Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Bed bug bites, skin, etc.
Strange bites while staying at boyfriend's; he claims to have never been bit
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first_time_bit
newbite
Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 4
Posted 1 year ago
Sun Apr 13 2008 2:46:32
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I was staying with my boyfriend for the past few days. I rarely go to his place - we have a long-distance relationship and he usually visits me - last time I was there was 6 months ago. One morning while there I woke up with strange marks on my legs that started itching and haven't gone away for two days now. The bites looked like this after two days: http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/567452/640/567452.jpg . At first they were less red and looked more like pinkish-whitish puffy welds about the size of a penny each. I ruled out mosquitoes, because it is too early for them right now, plus the bites turned out to be way too itchy and persistent for that. I've been reading various posts on this site. Someone has suggested that sometimes people get bit outside of the home. The night before the discovery of the bites we went out to a sushi place and a lounge, but I was wearing boots and jeans the whole time, so I don't see how I could have gotten bit then. We tore his bed apart, but didn't find any obvious signs of bugs. He claims to never have seen similar marks on himself. As a result, he's somewhat skeptical that my marks are necessarily from bed bugs, but has no idea as to what else it could be. At this point, I'm mostly nervous that somehow he has bed bugs, but is not reactive to their bites and thus is living with them without knowing it. I'm afraid that they will hitchhike with him to my place one of the next times he visits. I should also mention that he rents the downstairs of a house and the landlord family lives upstairs... could their place be infected and bugs be crawling downstairs only occasionally and I just got unlucky? Can anyone with more experience offer an opinion on the situation and some advice? Thank you!
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Hi,
Its extremely difficult to identify an insect based on the bites so it’s best to learn what to look for an encourage him to do an inspection as well.
It is absolutely correct that he may not respond to being bitten, a large proportion of the population don't which is why the problem can spread so easily undetected from location to location.
The definitive signs of an infestation are:
1 Live samples - there are numerous good pictures out there if you google.
2 Cast off skins (a paper thin cream coloured skin of the bed bugs as they develop (a bit like a snake skin looks just like a snake)).
3 Faecal traces - these are usually round dots about 1mm to 2mm in diameter most commonly found on the piping of the mattress, frame of the bed and around the head board. The heavier the infestation the more of these you will find.
4 A distinctive sweet musty odour - this take a while to build up and although dogs can detect it at low levels most people find it hard to detect and by the time it builds up the infestation is usually advanced.Other signs which are indicative of a problem but not necessarily Bed Bugs are:
5 Blood spots on the sheets and linen - means something is biting you or that you are reacting to something not necessarily bed bugs.
6 Bite marks or to be more accurate a bite type response.I would always recommend that you check any bed that you are planning on sleeping in for the signs of bed bugs because if you avoid contact with them they will not be an issue for you. This does include friends and family as well as Hotels.
In your own home you should get into the practice of once a month cleaning your sleeping area and while you are doing that check for the signs of bed bugs. They are a lot easier to deal with if caught at the earlier stages of an infestation.
If you are looking for specific galleries I am a little biased but you can’t go wrong with:
www.Bed-Bugs.co.uk
www.BedBugBeware.comPlease remember that these are images of more advanced infestations and the signs you see may not be as numerous as the ones in the images.
There is however plenty of other things that it could be based on the bite images including fleas, dust mite allergy, allergic reaction to main the more common ones.
Let us know what you find and if possible get some images of what you find as just with the ones you have posted so far it helps a lot in assisting you with identification.
David
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first_time_bit
newbite
Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 4
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Apr 17 2008 11:14:34
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Thank you, David, for a really detailed response. We are both going to be extra vigilant in checking our places and looking for more proof that this is indeed bed bugs. I have another mini-crisis, though. When coming home, I tried to check for bugs. When I got in, I washed my clothes (though not in hot water) and vacuumed my luggage. I'm afraid I didn't read this forum until afterwards, when I realized that if I did bring anything back with me, my precautions weren't enough. This morning (six days after I saw the first bites at my boyfriend's), I noticed a few small itchy bites on me again. I'm freaking out! Does this most likely mean I brought some home with me (if what I'm seeing are indeed bed bugs, that is)? Could some bites come out the next day and some a week later? A few of the bites are way up in my inner thigh, which would be hard to get to last night, given the fact that I was wearing long pants to sleep... wouldn't the bugs rather bite easier to get to places? The first night I was bitten I wore underwear. What should I do now? Also, it's my birthday tomorrow and some friends are coming to stay with me. I can't cancel that... do I tell them? Do I insist we stay at a hotel, so they don't get the bugs? I'm probably too emotional about this, but I'm really scared :( My boyfriend is still puzzled over having never been bitten (or never seeing bites on himself). I've traveled to see my parents and my boyfriend in the past month (all within North America). Could I have gotten the bugs in my luggage somehow from air travel and that's how they got to my boyfriend's as well as here?
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MixedFeelings
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 181
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Apr 17 2008 12:00:37
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As someone who is currently experiencing this awful pest, my vote would be that you *do* tell your friends you suspect you may have bed bugs. And then let them decide if they want to risk coming to your place or not.
