Detection
Bed bugs can exist singly but tend to congregate once established. Although strictly parasitic, they spend only a tiny fraction of their lives physically attached to hosts. Once a bed bug finishes feeding, it follows a chemical trail to return to a nearby harborage, commonly in or near beds or couches, where they live in clusters of adults, juveniles, and eggs. These places may include luggage, vehicles interiors, furniture, bedside clutter—even inside electrical sockets or laptop computers. Bed bugs may also lodge near animals that have nested within a dwelling, such as bats, birds, or rodents. They are also capable of surviving on domestic cats and dogs, though humans are the preferred host of C. lectularius. Bed bugs can also be detected by their characteristic smell of rotting raspberries. Bed bug detection dogs are trained to pinpoint infestations, with a possible accuracy rate between 11% and 83%.Homemade detectors have been developed. Bedbug detectors, often referred to as "monitors" or "traps", use attractant based methods such as lactic acid or carbon dioxide (associated with the presence of a human body) or pheromones to trap bugs in a container. Bedbug detectors can confirm a bedbug infestation but they are not effective for eradication. Differential diagnosis
Other possible conditions with which these conditions can be confused include scabies, gamasoidosis, allergic reactions, mosquito bites, spider bites, chicken pox and bacterial skin infections.
A central spot of bleeding may also occur due to the release of blood thinning substances in the bugs saliva.Symptoms may not appear until some days after the bites have occurred. Reactions often become brisker after multiple bites due to possible sensitization to the salivary proteins of the bed bug. Numerous bites may lead to a red rash or hives. Psychological
Serious infestations and chronic attacks can cause anxiety, stress, and sleep difficulties. Development of refractory delusional parasitosis is possible, as a person develops an overwhelming obsession with bed bugs. Other
A number of other symptoms may occur from either the bite of the bed bugs or from their exposure. Serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis from the injection of serum and other nonspecific proteins have been rarely documented. Due to each bite taking a tiny amount of blood, the chronic or severe infestation may lead to anemia. Bacterial skin infection may occur due to skin breakdown from scratching. Systemic poisoning may occur if the bites are numerous. Exposure to bed bugs may trigger an asthma attack via the effects of airborne allergens although evidence of this association is limited. There is no evidence that bed bugs transmit infectious diseases even though they appear physically capable of carrying pathogens and this possibility has been investigated. The bite itself may be painful thus resulting in poor sleep and worse work performance.Bed bugs can feed on warm-blooded animals other than humans, such as pets.