Bed Bug Bite Picture

" Bed bug bite picture viewing can be a helpful way to determine if the marks on your arm are in fact due to bedbugs or are caused by other parasites such as mosquitoes or fleas. Bedbug Bite marks can be different from person to person since it is an allergic reaction to a bite.  Some people are not allergic while others are hypersensitive to the saliva mix left behind by the bedbug skin puncture."

Bed bug bite picture collection seen below have been selected to show the full range of bedbug bite reactions.  Bed bugs do not actually bite.  They have two protrusions on the head or tubes which puncture the skin.  They will feed for 3 to 15 minutes before returning to their hiding place.

Bed bug bite reactions can appear within an hour or as long as 14 days later.  Bite reactions that appear within a day will heal by themselves within 2 to 5 days.  Reactions that are delayed, can last a few days longer.

People that are allergic to bed bug bites often have a stronger reaction after each biting episode.  This is the body getting more and more sensitive to the bites.  If you have a reaction at all, it is usually a small red raised area, with a clear center.  The center is where the bedbug punctured the skin.  Less common are more severe reactions such as the formation of a wheal, which is a red area 1 to 2 inches in circumference and blistering on the skin.

Bed bug bites are also seen on areas of the body that are exposed during sleep.  This includes the legs, shoulders and neck.  It is rare to have bites on the bottoms of the feet.  If this is the case, then the problem could be scabies, which is a condition caused by mites.

Beyond the red skin reaction, bed bug bites tend to itch.  Use either an itch cream made for the bites such as All Stop Healing and Protection Spray, or buy an over the counter itch cream made for insect bites.  Do not scratch the bites, as this may introduce bacteria into the bites which can cause infection.  If the bites do not resolve themselves, see a Doctor as a prescription oral or topical anit-biotic may be needed.  Bed bugs do not spread disease to humans.

Bed Bug Bite Picture - MIld Reaction

The picture below shows a bed bug bite reaction approximately 1 hour after the subject was bitten.  

Pictures of Bed Bug Bites

3MM Skin Lesions 1 Hour after Bed Bug Bite

Source UNLV - Raised Bites

Bed Bug Bite Picture - Bite Patterns

Bed bug bites tend to be seen in patterns on the skin.  They can be differentiated from other possible causes by the location (exposed areas of the body during sleep), appearance (clear in the middle), size (most bites are 3/8 inch), pattern,, which is usually in a line, and itch.

Bed Bug Bite - Blistering

In some less common cases, a bite reaction can result in a blistering on the skin:

How to Get Rid of Bedbugs

Bed bug Apartments: If you live in an apartment, getting rid of bedbugs requires a coordinated effort among home owners.  Bed bugs will move approximately  100 feet in each direction of where they were placed in a home.   They will move to rooms above, below and next to the room where the infestation began in search of a host.

A professional exterminator should be called to do an assessment of the building.  In the interim, a do it yourself kit could be used such as the one available from Dermisil for Bed Bugs.

Treating your apartment is fine, however, bed bugs can move from one apartment to another.  At a minimum, you can follow some of our tips provided here on bed bugs information and spread some Fossil Dust (also called Diatomaceous Earth Powder) , also available from Dermisil, to provide some level of protection.

Bed Bugs at Home: It pays to consider the use of a pest control professional since bedbugs need to be both found in their hiding places and then killed.  This is why bed bug sniffing dogs are often used to locate bedbugs based on their unique odor. The only downside is cost, which can involve a fee for the on-site inspection (up to $100) and then another fee for the treatment which can cost up to $1000 or more depending on the size of the home and the extent of the problem.  Consumer reviews for contractors are available from Angies list.

References

Bed Bugs (Cimex lectularius)
and Clinical Consequences of Their Bites
Jerome Goddard, PhD
Richard deShazo, MD

Univeristy of Kentucky Department of Entomology

Jama.com

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