Bites
This is of course the most common symptom, and most people are only alerted to their bed bugs problem when they start reacting to the bed bug bites and wondering what brought them on.
If you’re reading this page wondering if you have bed bugs, then I’m betting you’ve spotted some bites…
However, just seeing bites is not a very reliable indicator of bed bugs (see below for ways bed bug bites are different to other insect bites).
Conversely, not seeing bites is also not a very reliable indicator that you don’t have bed bugs! Many people often wonder why they’re bitten to death by these critters while their partner or friend remains bite-free. Do they have some magical repellent properties? No…the fact is that while many people who are bitten by bed bugs see evidence of those bites, some lucky people are not affected by the bites and therefore don’t see any bites.
While you might think those people who don’t react to bed bug bites are seriously lucky, the fact is that for them, a bed bug infestation is much harder to catch. Often, they’ll have had bed bugs multiplying in their home and throughout their mattress and bed for weeks before they even notice (through one of the other bed bugs symptoms listed here). When they do notice finally, usually they’ll have to do a ton more work and spend a lot more money (e.g., in hiring a professional exterminator) to get rid of the infestation.
What do bed bug bites look like?
If you do see bed bug bites on your skin, you’ll find that they typically manifest themselves as small bumps (sometimes flat and sometimes raised). Many people experience redness, swelling and itchiness around the affected areas.
Where can you find the bed bug bites?
Common areas to find these bites are on your face, neck, arms and hands, although bites on other body parts are also normal.
How similar are bed bug bites to other insect bites?
Unfortunately, bed bug bites are similar to many other insect bites (or even to skin allergies!) so it’s often difficult to distinguish between them. However, there are 2 signs that may help you identify whether you have bed bug bites rather than bites from another insect (although these signs are definitely not fail-proof!). (In fact, even doctors and those who deal with bed bugs for a living have trouble distinguishing bed bug bites by sight, so please do not rely on just this one symptom along to reach a diagnosis.)
2 ways to distinguish bed bug bites from other insect bites:
(1) Bed bugs usually appear as three bites in a fairly straight line (this is often known as the breakfast, lunch, and dinner bites).
(2) Two puncture marks on the skin (one puncture to inject the numbing agent and one puncture to suck up your blood).
The photo below shows you how bed bug bites can look.
photo credit: Richard Thomas
To find out more about bed bug bites, read our Bed Bug Bites page, and if you’re interested in how to treat the bites, read the Bed Bug Bites Treatment page.
Seeing Bed Bugs
Of course, if you see bed bugs (and you can determine that the insect you saw is actually a bed bug), then that’s a pretty good sign that you have bed bugs.
Of course, seeing just 1 bed bug by itself could mean that you brought home one lone insect by accident (through bumping into a traveler, your bags or clothes touching something or someone that was infected). And if it was a male bed bug, then you won’t have anything to worry about, although since it’s pretty much impossible to know, I would suggest doing a treatment plan just in case.
However, if you do see bed bugs in your home, then you probably have a large infestation as it’s rare to be able to spot them crawling around.
Can you catch bed bugs to determine whether you have them?
Yes, you can definitely set traps to catch bed bugs (especially near your bed or where you sleep). There are special bed bug monitors that you can purchase to help catch bed bugs. These monitors mimic human breathing to draw bed bugs to them. Other methods of catching bed bugs are also available, and these include spreading Vaseline or attaching double-sided tape to the bottom of your furniture. I’ve also seen some plastic devices that can be attached to your bed that can help catch them.
Clearly, if you catch bed bugs, then it’s a very good sign that you have an infestation that you need to deal with immediately.
