Again and again it happens that our living spaces are infested by parasites. In bed, it's mostly bed bugs. With our information about the appearance of the stings, you can identify an infestation with certainty.

In a nutshell

  • Bed bugs don't produce a bite, but try to reach your blood vessels through bites
  • Signs of a bite on multiple body sites suggest a greater number of bed bugs
  • Typical for a single bug are several bites in a row, the so-called "bug street".

Bites instead of stings

Although people keep talking about the so-called bite of the bed bugs, strictly speaking they are not bites. Because the animals do not have any stingers, such as those of mosquitoes, which also eat blood. Instead, the bugs bite into the skin with their jaws to get to the blood vessels underneath.

Source: CDC/Harvard University, Dr. Gary Alpert; dr Harold Harlan; Richard Pollack. Photo Credit: Piotr Naskrecki, Bed bug nymph, Cimex lectularius, edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0

Appearance and Features

Since it is not a matter of stings, but much more of bites, the recognizable features also differ significantly from the known legacies of the mosquitoes:

  • Small, flat to moderately raised bumps, wheals, or bumps
  • Usually accompanied by redness and swelling
  • Severe itching

Notice: Although the signs may initially be reminiscent of bites, bed bug bites are more widespread. This is due to the fact that the animals' spines penetrate the skin at a single point, while the jaws leave more extensive injuries when they bite. This clearly distinguishes bed bug bites from insect bites.

The bug street

In addition to the actual shape and characteristics of the individual bites, there is another unmistakable sign that a bed bug was active here: the so-called "bug street".
In most cases, the bug does not immediately hit a blood vessel with the first bite. If she is unsuccessful, she tries her luck again a little further away. The animals usually leave behind a sequence of three consecutive bite marks before they orientate themselves from scratch.

Notice: If you notice several distant bites, due to the nature of the bug street, there are usually several animals you are dealing with. For bites all over your body, expect a larger number of animals in your bed.

frequently asked Questions

Are there other signs of a bed bug infestation?

The traces cannot always be clearly assigned. Then looking for other signs of bugs can give you clarity. Typical residues associated with bugs are feces, dead animals, and the "nymph skins" left behind by bugs that molt as they grow.

I was probably bitten by a bed bug. What should I do?

First of all you should try to remove the animals from your bed. This will avoid further bites. If you react violently to the bites, you should also consult a doctor. Since the bugs usually do not transmit any diseases, a trip to the doctor is not absolutely necessary if the healing process goes well.

Do I wake up from the bites of the bugs?

In fact, the animals bite mainly at night. However, similar to mosquitoes, you inject an anesthetic into the wound, so that you are usually not aware of the whole process.

Category:

Garden pests