Becoming a victim of a bed bug infestation is certainly devastating, but the public can rest easy knowing that these pests are not known to transmit any diseases. While it is true that some pathogens have been detected in and on bed bugs including hepatitis B, and exotic organisms such as Trypanosoma cruzi (cause of Chagas Disease, rarely found in the United States) or Wolbachia species, unlike mosquitoes and ticks, bed bugs have not been associated with disease transmission.

Bedbugs are small wingless insects with a flat body. Like all insects, they have six legs. Their color can range from whitish to brown, but after feeding (on blood from animals or people), they appear rusty red. Bedbugs grow to about 0.5 cm in length and can be seen by the naked eye. Their name comes from the fact that they often hide in bedding or mattresses.
A bedbug is a small, blood-sucking parasite that feeds on mammals and birds. Bedbugs belong to the insect family Cimicidae. Although there are several different species, the most common species associated with human bedbug infestations are Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus. Bedbugs are considered a public health pest. There has been a recent resurgence in bedbug infestations worldwide, particularly in developed countries, including the United States.

Bedbugs have resurged worldwide and these blood-sucking insects (both the Cimex lectularius and Cimex hemipterus) are a problem in many homes and hotels. Fortunately, bedbugs aren't known to spread contagious diseases. However, it is difficult to eradicate an infestation and you will want to take steps to prevent bringing bedbugs home. Learn how to identify and treat these pests.

Treatment is symptomatic.[2] Eliminating bed bugs from the home is often difficult.[2] Part of this is because bed bugs can live for a year between feeding.[2] Repeated treatments of a home may be required.[2] These treatments may include heating the room to 50 °C (122 °F) for more than 90 minutes, frequent vacuuming, washing clothing at high temperatures, and the use of various pesticides.[2]
The life cycle stages of a bed bug are egg, nymph, and adult. The reason they are called bed bugs is that they readily infest mattresses, bed frames and box springs. Eggs are laid along the edges of or around buttons on the mattresses. Eggs can also be glued to rough surfaces. Bed bug females lay about 200 eggs, usually at the rate of three or four a day. Eggs are placed in cracks, crevices and other isolated and protected shelters. Females lay eggs after a blood meal. Eggs will hatch in one or two weeks into Nymphs. Newly hatched bugs (Nymphs) begin feeding immediately. At room temperature, and with an available food supply, the nymphal period will last 14 to 30 days. They shed their skin (Instar) five times before becoming adults. Bed bugs will mate soon after becoming mature, so the time from egg hatch to egg laying is 4 to 9 weeks, under favorable conditions. The average life span of the bed bug is 6-12 months and they feed every 10 days or so during this time. Bed bugs can survive many months without a blood meal and their reproduction is high.
Hello, i was worried that we had bed bugs in our room and i hired an exterminator to come in and have a look. He said there was no evidence of bedbugs. And also because the bites were really only on the torso. Regardless, a few months later we had the opportunity to change the entire bedroom set and cleaned all the sheets on sanitize cycle – the bites all went away. Now, however, about 6 months later they seem to be coming back. Does this sound like a bed bug issue to you? If so, now what should we do? I cant but another bedroom set.
Firstly, its important to remember that, despite their daily diet of blood, bed bugs will not transfer blood based diseases (such as AIDS, etc.). However, in very rare cases, these bites have been known to cause Anaphylaxis, which is an adverse allergic reaction that covers the entire body in a rash. After being bitten by a bed bug, be alert for any of these potential complications:
In addition to the physical manifestations of bedbug bites, patients can experience significant psychological distress. The stigma that bedbugs are related to poor hygiene (however inaccurate) can lead to poor self-esteem, avoidance of family and friends, and suspension from work.37–39 Management of an infestation can be stressful, costly, and disruptive to everyday life. Worry can lead to insomnia, depression, anxiety, and even delusional parasitosis.37
Most bites will have a small clear area in the center surrounded by redness that may or may not be raised. People tend to become more sensitive and have larger reactions after each episode. Reactions can include itch, swelling, rash and wheals (large round red area on the skin). Severe reactions can cause skin blisters and trouble breathing, although these reactions are very rare.
The significant resurgence of bedbugs in the past decade has been attributed to pesticide resistance, more frequent travel, lack of public awareness, and inadequate pest control programs. Bedbugs are obligate blood parasites (insect family Cimicidae). They can withstand a large range of temperatures but are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide. They typically feed just before dawn. Cutaneous reactions to bedbug bites can include macules, papules, wheals, vesicles, bullae, and nodules. Bites may be confused with other skin conditions. Bedbug bite reactions are typically self-limited and resolve within one to two weeks without treatment. Bedbug infestation may cause significant psychological distress. The diagnosis of a bedbug infestation is based on history, appearance of bites, and inspection of sleeping quarters. Although there is no evidence that bedbugs transmit disease, systemic reactions may include asthma, angioedema, generalized urticaria, iron deficiency anemia, and, rarely, anaphylaxis. An integrated pest management strategy should be employed to eliminate infestation. Tactics include vacuuming, heat or cold treatment, trapping devices, and pesticides.

