Bed Bugs
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Written by Jim on August 5th, 2007 with
135 comments.
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what kind of mattress pad can i use for bed bugs?
Hi~
My husband is currently serving his country overseas in Afghanistan. About a week after he was settled in his room he started to not sleep well at night waking up about 1 or 2 am. Then he started to get very itchy.
He has very sensitive skin and he thought it was from the extreme cold of the mountains and thought it was just his sensitive skin reacting to it. Well it got worse and he went to the doctor and the doctor told him it looked like a heat rash. Odd considering it was FREEZING cold. Now a month later he is miserable. He doesn’t sleep and his arm looks awful. I have included the picture of the bites below.
Can someone let me know what this might be? The military doctors
don’t seem to know. I’m just so frustrated because I see how it is
affecting him.
Thank you,
Paula P.
not sure if i have bed bugs, do not see any, turned mattress checked all seams, board slats and changed bedding, but definitely getting bit and/or have a rash mostly on hand and wrist and extremely itchy although for me mosquito bites are extremely itching. I did see a huge misquito that I killed last week. I do have cats so wondering if i have fleas, but pretty cold out and my cats are indoor and I don’t see them scratching. Does anyone know, do bed bugs bite cats? Of course after reading this, I feel like i itch everywhere.
Hello,
I ran across your website while researching some bites that I recently received while in the Mayan Riviera. I was hoping someone might be able to tell me what kind of bites these are.
The pictures of the bites below were taken approximately 5 days after I had been bitten.
We were in the Mayan Riviera from Feb 3 - 10. I went to bed on Sunday night and woke up with a bite under my right eye. Each morning it appeared that I had a few more nights…eventually reaching 60 bites in total on my legs, arms and face. On my one ankle there were 5 bites in a line.
The bites were very red, had what appeared to be a blister on the top of them and upon drying up they would ooze a little from the top. I never felt anything biting, they were not itchy at the start but towards the end of the week they began to itch.
There were mosquitoes at the resort so initially I thought they were mosquito bites but since arriving home I am beginning to wonder if it was not some other insect.
Greatly Appreciate any help.
Debbie L.
Oh ma word, my girlfriend has had two bites that have a volcanic looking, pus ridden thing, with swollen and hardened lump on the outside diameter. She constantly picks and could be infecting it…we are unsure if it is a bed bug-but we are the only ones that found bites like this. The landlord said it was not bedbugs.
Any suggestions?
Shannon in Vancouver
I have a question for anyone who can help. I have just discovered bed bugs in my apartment and am so freaked out by this. They have been here since I moved in and I didn’t even realize what is was, I have noticed little blood stains on my cream colored 500 thread count sheets since I moved to this apartment.
I actually had been blaming my boyfriend and thought he was scratching or picking pimples or something. My landlord is now blaming me and says that there is no way that they have been here, she has been here 20 years and never seen this!
Is it possible that they were here when I moved in?? I am fighting with the manager everyday and she expects me to pay for a bombing in the apartment, I refuse as I have never had this problem in my life. I need any advice that can be given, the apartments offer pest control services on a regular basis at no cost to the tenant, so why should I pay??
Could a neighbor have bed bugs and not know as I didn’t know for so long???
Help Me,
Anne
I found out two days ago that I was bitten by bed bugs. I had woke up one morning with a couple of “mosquitoes” bites that had swollen and were so red that I panic. I went to my own dr. she did not know what it was the second time it occurred i went to hospital and from there I was referred to dermatologist who told me what it was. I was shocked, embarrass, devasted, scared and in a state of disbelief, well, I am still. I research all the information possible and went on a mission. I found 5 three adults and two lighter color. I started crying hysterical because I have two little girls (who never were bitten) only me of all in the house. I vacumm, cleaned everywhre mattress are gone but I still feel they are at the house. I check the furniture and everything. Right now I am waiting to get a little bit of money to pay an exterminator to finish my job. They are so expensive. I am afraid to tell people, nobody knows. I am even afraid to tell the landlord.
