maintain a good exercise regime switch to swimming in low chlorinated water and definitely not sea water.
Dry skin either through exposure to the elements or dry air, try to keep well moisturised and hydrated.
Excessive application of body creams that contain alcohol, strong colours or fragrances.
Exposure to high levels of environmental pollution, often associated with areas of high hydro carbon pollution such as air ports.
This is a working document, please do not repeat post elsewhere but link back to this page as I will continue to edit it as the source.
Please feel free to post comments or further questions below.
David Cain
Bed Bugs Limited
www.Bed-Bugs.co.uk -
eatingmealive
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Joined: Oct '08
Posts: 106
Posted 9 months ago
Tue Feb 3 2009 20:29:29
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Thanks David!
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brooklynbite
newbite
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 26
Posted 9 months ago
Tue Feb 3 2009 20:42:00
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Thank you *so* much for putting in the time to put this together!
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MyWorstFear
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Posts: 266
Posted 9 months ago
Tue Feb 3 2009 20:59:05
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Thank you David. Excellent post!!!
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eatenalivenh
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Joined: Dec '08
Posts: 116
Posted 9 months ago
Tue Feb 3 2009 21:21:22
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Wonderful thank you! I feel like I understand my bites better now. I have noticed that when bitten on certain more sensitive ares such as my hands and face that the bites are noticeable when I wake up while bites in less sensitive areas take longer to appear for me, this help me to put that into perspective.
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brooklynbite
newbite
Joined: Jan '09
Posts: 26
Posted 9 months ago
Wed Feb 4 2009 12:46:41
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This is the first morning, since our PCO treatment last Thursday, that I have not woken up with new spots. The PCO said that while they have pretty good results with minro infestations with one treatment (in terms of not having to do a follow up) to expect to keep getting bitten for up to about 5 days as the bugs die off.
I have noticed that my bites since the treatment (if they are indeed new and not delayed) look a bit different. They are "punier" for lack of a better descriptor - more faint, and gone in about a day.
Has anyone else experienced this?
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spideyjg
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Posts: 1,405
Posted 9 months ago
Wed Feb 4 2009 14:46:15
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Some info on “spider bites” that may apply here especially in the first article.
http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/spidermyth/myths/asleep.html
http://spiders.ucr.edu/necrotic.html
http://www.jabfm.org/cgi/content/full/17/3/220
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=2320020
Basically “spider bites” is another misnomer for mysterious skin conditions that appear on people.
As David's excellent article points out skin reactions can be caused by a host of conditions and, although not mentioned in this thread, I often see posts referring to “spider bites” but the facts don't play out as this being common.
Jim
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For reason I cant edit the post at the top but I wanted to include a new section.
Things that are known to make your bite reaction worse:
Getting over heated such as a hot bath, shower or exercise. If you need to maintain a good exercise regime switch to swimming in low chlorinated water and definitely not sea water.
Dry skin either through exposure to the elements or dry air, try to keep well moisturised and hydrated.
Excessive application of body creams that contain alcohol, strong colours or fragrances.
Exposure to high levels of environmental pollution, often associated with areas of high hydro carbon pollution such as air ports.
More edits once it is unlocked.
David
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buggyinsocal
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Joined: Jun '08
Posts: 1,130
Posted 9 months ago
Thu Feb 5 2009 15:46:49
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RE: that last addendum . . .
Other than the strongly scented or alcohol-based lotions, I was 3 for 4 of that last list, living, like I do in arid southern California, having my infestation in the summer, and preferring really hot showers while living near the biggest port in the country. To say nothing of my frequent travel by air, and living within 30 miles of 3 airports (the nearest of which is less than 6 miles away).
This may explain in large part why I reacted to strongly to the bites when, at least as a teenager, I only had an average to just slightly above average allergic reaction to other biting insects (mosquitos and deer flies).
As always, thanks for the info.
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Hi David,
I've added your edits above.It might be good to add this to the FAQs. What do you think?
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Wasn't sure where to post this one. Talks about various chemical treatments (residuals) and studies with you know who...
http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1603/0022-0493(2006)99%5B2080%3ALEOIPE%5D2.0.CO%3B2?prevSearch=[all:%20[keyword:
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mangycur
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Posts: 275
Posted 9 months ago
Sun Feb 15 2009 19:45:05
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I think this would be a great addition to the FAQs. I just wanted to add that in my personal experience, I apparantly developed a tolerance for bed bug bites. Don't know if you want to add a paragraph about that phenomenon. Basically, when I first got bed bugs I was waking up with very itchy bites that took a few days to disappear. Last time I had a confirmed bed bug siting, I wasn't noticing any bites whatsoever, but I found 7 live bugs in my bed one morning. My best guess is that my immune system has decided that bed bugs aren't really a health threat to me so why bother alerting? On the one hand this is a bummer, because if I still have them, I don't have an alert system. (I am doing monthly inspections of my bedroom to look for signs of them.) On the other hand, at least I'm sleeping.
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