I sleeped over my boyfreinds house just for a night my 4month old daughter and I slept on the bed and we got bit bad but my poor baby seems to have pus on her bites..she got bit even on her face her fingers etc..but funny thing my boyfreind didnt get bit, I got home and i washed everything we took in hot water dried in hot washed my beeding all her blankets the car seat was left out in the heat for 2 days..then i washed it in hot water i vacumed the whole room sprayed alcohol on the carpet on my matress..question is what more can i do? is there any chance that they could still be in my room?

All of the stages of bed bugs are visible, at least if you don't need reading glasses and you have a sufficient amount of light. So if you're looking closely enough, you can even see bugs in the nymphal first instar stage. A fecal spot, for its part, can be as large as a bed bug itself in terms of the area it covers. The spots are basically digested blood, so most are dark in color. On a white mattress, they stand out pretty well.

Did you or someone else in your home recently come home from a trip? Bugs can stow away in clothing and in the recesses of your luggage. A good preventative measure is to check lodging you are staying in immediately after arrival. As mentioned before, signs are evident, even during the daytime, include the blood-colored excrement they leave behind.
Vigilant travelers may also want to elevate suitcases off the floor on a stand, tabletop or other hard surface rather than storing them on the floor or another bed. Hyper-vigilant travelers may further opt to keep belongings in sealed plastic pouches and their suitcase in a zippered tote — however each traveler must decide how cautious they wish to be.
I am now living in Kuwait far from my family, I was helpless and don’t know what to do, i was chatting w/ my mom and told her about my problem regarding the red spot comes out on my the under arm, i was crying for help coz i though i am sick.. my mother was so worried about me, until i decided search on internet related to my problem that doing facebook… i found this site then now i know it’s bed bug i think i took it from my friend room when i was slept there and I’m not dying as what i thought.. But my problem is i can’t wear backless dress, short pants because of the scar … anyone can help me how to remover this scar? it’s too disaster.
The bites of bedbugs can be difficult to identify, and not all red bites are due to bedbugs. Mosquitos, fleas, biting gnats, and mites can all bite humans. Collecting and identifying the bugs can help establish the diagnosis. They can often be found beneath or on the seams of mattresses. Their bloodstains may be visible even in the absence of bedbugs. You should also look into nooks and crannies of furniture, walls, and floors if you're suspicious that bedbugs may be present.
when i was a young kid and got the chicken pox my mom had bathed me in warm water and oat meal, when my children developed chicken pox i did the same for them, this helps with the itching for several hours. You can buy packets of oat meal at a drug store for purposes suck as chicken pox, poison ivy, poison oak, etc. The packets sold at stores contain oat meal and other ingredients to ease itching and burning. I hope this is helpful for anyone who is willing to try it, it works for my family.
A variety of low-odor sprays, dusts, and aerosol insecticides help with bed bug control. People must apply these pesticides to all areas where the bugs are observed as well as hiding places or spaces where they may crawl. The pest control company can help you determine if an infested mattress can be disinfected or must be discarded. Since beds cannot readily be treated with insecticides, it's often necessary to discard infested mattresses and beds.
I thought I was getting bitten by mosquitoes when out on my balcony. But I get bitten during the night and basically on the arm outside of the covers. This all started after my neighbors in the apartment next door moved out. I have yet to actually see the bugs. The bites tend to be in a line which I read online was typical for bedbugs but not always.
We vacuum the carpets and bed almost everyday, wash everything every week and even sprayed every with bed bug spray. It seems to be working a bit cause they have lessened but I’m still getting bitten quite a bit. Of course they itch and I scratch a lot. I’ve been using the baking soda and water remedy (it works pretty well for me) but before I used to scratch until they bled and now I’m having trouble healing old bites.
WHAT IS IT WITH THESE EU COUNTRIES - WHY ARE THEY SO SPINELESS? THEY ALL HAVE AN EQUAL VOTE YET THEY ARE ALLOWING JUNCKER AND BARNIER TO OBSTRUCTIVE AND DIFFICULT? WHO IS IN ULTIMATE CONTROL OF THE EU - THE MEMBER STATES OR THE EU COMMISSION? I VOTED TO REMAIN BUT I'M NOW GLAD WE'RE LEAVING - IT IS RUN BY DICTATORS IN BRUSSELS AND HAS GUTLESS WONDERS AS MEMBERS..............
As bed bugs grow they molt, shedding their skin five times before reaching maturity. A blood meal is needed between each successive molt. Adult females also must feed in order to lay eggs. Under favorable conditions (70-80°F), the bugs can mature fully in as little as a month, producing multiple generations per year. Cooler temperatures or limited access to blood prolong the development time.