THANK YOU ALL and thank goodness for the internet, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have any other experiences to compare mine to! I live in Chicago and moved into a new apartment in October of 2007. Within a few weeks of moving in, I started receiving some itchy bites (not NEARLY as many as I have now….). At first, I thought I had mites, then scabies, then fleas, then an allergic reaction to food or chemicals, then hives. (I had previously told the exterminator that comes monthly about my bites and he checked my mattress for bedbugs and didn’t see anything.) The pictures of my bites are below:
The reason I thought I had an allergic reaction to something was because my boyfriend who lives in NY has stayed with me for a few weeks at a time and didn’t receive any bites. A doctor friend of mine says that the case may be that I am healthier and bugs tend to feed on healthier beings. (My boyfriend is NOT a healthy person.) Also, I am pretty sensitive–mosquitoes seem to love me and their bites usually swell up pretty large. The bites seem to be mostly located on my arms, hands, and shoulders, and sometimes I get a few on my legs and side of my face. Occasionally I wake up in the middle of the night with itching attacks…sometimes they itch in my dream and I wake up and the itching is SO intense.
When I went to a doctor because I thought I had scabies, he was just as puzzled as I was, but ended up prescribing me betamethasone valerate to relieve the itching. It works, but doesn’t get rid of the VERY unattractive bites.
Today I had a huge breakthrough and saw a bedbug walking across my sheet within ten minutes of getting out of bed! I quickly ran to get a small Tupperware and caught it. I called my maintenance man today, he checked the bug out, and indeed, it was a little bedbug. :o( I have noticed, as someone previously stated, that it cannot climb the sides of the Tupperware.
The maintenance man is coming back tomorrow morning to spray or something. I noticed on other bedbug sites that an area should be treated ten days after the first spraying - and chrissie, I am going to try the lavender oil–not only do I LOVE lavender, I love that they don’t like it. :o) I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight and have set up duct tape on the floor near the areas that I think they’re hiding. hopefully I find something.
I am sort of nervous about all of these pesticides being sprayed near where I sleep–should I be worried? I am sure that pesticides nowadays should be child-safe, but it still concerns me.
Also, I know I receive bites during the night, but some also seem to appear during the day. Are these additional reactions to the ones I received or could they be in my clothes or hair? I have never seen them on me, nor have heard of them living on humans…just wanted to inquire.
Hi there, i also have discovered bedbugs after myself and kids coming out in these terribly itchy bites. I got the pest control out and they discovered the nest under my sons bed in a spare cover. We had the whole house sprayed from top to bottom and the bites stopped occuring.
That was a couple of months ago and ive been checking regularly and now and then discover 1 or 2 that seem to be dead. I thought the problem was dealt with although on recieving my sons new bed this morning i was moving out his old bed and discoverd a bed bug underneath. I thought it was dead and picked it up with tissue and discovered it was still moving. After freaking out i inspected the bed carefuolly and found another 5 or 6 bugs.
I called the pest control man and told him about my findings and he said not to worry as they can lay dormant and come out after treatment. As my home was sprayed with long term insecticides as the bugs come out of hiding they slowly die due to exposure of the chemicals. I have sprayed the bed with household insecticide and throwing it out. I plan to leave the plastic covering on the newmattress to stop infestation and if anymore appear they should die off and hopefully end this problem.
So now the plan is…..I* am currently washing all bedding and inspecting as i go along. The key is to keep on top of the problem and to regularly inspect everything. You think the problem is gone when they could be lying dormant waiting to be disturbed and reappear. So have your premises treated with long term insecticides by a professional and then keep on top of inspecting and laundering everything.
Im still afraid of them. hahaha
i have had a problem with those creepy little bedbugs.I discovered that rubbing alcohol helped a lot-put it in a spray bottle it kills them and I haven’t got any more where i sprayed,i also used boric acid powder.
Of course you have to vacuum and wash stuff in hot water, also a steam cleaner or a hot water upholstery cleaner on your mattress or furniture.you can even try a blow dryer because that helps too.
Vaseline on the wooden legs stops them. Don’t give up you will win just remember alcohol, boric acid and heat.
Good luck!
Hi everyone,
I woke up about five days ago with a cluster of red dots on my knee. They didn’t itch nor were they raised, but as the days went on, they developed into little blisters seemingly filled with water. I have noticed some little blood stains on the sheets, but never very many. Sounds like bed bugs to me, but my bites have never itched. Is it possible to have bed bug bites that don’t itch???
Please help! I feel like I’m losing my mind. Two days ago I went to my parents house in the evening. I haven’t been there in years. I spoke to my brother who had been staying and who express to me that he has been bitten by bedbugs for quite some time now. He also showed me the bites all along him arms. I didn’t think much of it… until I got home.