If you don't tell them, and do have BBs, and someone gets it, you have 2 issues:
1. They may find out that you knew, and didn't tell them, and be mad. (I would be livid.)
2. Another person in the world now has BBs, furthering the issue and possibly spreading them to even more people.I know it's hard not to panic, I did too initially. But there are things you can do, the problem *is* usually solvable. I don't have time to write all measures right now, but keep reading and posting here.
MF
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first_time_bit
newbite
Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 4
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Apr 17 2008 12:13:04
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MF, you're right. I will tell them and I will let them choose what to do... I know I'm upset and don't know how to deal right now, but I have to be rational about it. Thank you . If they decide to stay here, any ideas on how they can minimize the chance of exposure?
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Hi,
I appreciate that this is a stressful situation and that it has come and precisely the wrong time for you but the correct steps at this stage are to identify if the problem is Bed Bugs. Have your boyfriend check his bed for signs, if they are there then you need to read and understand what steps to take. Until you have inspected and checked it impossible to say anything other than you are getting bitten.
At this stage your bite at home might be a Bed Bug , it might be any of the aforementioned things or even a delayed reaction to what you reacted to at the boyfriends.
I would suggest that you isolate everything that was at the boyfriends including bags and clothes and inspect your place. Finding signs int he early stage is obviously harder than an infested location but it is possible.
If you know its Bed Bugs then guests should not stay in your room. Its cheaper for them to stay in a hotel than to get infected and need treating themselves.
There are numerous ways of getting bed bugs by exposure but first you need to establish if you have them and work on a logical and methodical resolution from there.
David
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first_time_bit
newbite
Joined: Apr '08
Posts: 4
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Apr 17 2008 12:28:04
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David, you are absolutely right. I'm taking a day off today to look at my place one more time. I have very little time to prepare for my friends' arrival, as the first one is coming tomorrow morning. I will call both of them today and warn them. One of them is driving, so maybe she'll decide not to come. I checked my bed so far and found no signs of bugs or eggs. I was thinking of getting resealable bags and putting as many things as I can in them for now. Any ideas as to where I can get some? Anything else I can do in just a day if I don't see anything in particular to deal with or treat?
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MixedFeelings
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Joined: Jan '08
Posts: 181
Posted 1 year ago
Thu Apr 17 2008 14:07:29
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Hi first_time,
I'm glad you've decided to inform your friends of your suspicions. I know it might be hard or embarrassing, but it's the responsible thing to do. So from one responsible BB citizen to another - good for you! And thank you. :) (BTW, also contact anyone you've visiting previously during the period you think you may have had BBs.)
We caught our own infestation early but could find hardly any physical evidence - so do not be surprised if you don't either. Just in case you do have BBs, start some containment measures now, some of which have been recommended here (laundry, bagging, inspection, etc).
You asked what people should do if they choose to stay with you - firstly, I agree it is probably safer for them at a hotel. But if they do come stay, here is what I suggest:
- Ideally, advise them to bring/wear only clothes that can be washed and dried (same for coats and footwear).
- Ideally, advise them to use a suitcase/bag that can be washed/dried (or worst-case, disposed of)... someone in the past suggested using a fabric duffel bag specifically for its washability - this could be smart.
- Advise them to pack their toiletries and other accessories in clear ziploc bags.
- When they get to your place, immediately have them isolate their coats/outerwear, shoes, purse, etc in brand new, clean plastic trash/lawn bags. Store isolated bagged items in an area away from your living room and bedroom(s).
- Ditto for their actual luggage.
- When they need to unbag and open their luggage/purse to retrieve items, have them to do in the bathtub (BBs are very unlikely to be in there!! lol) and after retrieval, re-isolate in plastic bag (can be same one).
- Any clothes worn while in your home should *not* be worn out of it (ie: everyone should change into clean clothes when leaving, to avoid possibly spreading BBs, and to avoid contaminating the isolated coats/shoes/purses).
- Warn friends not to panic if they happen to get bitten while they stay over. The bites are not dangerous, and will fade eventually.
- As their clothes get worn and soiled, you have 2 options... you can wash/dry for them and bag in clean plastic for them to pack back in their isolated luggage, or they can bag them dirty, isolate in plastic, and pack them. I prefer the former! It's really important to dry until super dry and hot - this is what kills any bugs/eggs that may be in the clothes.
- When they are ready to go back home, right before leaving they should (possibly shower?) and change into fresh, isolated clothes. And then put on the clean, and previously isolated, coats/shoes, etc. Right inside or outside your door, they can remove all items from the plastic bags. They can leave the plastic bags with you to dispose of properly.
- Upon return home, if everything has been completely and properly isolated as described, they should not need to wash anything. But for extra security, they may choose to. (In this case, they could sort all packed clean/dirty clothes into plastic bag(s) while they are outside of their home, eg: backyard/balcony.) And then bring in the bags and put straight into laundry. Suitcase, coat, shoes, etc can be left in garage or outside to be inspected before bringing in.Lastly, HAVE FUN!! It's your birthday, and you can still go out to eat, have drinks, etc. You just need to do some extra work to keep clean and isolated.
BTW, if anyone else reading this feels I've missed a step, let me know!
MF
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