Some of the dusts that are available to consumers, such as diatomaceous earth, can help in this regard. Pest controllers will put dusts in wall voids and other places where pesticide won't reach. What happens is the bugs will wander through the dust and pick up particles and be more vulnerable to desiccation after that exposure. But dusts will not solve the problem if deployed incorrectly, and if they are applied at too high a level they can cause breathing difficulties in some people.
Bed bugs can result in a number of health effects including skin rashes, psychological effects and allergic symptoms.[5] Bed bug bites may lead to skin changes ranging from non visible to prominent blisters.[1] Symptoms may take between minutes to days to appear.[2] Itchiness is common, while some may feel tired or have a fever.[2] Typically uncovered areas of the body are affected.[2] Classically three bites occur in a row.[2] Bed bugs bites are not known to transmit any infectious disease.[5][7]
So wear a face mask and just… bleach the crap out of your bed frame. Cover the mattress, repeatedly super heat your bedding and such, and bleach bleach bleach. MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR MATTRESS COVER. I did kill a few trying to hide in the zipper area. I picked out the crawlies with gloves and killed them, then repeatedly did a bleach scrub in case of any eggs. I do recommend the sticky traps a lot because if you keep your bed away from any walls or furniture, then the sticky traps will let you know if the bed bugs are coming from elsewhere.
Hi there! Honestly, if you have checked properly (like really well) and you don’t see any signs of bed bugs, it might be another insect. Unfortunately, there are so many little insects that could be biting you (such as fleas, etc.) but maybe start with giving all your laundry a good hot wash. Once that is done, see if you continue getting the bites and then we can investigate. Good luck, if you appreciated my help, please share my blog with your friends and family.
Hi, I’m a little late to the talk but this is honestly very strange to me, i had bed bugs about a year ago and fully got rid of them, as of yesterday, 9/10, i woke up to bites on my right hand, palm and fingers not on the top of my hand, and on my right foot, in between my toes and the soles of my foot. i thought it may be bed bugs because of having 3 days so maybe one of them jumped on my bed and brought one along, but i decided to sleep one more night, i now got bit on me left hand and feet the same as my other bites, only on my toes soles palms and fingers, they’re red bumps that itch and whenever they’re pressed along something they hurt, if they are bed bugs why aren’t they like how i had them last time where i got bit everywhere there wasn’t hair, now I’m only getting bit in those spots, hopefully my info helps! Thanks!
I spent the night at my boyfriends house 5 nights in a row, knowing that his family owns a couch infested with bed bugs. I find it weird that I’m the only one, out of 7 family members, that gets bit by the bed bugs! Its crazy! I get bit during the day when I sit for a few mins, or even sleep on the bed at night, but it still baffles me that I’m the only one who is suffering from the itch of the bites. My son who I share the bed with does not get bit at all, which is great, but I’m curious, “why only Me?”
Check to see if you can identify the rust-colored fecal stains, egg cases, and shed skins (exuviae) in crevices and cracks on or near beds. A sweet, musty odor is sometimes present. You should also look at other areas such as under wallpaper, behind picture frames, in couches and other furniture, in bedsprings and under mattresses, and even in articles of clothing. While fecal stains and skin casts suggest that bedbugs have been present, these do not confirm that the infestation is still active. Observing the bedbugs themselves is definitive confirmation that an area is infested. You may require professional assistance from a pest-control company in determining whether your home has a bed bug problem.
I need some really serious advice. I’m presently staying in a shelter because of abusive situation. It’s only been two days but I am COVERED in bed bug bites. The shelter refuses to move me to another bed because of limited space they said. I have taken oral and topical medications. The thing is it keeps getting worse and worse because every night I have to sleep in the same bed.
been fighting them the past month. got rid of my bed today…cleaned the entire area very well and fortunately i have a seemingly clean twin bed in my spare room to sleep on till i get a new bed in for myself (twin is too small) and when that comes this bed is going out too. I threw away ALL of my pillows and bedding. I’ve inspected the boxspring and beat the mattress to stir anything to see if they are there as well but as the spare room is just that. The twin bed and the spare room have barely been used in years.
Hi Natasha !! I recently saw a bed bug crawling on my bed. So, I immediately cleaned all clothes in my room with hot water and put in high heat in the drier. I also sprayed the whole house with bed bug spray. Now on closer look of the mattress I found some bug remaining like its cover/shell, 2-3 blood stains but I did not find a colony/cluster of the bugs (which I was sort of expecting). So I bought a steamer and steamed my mattress and box spring. I also bought covers for the mattress and the box spring so that in case I missed any, they might get suffocated (at least I hope so). After all this, the next morning I woke up and found some sort of bite marks on my face. Also since I could not find any cluster of bugs, could they still be somewhere in my room ? where should I look for them ?