Ohhhh my goodness….Once I got home I saw a bug crawling down the jacket I was wearing….I took a closer look to see what it was then without any further hesitation I killed it. I’ve confirm that it was indeed a bed bug….but how did it get to my house….I traveled on 2 buses from my parents house to my home…and I still carried it home with me.
That night I was scratching almost ever where apparently I had been bitten by the next morning I had bite marks all of my lower back and legs…I counted a total of 13 bites that look like mosquito bites. I started feeling like it was the begging 2 the end. I only found 1 bug….within minutes of my arrival home from my parents house.
What are the chances that there were more than one and how soon will my house become infested. I have all new furniture less than a month old…new mattress and everything…I only lived in my apartment for 3 months….I’d hate to throw my things out. I don’t have that type of money…I work so hard to buy my furniture….this is a nightmare. What am I going to do? Please help?!
I haven’t been able to sleep much….and I really paranoid. I’m going to wash all my bedding today and take some measures to prevent them….but this is already day number 3…..I had a delay in response…because I just wasn’t sure if I should panic, besides I only saw 1…but I scared. I have carpet…brown carpet at that…the same color as the bedbug, so how would I know if they’ve gotten in my apartment. How long does it take for your home to become infested with these horrible creatures?
By the way my skin is still itching but I don’t think its any new bites…just the bites I apparently received while visiting my parents. Should I be alarm? I don’t plan on visiting my parents home any time soon? I’m so upset about this. I’m not angry with them….I just don’t want to risk bring another one of those bugs 2 my house. Someone please…anyone…help me?
I haven’t stopped thinking about about the risk of my house being invaded…I’m horrified!
Help! I work for a nursing home and for 2 weeks I’ve been dinner. At first I thought it was fleas because we are a pet friendly facility. I was sent to the Dr and he said flea bites. Now I’m eaten alive every time I go to work.
I had to leave early today because after being off 2 days my arms, shoulders and hips were about cleared up and after a few hours I’M COVERED in bites. I’ve reported to every person of authority in my facility however they are not taken it seriously.
Several other co-workers have been bitten but not as bad as me. It’s like I’m a magnet. I haven’t actually seen any but boy they know I’m there. I’ve had a professional come in and spray my home, car and furniture but I know I probably bringing them home everyday.
I’m undressing in my garage these days and I don’t know what to do about work. I love my job but it’s out of control. I can’t continue like this is there some kind of repellent?
My six year old daughter has gotten bit now i know for sure by pictures and info on this site by bed bugs. unfortunately her dad’s girlfriend runs a filth infested home for a fact and it would seem her newest tenants are bed bugs.
The first time she ended up with fever and vomiting. this time she came back and they treated her for fever and brought her home. according to her before they gave her Tylenol her throat wouldn’t let her breathe. I’ve been up all night with a little girl running fever non-stop and stomach pains.
Is this more than an allergy to these bites or do i need the doctor to test for staph etc that others are saying on this site they have gotten from these nasty creatures?
I’m taking her in today, but now i know this is more serious than i thought. anyone have a clue as well as to what i can do to MAKE them deal with their problem? she can’t keep getting these bites. like everyone is posting i will back them up. these bites are big welts surrounded with clusters or lines of blister like bumps and end with bruises and scars of darker skin.
This is what made me think allergy at first but now i don’t know. the fever and illness has me baffled on what to ask from the dr but they are happening with the bites. i can only hope they don’t get traveling from there to here she’’s getting sick enough from being bitten every second weekend for her visits there i hate to imagine how she would be if their infestation got over here to bite her everyday. any advise is welcome please
Hey Jim,
just spent a few days at this semi cheap hotel in the Arlington Virginia area.. i notified the hotel staff and even caught a bed bug in a cup before i left the premises..they lobby staff.. looked shocked.. said they never had any complaint like that. (yeah right).
I don’t have a picture of the bed bug.. but it looked exactly like that unfed photo on your site.. but the size of a 2 pin heads.. very small critter.
check out my bites.. fun times !
Joe
dont let the bed bugs bite!!!!! lol
I bought a lovely mattress and box spring from a yard sale. The seller said they were selling it because it was too hard (TRUE!) after having it for about a week, I noticed red bumps on my forearms, in a linear pattern. They itched, and I had no idea what it was from. I went to my Dr. and he didn’t know either. I did a study on bedbugs, and thats what it was!
