It’s not always easy to recognize bed bug bites. Yet it’s essential to identify them so you can take prompt action. At home, of course, to prevent a major infestation occurring in your home; and when traveling, to avoid contaminating your belongings, treat them as a preventive measure before returning home, and make sure you don’t bring any home with you.
The difference with mosquito bites
Bed bugs usually bite in the middle of the night and several times, generally 3 or 4 times. The bites are therefore either in a line, or present in a small area. This is the main difference between bed bug bites and mosquito bites! You should also be aware that spiders don’t bite, but they do bite, and this is rare: they only do so if they feel threatened. If you have several pimples in a row or in the same area, they’re probably bed bug rashes. And if you have more than one bite zone, you’ve probably been bitten by more than one bedbug.
Biting zones
Bedbugs don’t usually bite on the face, but on uncovered areas of the body. They don’t usually walk on the body, but bite from sheets or mattresses. The areas accessible to bedbugs, and where most bites can be found, are mainly the back of the arms, the hips, the back of the legs, the lower back…
Bed bug bites on the back of an exposed arm
Pimples
The bites are red and resemble mosquito bites, except that they are generally grouped in 3 or 4 bites. They form a small red bump, and can trigger allergic reactions with severe swelling. They are painless, but itchy. It’s important to know that some people don’t get stung! When two people sleep in the same bed, usually only one gets stung. During my GR20 experience in Corsica, where the refuges are infested, we were 4 friends, and of my 3 friends, only one of them and I were bitten. The other 2 were fine!
Grouped bed bug bites
Bed bug rashes on a baby’s legs
If you have the slightest doubt, check your bedding and see if any other bites appear in the next few days. This will tell you whether or not bed bugs are present in your home or sleeping area. You can then take the necessary precautions and act quickly.