I’ve cleaned the entire area…this time sprayed it all down with a bedbug killing spray (Raid). Everything, nooks, crannies, corners, the vent. I’ve also re-inspected my spare mattress. No sign of anything. I’ve gone as far as going into both. the inside of my boxspring has been saturated with the raid spray as is the “down” side of the mattress. I slashed into the side of the mattress and sprayed inside there too. I am going to be mopping with bleach in the morning and afterward I will do my spray down again.

If you arrive home and discover that you have brought some unwanted guests home with you, immediately notify the hotel of your discovery. Having a possible infestation in hotels and motels can be a public relations nightmare for the owners. Politely ask them to pay for any and all costs incurred to rid your clothing and home of a possible new infestation.

High there I’ve been looking on the net for a while now about pictures on the marks I have now I know full well bed bug bites come on the arms, neck, face etc but I have marks on my chest, stomach, arms, legs, and a couple on my face but the thing is some of them look like zits but the others don’t and they keep coming I do in fact have sensitive skin too but people think I’m crazy because of my speculation to bed bugs I do feel pricks on my skin so its not just because I have sensitive skin there’s something else that’s making it go so much more crazy but I do know better some of the marks has an blood mark others with swelling others with swelling with the blood mark on the tip top as an example the marks many of them look like the (Many Small Bite Marks) picture but all over my body. please help I’m losing a lot of sleep because of this ordeal.
These bloodsuckers love exposed areas of flesh such as closest to their nest such as the face, forehead, arms and known to attack babies.. Those repeatedly bitten over time are more likely to become sensitive. You may even find the person sleeping next to you does not show any signs of bed bug bites while you do. In fact, the person next to you may not have been bitten at all – a good sign that the infestation is closest to you.
I found something that works. Diatomaceous earth or perma guard. Buy a big bag. About a good 5 pounds and put it around the whole house yard in your bed in every crack the carpet. I mean all over and give it a couple days. They will be gone. I live in an apt I ha e a cat n dog. It isn’t harmful to pets or humans its 100% safe to use around kids and best of all no bed bugs no ants no roaches. I paid about $10 on ebay. Good luck and I’m telling u this worked for me.
We've partnered with The Foundation for Learning and Youth Travel Education (FLYTE), a nonprofit organization that empowers youth living in underserved communities through transformative travel experiences. FLYTE teaches that we are more alike than we realize. By bridging the gap between fear and understanding, FLYTE empowers future generations by connecting them to the world.
My husband returned from a Military Deployment…and brought bed bugs home with him. The day after we realized we had them, an exterminator that specializes in Bed Bugs came to our house and sprayed. They scheduled themselves to come back in 14 days to spray again (to kill the new bugs that hatch after the initial spray). We were old the spray would kill all the adults and babies…and the second spray would get the new hatchlings. 3 days after the initial spray, we started seeing adult bugs again!