Bedbugs are about 1/8 of an inch long, mainly circular, and only come out at night. Their a reddish brown, and are experts at hiding! I threw the mattress away, (too hard for me too) and bought one that was pure white. I found a spray at Lowes Hardware that kills bedbugs, I bombed the room 3 times, then sprayed. I found them in the edges of the mattress cover, which I also threw away. I washed all the linen in HOT water, and my body pillow, I put outside at 27 degrees for 2 days and nights.
This nightmare is over, but be CAREFUL in buying any used furniture! Lowes Hardware is the ONLY place I found a spray that kills them. The bombing slowed them down severely, but didn’t kill them. I killed all I found, then sprayed. My Dr. prescribed a topical cortisone cream to stop the itching~and dyphenhydramine (Benadryl) will stop the itching too. I was just lucky the infestation wasn’t severe. These demonic pests have made a comeback since we can’t use DDT, Chlordane, or other pesticides that were effective. “thanks” EPA!!! you losers!
Where do these bites occur on the body? Do they ever occur in the private (genital and rectal) area? Sorry if this is too graphic, but that’s the info I need to know. Thanks!
I noticed my bites began in my kitchen, sitting in my chair i usually sit in at my computor. The chair was wooden. The bites begun all over my arms and anywhere not covered by clothing. Then a few weeks ago my neck was severly bitten atleast 20 times. Horriable itching and discomfort led me to sleeping in my living room. Now as of lastnight i was bitten again on my fingers with little clear blisters on top of the bites. My mom who comes to visit has been biten, but not my boyfriend or child. Needless to say i am moving since not much can be done about them.
I’ve got a ton of bites from these bugs and have no idea of what to do? Please help!
testing asd
testing 123
I’m so thankful to find these blogs, Two days ago I found a little bug on my bed. I inspected the seams and found the signs. I told a neighbor and she said my neighbor had them a year ago and didn’t tell me. He moved and they replaced his carpet.
After searching the internet I attacked the mattress with rubbing alcohol.It kills them on contact. I also used 20 mule team borax and that also seems to kill them effectively. I’m very surprised how common these bugs are. I cant use pesticides and am trying to find something natural to kill them.
I got the neem oil to put on me. They use it in India. If they have been biting me I have no signs of it. I cant believe in the US this little bug can make our lives a living Hell.
My husband showed up with these “spots” on his back after quite a bit of traveling last spring. The were red, swollen and itchy. He had been to the doctor and found no diagnosis.
I read an article on bed bugs and figured that was what he had. He took a trip to the dermatologist’s office and he also was not able to diagnose. The dermatologist wanted my husband to come in immediately should the spots flare up again, as he was was curious about this situation.
As I said above, I do believe what he has now is scarring from bed bug bites (I am happy to report that he did not bring any critters home with him), but my only question is - do the bite marks flare up or come and go - because his redness and itchiness seems to and we can’t quite pin point the cause??
I would love to hear back on this.
i have got bit by a bed bug last night i assume and today in the morning i woke up with a pain in my shoulder and as the day progressed the pain got worse and the spot got more red. it hurts very much that it has given me a headache. i really don’t know what to put on my shoulder to make the pain go away…what can i use to treat this?
Oh my word!! I know how to get rid of them!!! Finally!!!!
Go to a pet feed store and buy Diatomaceous Earth. It is 100% safe, chemical free, and all natural. God bless mother earth for that. It is also very cheap. The parasites have a waxed shell and the powder (ditomasis fossilized earth) sticks to their bodies and dehydrates them. They eventually dry up and die.
Put it:
Under your mattress
Along the baseboards in your place
On your bed frame
Under all your furniture
My family and i were bitten all over. I was pregnant at the time and was so worried about diseases. All went well in the end. You’ll have powder (the fossilized earth-it’s a white powder) all over your place but it is worth it. They can lay dormant for up to 18 months.
In your walls, baseboards, and any where they can find wood. So we have had the fossilized earth laid out for about 6 month. Since then i have found a few dead ones and 1 live one. We are in an apartment and are planning to move in a few months so we will leave the powder down until then.
We don’t want to take them with us. Good luck everyone!
Note: Diatomaceous earth consists of fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae. Diatomite is used as an insecticide because it absorbs lipids from the outer layer of insects which causes them to dehydrate.
