What Do Bedbug Bites Look Like?

If you wake up with a bite, though, bedbugs may not be to blame. Their bites look very similar to those of other insects. Here’s how to confidently identify bedbug bites and what you can do to treat them.

Swollen, red bed bug bites can appear on any uncovered part of the body while you sleep, says Steve Durham, the president of EnviroCon Pest Control in Tomball, Texas. At-risk areas often include:

• The back of your neck
• Shoulders
• Arms
• Legs

Many people see bugs during or shortly after a bite or sting, helping them identify the culprit. But some bugs, such as bedbugs, mosquitoes, or spiders, may bite while a person is sleeping, so it may take some effort to work out which type of bite it is from the skin symptoms alone.

• The size of mark at the site of the bite (may be less visible on dark skin)
• The level of pain or itchiness
• The size, shape, and number of rashes
• The color and appearance of bite marks
• The pattern of bites, such as grouped together or in a zigzag formation
• The location of the bites on the body
• How raised the bumps are
• Whether the bug is still attached to the skin, such as during a tick bite

Bedbug bites differ from other bites in a few ways:

• They can appear anywhere on the skin that clothing doesn’t cover while you’re sleeping. Flea or chigger bites, on the other hand, usually only appear around your ankles, Durham says.
• They sometimes bite in a zigzag pattern.

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• Bedbug bites don’t normally have a red dot in the center, while flea bites usually do.

Bedbug bites tend to stick around longer than mosquito bites, though they look very similar.

Some people develop allergic reactions to bedbug bites, which can include:

• Fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Hives
• A swollen tongue

Others may develop an infection in which the bite starts oozing pus. If you experience either of these reactions or you develop blisters where the bites occurred, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with a dermatologist.

To treat an allergic reaction, the doctor may prescribe:

• An antihistamine
• A corticosteroid
• An epinephrine injection

If an infection develops in the area, a medical professional might prescribe an antibiotic or recommend an over-the-counter antiseptic. Finally, a corticosteroid or an antihistamine in pill or liquid form may help with severe itchiness.

In most cases, the only way to say for sure whether it was a bedbug that bit you is to search for evidence of bedbugs living in your home. "Once you start to notice the itchy bites, the second giveaway is the presence of small blood spots on your sheets or mattress, usually resembling patches of rust,” Durham says. Those spots are left behind after a bedbug has been smashed.

Durham advises the following methods for seeking out bedbugs:

• You’ll likely only see them in their hiding spots or crawling across the floor since, unlike other insects, bedbugs cannot fly or jump.
• Check along the edges of your mattress. You may see the exoskeletons that bedbugs have shed as they matured.
• You may notice a musty smell, both of which indicate there could be bedbugs in the area.
• It can also be helpful to check your bed with a flashlight during the middle of the night, when they’re more active.

Bedbug bites can itch, and knowing you have bedbugs in your home can be distressing. But being bitten won’t negatively impact your health. “Thus far, bedbugs have not been shown to transmit any diseases to humans,” says Jerry Lazarus, the president of Braman Termite & Pest Elimination.

That’s a key difference between bedbugs and mosquitoes, which Braun says are sometimes called the “deadliest animal on the planet.” Bedbugs bite and feed on blood like mosquitoes, he says. “However, they do not transmit any disease. The risk of getting ill from the bite isn’t there.”

The bigger concern with bedbugs is the effect they can have on one’s mental health, since having bedbugs can be both stressful and embarrassing.

A zigzag pattern of itchy, red spots on the back of the neck, shoulders, arms, or legs may mean that you’ve had a bedbug bite within the last day, but this pattern can vary. Bedbug bites can appear on any area of exposed skin and look very similar to mosquito bites, although bedbugs do not transmit disease to humans, and their bites stay on the skin for longer.

Reactions to bedbug bites are highly individual, and you may become more sensitive to these bites over time, meaning that a reaction becomes more severe or develops in seconds. If you suspect bedbugs, try checking the seams of your mattress for small, rust-colored stains.