I found something that works. Diatomaceous earth or perma guard. Buy a big bag. About a good 5 pounds and put it around the whole house yard in your bed in every crack the carpet. I mean all over and give it a couple days. They will be gone. I live in an apt I ha e a cat n dog. It isn’t harmful to pets or humans its 100% safe to use around kids and best of all no bed bugs no ants no roaches. I paid about $10 on ebay. Good luck and I’m telling u this worked for me.

This morning, I stood in front of the mirror for my daily grooming routine when the most gruesome red bumps appeared before me and it’s at the side of my neck! Thankfully it’s Saturday coz I will not spend my time with my co-workers! I researched and stumble upon your website. I wish you could help me The bites are getting itchy and what would you recommend? Natural or modern medicine? Thanks i’ll be waiting for your answer…
In the lab we handle all the bed bugs in a specific room that we steam clean once a week, and we have double-stick tape barriers that they can't walk through (as long as the adhesive remains dust-free). And the bed bugs themselves are enclosed in containers that they can't get out of. We actually feed them inside those containers—we lay a blood reservoir against the cloth "lid" and the bed bugs have to push their mouthparts through the cloth into the reservoir to eat.
Most bites will have a small clear area in the center surrounded by redness that may or may not be raised. People tend to become more sensitive and have larger reactions after each episode. Reactions can include itch, swelling, rash and wheals (large round red area on the skin). Severe reactions can cause skin blisters and trouble breathing, although these reactions are very rare.
About a week ago my son bought me a sectional sofa at a yard sale and by the 3rd day my grand daughter had more than 100 bites all over her arms, legs and back. I told my son that it was chicken pox because she got so full of them by the next day again, until i got up the next morning with my legs, back and arms filled with the same bites…. for my luck the sofa was loaded with the unwanted bed bugs and now they were all over my home. This is the worst itching ever not to mention the frustration when people see you with all the bite marks and they see you like you have something contagious . I threw the sofa out and found a spray called “Rest Easy bed bug repel” ($10.00) and a powder (Diatomaceous Earth) ($10.00) and sprayed all the mattress in the house along with the powder and washed EVERYTHING with hot water. I think they are gone now. I bought Calamine lotion, benadryl anti itch cream, and cortisone but the only way that my itching started to feel better was with “Gold Bond max relief cream.
The decline of bed bug populations in the 20th century is often credited to potent pesticides that had not previously been widely available.[44] Other contributing factors that are less frequently mentioned in news reports are increased public awareness and slum clearance programs that combined pesticide use with steam disinfection, relocation of slum dwellers to new housing, and in some cases also follow-up inspections for several months after relocated tenants moved into their new housing.[66]
You can identify a bedbug infestation by checking bedding, mattress seams, furniture, and wall fixtures for the bugs or their traces. Each bedbug is about the size of an apple seed, about 1/4 inch long. You will often see their droppings instead, which are tiny brown or red specks. You may also see small blood stains on sheets or mattresses when a bedbug has been crushed after feeding. Eggs about the same size as the adults might be seen in seams or cracks and you will also see their molted exoskeletons.