Hi my daughter is getting bites nearly all over her body in this past month, they are like mosquito bites but one of them today got water in it like chicken pox, they take about a week to go away. Doctor said that they are insect bites, maybe fleas. She is all the time itchy! I checked mattress and clothes but I did not find anything. Doctor said to put teatree oil as a repellent and fucidin H on the spots. He suggested that I should spray everything with the green baygon even the mattresses.
All of a sudden I’ve been seeing bug bites on my armpits, legs and even around my private. WHAT THE HECK IS BITING ME????? I’m pretty sure I’m getting them at night when I’m sleeping. I haven’t been out of the city that I live in. I’ve been wearing long sleeves and pants, and haven’t been out at night.
Some of the bites are big and some of them are small, they are all red and sort of round. I don’t see a trace of a bed bug. Can you help solve this annoying mystery? I would really appreciate it.
I have no advise, no photos etc. Just want to tell everyone how angry these little (non rent paying) blood slurpers have made me. Anyway I caught one the other day and sealed it carefully inside transparent sticky tape… then microwaved the bed bug full blast for 3 minutes and i enjoyed watching it pop and fizz……. I slept better that night!!
I will have to get someone to help me take pics of my arms and the back of my neck so I can send them. I am certain now that the bites/rash I’ve been dealing with over the past 6 weeks is from bed bugs. I had my bed in storage for about a year, and as soon as I moved into my new place (with my old bed), I started itching and coming up with bites on my neck, back, arms, etc. I am very allergic to insect bites, fleas/mosquitoes, etc always blister up and itch horribly….these have the same reaction. The blisters itch and when I scratch, seems like the bites “spread” like impetigo. The worst part was the intense itching I had in the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. No bites there, just itching, almost like hives would cause. (I do have bites/itches on the tops of my hands and on my fingers, and the “new bites/rash” seem to be on my hands.) I can only assume the hands/feet were itchy due to severe allergic reaction and that the new bites/rash on my hands is from handling bed linens, etc, while washing/cleaning.
I have treated myself with antibiotics to get the bites to heal up. I also used an OTC poison oak/poison ivy medication that is made to “dry up” the weeping pus from those rashes. At the time, my bites were doing just that and the cream made a HUGE improvement within just a few hours of application. The itching I have to treat with benedryl. The hands/feet itching is pretty much gone.
Since I’ve done all the cleaning up……I have only noticed a few new bites. The strangest thing is that I get new “itchy” places in the middle of the day…while working….while driving……but I don’t ever notice anything actually biting me.
How can bed bug bites just “show up” at such random intervals?
I never saw any bed bugs myself, and couldn’t find anything on the mattress that looked like blood stains like the pictures here (mattresses were cream colored, should have been easy to see them?). When my landlord put them out for the trash man, he said he saw some little red bugs on it.
What I have seen: spiders. Wolf spiders and what could be: baby wolfies, small brown recluse or yellow sac spiders. I have not seen any “necrosis” type reaction in the bites I have, so don’t think these bites are due to spiders. The pics of bed bug bites are most similar to what I have.
WHAT I HAVE DONE TO TREAT:
Threw out my bed. No carpeting anywhere but living room, so swept and mopped with bleach ALL floors before putting in new bed. Washed ALL bedclothes, even the ones in the closet not in use. Steam Cleaned the living room carpet. Threw out all the bed pillows and throw pillows from my room (even the dog bed). Washed all the throw rugs in the house. Gave the dog a bath. (Twice: at first I thought he might have brought some poison ivy into the house on his fur).
I have not used any pesticides so far, but plan to just to make sure they are all gone (and to make sure I don’t have any imaginary itches).
CONCERN:
What if they have migrated to my sofa? My daughter was here a couple of weeks ago and complained of itching/bites without even knowing about the problem. The sofa has the many pillows for the backrest part instead of one singular piece, and has a sofa bed inside. How can I treat the sofa without also exposing myself/my daughter to skin contact with the pesticides? SHOULD I JUST THROW OUT MY FURNITURE TOO? Believe me, after all this itching, rash, and bother, I’M WILLING if necessary. I itch when I sit in the living room but don’t want to throw out the baby with the bathwater just because I have a case of heebie jeebies (imaginary itches).
Any suggestions are appreciated. I can’t stand having these bites all over me and certainly don’t want to expose anyone else to them (i.e.-no company at my house!).
Dear jim and All at bad spiderbites
Thanks for your excellent site!