When it comes to controlling bed bugs, "do it yourself" should not be anyone's motto. Bed bugs are notoriously difficult to eradicate - 76 percent of pest professionals say they are the most difficult pest to control. As such, people who suspect a bed bug infestation should turn to a qualified pest professional with expertise in treating these pests. The pest professional will evaluate the extent of an infestation and recommend the best course of treatment. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorses that appropriate control of a bed bug infestation requires an experienced pest management professional and recommends that victims be advised against attempting to control measures themselves.

Infestations with bedbugs date back to ancient Egypt.1 The incidence of bedbugs in developed countries decreased in the 1940s because of the availability of more effective pesticides (especially DDT) and improved economic and social conditions.2 In the past decade, however, a significant resurgence of bedbug populations has occurred. This is attributed to a combination of factors, including increased pesticide resistance, more frequent travel, lack of public awareness, and inadequate pest control programs.3 In a 2010 survey, 95 percent of more than 500 U.S. pest management companies reported encountering a bedbug infestation during the preceding year, compared with only 25 percent of companies during 2000.4 Bedbugs spread actively by migrating from one infested room to another, often through ventilation ducts. They also spread passively, carried in the seams of travelers’ luggage, bedding, or furniture.5 Bedbugs do not travel directly on human hosts.6
I just moved into my new apt with my 1 yr old and 3 yr old sons. the first night we slept on covers on the floor until i got the beds in. that very first morning there we woke up with bite marks on us. i thought maybe they were just mosquito bites or something. after the beds got in we continued to have this problem. poor kids cant play right from the itching. I’m pregnant so when the bites we on my stomach i went crazy especially since i worked so hard not to scratch and cause stretch marks.
Considering how time-consuming and costly it can be to eradicate bed bugs, it’s prudent to take precautions and avoid infestations in the first place. Householders should be vigilant when acquiring used furnishings, especially beds and couches. Discarded items should be avoided, and secondhand articles should be examined closely before being brought into the home. Look carefully in the folds and seams of furniture for signs of bed bugs (see the previous section entitled "Description and Habits" for more details). There is no reason to stop shopping in consignment stores, yard sales, etc., but it would be prudent to run clothing and fabric items through the washer or dryer before storing them in the home. The risk of acquiring bed bugs from items purchased in antique stores would generally be insignificant.
Jump up ^ Anderson, J. F.; Ferrandino, F. J.; McKnight, S.; Nolen, J.; Miller, J. (2009). "A carbon dioxide, heat and chemical lure trap for the bed bug, Cimex lectularius" (PDF). Medical and Veterinary Entomology. 23 (2): 99–105. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2915.2008.00790.x. PMID 19499616. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
We’ve randomly gotten bites here and there but it’s summer so we were unsure. We had a cleaning lady come in recently and use her vaccuum so we suspect that could’ve brought in bed bugs! Last night was worst ever but I was outside yesterday but didn’t notice these bites til I just woke up. No signs of spots left behind on mattress, maybe one dot on bedding but could be anything. What do you think?? I have about 6-8 on my middle back and they are about an inch or so apart in one line across bra line area
Visit your doctor. You can also see a doctor for diagnosis if you do not find signs of bedbugs in your bed and cannot identify the source of the bites or rash. However, there is a very good chance that your physician will not be able to firmly diagnose that you have been bitten by a bedbug because the symptoms look so similar to those that result from other insect bites and skin conditions. Nevertheless, you may feel comforted by going to see your doctor, who can confirm for you that bedbugs pose little physical threat to humans.
Bedbugs reproduce by a gruesome strategy appropriately named "traumatic insemination," in which the male stabs the female's abdomen and injects sperm into the wound. During their life cycle, females can lay more than 200 eggs, which hatch and go through five immature "nymph" stages before reaching their adult form, molting after each phase. [Infographic: Bedbugs: The Life of a Mini-Monster]