Three weeks ago I went on holiday. When I awoke after the first night in the accommodation I saw insects crawling on my bed. I was very lucky the sun was streaming in directly onto the sheets as the room was dark. I touched one of these little black spots and there was a tiny streak of blood on the white sheet! What?
I had not felt any bites and in fact did not see anything for two days. I began to suffer from a blinding headache and felt very ill and hot.
The night of the second day in the unit I stepped out of a hot shower and saw my body covered in CLUSTERS of red welts just starting to swell and itch.
I was very lucky to find an after hours doctors who recognized the bites immediately, he told me to tell the managers of the accommodation. I explained I had done that the first morning, but they had disbelieved me to the point of calling me a lier! The doctor said I must go back as the owners had a responsibility to investigate and treat this infestation. They refused to believe me so I went to the local council environmental health officer who took it very seriously. I asked her to send her entomologists which she did the next day - definitive diagnosis very bad infestation of bed bugs.
The second week the doctor diagnosed my condition Severe TYPE IV Allergic Reaction to the bed bug toxin. Not everyone gets this thank God, but I was very ill and almost wanted to end it I felt so down. It also affected my immune system he said as I had to take masses of harsh medication. This had flow on effects to other health conditions.
I read others on this great site talk about “the Nightmare” - I agree it was very nasty and I felt disbelieved and quite “crazy”. I have scars where from the bites, and I had to bag and bin many nice items which were damaged or could not be treated. But the worst thing was being treated with such cruelty and disrespect.
I have lived, worked and travelled around the world, across all the continents and I have never had this happen to me before.
It was a bad experience and I thank you very much for this site - it is very comforting to read exactly the same symptoms as mine, I often thought I was going mad - I was told I had brought it on myself or made it up or exaggerated the terrible itching and swelling and bites, although I knew all this was untrue, to be honest I had started to believe it. Now I know other folk out there have been through the same I feel so much more normal and even a little sane!
Many many thanks
T’na
Brisbane
Australia
Okay this is worry me tremediously I have been reading all these articles on bed bugs and now I am almost certain thats what I have too! My fiancee stays at hotels when he is gone on his trips he’s a truck driver! I think he has brought bed bugs home with him not only are they getting me while I’m sleeping on my ankles but they are now getting my arms and back and stomach too! What do I do?
I have never had this problem till he started staying at these hotles. What can I do and use I’m getting married tuesday and my legs look horrible my dress is a semi short one! Help what kind of sprays do they have as well as stuff for my legs!!!!!
I will be sure as to post a pic of the bites tonight!
I woke up a couple of days ago with about 12 bites in and around my underwear region. They itch like crazy. They started out small and then got bigger. It sounds like bedbugs like to bite arms and legs so I’m wondering if this is something else. Please help. Thanks
I woke up yesterday morning to find that my shins and forearms were covered in blotchy welts. I hadn’t slept well the night before and was aware of scratching around these areas in my half-consciousness, but thought it was just a case of the chiggers I was getting over. I took Claritin (an anti-histamine) and got in my friend’s car, who said, “No. Those are bed bug bites; my sister had them so badly that she had to be hospitalized.” Later that day, the welts mysteriously faded and my skin looked normal.
Now that I’m home, I’m terrified to sleep in my bed. We washed the bedsheets and mattress pad and I vaccuumed the carpet. Unfortunately we don’t have a small vaccuum so I have to either heft the Hoover onto the mattress or wait for my grandma’s Dirt Devil tomorrow.
I’m afraid to sleep on the bed: partly because of paranoia, partly because of what I might find tomorrow morning. I suppose if there are terrible blotches tomorrow I’ll photograph them and post them.
Jennifer and others,
Bed bug bites usually appear some time after the bite, usually within 1 or 2 days. I only had a brief skirmish with them, I noticed myself itching in the afternoon at work. They actually bite in the early AM hours (like 4-5) except in unusual or very severe cases.
The bites should only appear where your skin is exposed while sleeping. Occasionally one may crawl up a sleeve, but they shouldn’t appear anywhere you’re covered. (You might have something else instead of or in addition to bed bugs. If your visitor didn’t stay overnight but got bit, it’s likely that it’s something other than bedbugs)
There are many things that bite, what distinguishes bedbugs are that they look and feel just like mosquito bites (and except for the itch/allergic reaction, never cause any other illness), and the pattern of bite appearances is key to identification (both in terms of time and location). To name a few other bugs I’ve encountered, there are fleas, chiggers, and mites.