Waking Up With Bites: Bed Bug bites or Something Else?
You wake up, notice itchy red bites on your skin and your mind goes straight to bed bugs. It is a horrible feeling. Before you rip the bedroom apart or start spraying everything in sight, it helps to know what bed bug bites really look like and how they differ from other common UK pests such as fleas and mosquitoes.
As local pest controllers in Essex we see a lot of “mystery bites”. Sometimes it is bed bugs. Sometimes it is something else entirely. This guide will walk you through the early signs, what bed bug bites look and feel like, and when it is time to call in a professional.
What do bed bug bites look like?
Bed bug bites usually show up as small red bumps on the skin. They often:
Appear in lines or little clusters
Have a darker red dot in the centre
Show up on areas that are exposed while you sleep, such as arms, shoulders, neck, back, ankles and feet
Feel itchy or sore, sometimes burning or stinging
You might not notice the bites straight away. Some people react a few hours later, others only notice the next day. If you share a bed, one person can be badly bitten while the other has almost no reaction at all.
A classic sign is “breakfast, lunch and dinner” lines, where three bites sit in a row where a bed bug has fed more than once as it moves along the skin.
Other signs of bed bugs in the room
Bites alone are not proof of bed bugs. To work out what is going on, look for other clues in the bed and bedroom. Early signs of a bed bug problem can include:
Tiny dark spots on sheets and mattress seams. This is dried bed bug faeces
Pale, papery skins or shells where bed bugs have shed as they grow
Cream coloured eggs or tiny nymphs in the folds of the mattress, bed frame or headboard
Live bugs, about the size and shape of an apple pip, often hiding in cracks, buttons and seams
A sweet, musty smell in heavy infestations
If you can see two or more of these signs alongside suspicious bites, there is a good chance you are dealing with bed bugs and not something else.
Where is the most common place to get bed bugs?
Most people are surprised to learn that bed bugs are usually picked up outside the home. The most common places to get bed bugs are busy locations where lots of different people sleep or sit for long periods, such as:
Hotels, B&Bs and hostels
Short term lets and shared accommodation
Trains, coaches and other public transport
Cinemas and theatres
Second hand beds, sofas and bedroom furniture
What causes bed bugs in a home is usually this kind of accidental transfer, not poor hygiene. Clean houses get bed bugs too. Once inside, they hide in cracks and crevices close to where people sleep, then feed at night. To reduce the risk of bringing them home, get into the habit of checking hotel beds, keeping luggage off
Bed bug bites or flea bites?
Fleas are another very common cause of itchy bites in UK homes, especially where there are cats or dogs. Flea bites and bed bug bites can look similar, but there are useful differences.
Flea bites usually:
Are most common on lower legs, ankles and feet
Look like small red dots, often with a red ring around them
Feel extremely itchy very quickly
Appear when you have pets that scratch a lot, or after visiting a property with pets
Bed bug bites can appear higher up the body, on backs, shoulders and arms, not just ankles. They also often appear in lines where the bug has crawled along. Should you be waking up with bites on your torso and you do not have pets, bed bugs move higher up the list of suspects.
Bed bug bites or mosquito or midge bites?
Summer evenings and warm houses can bring in mosquitoes and midges, especially around Essex rivers and coastal areas. Their bites:
Tend to be single raised lumps rather than neat lines
Often appear after you have had windows open, been in the garden or near standing water
Can show up anywhere on exposed skin, not just where bedding sits
What if you have bites but cannot see any bed bugs?
This is something we hear a lot. “I have bites but no bed bugs.” There are a few possibilities:
Allergies or skin irritation - Washing powder, fabric softener, new bedding or even rough seams can irritate the skin and look like bites.
Mites or other tiny insects - Bird mites, storage mites and other small pests can sometimes cause bites or rashes, especially in lofts or rooms near infested nests.
Carpet beetle larvae - The hairs on these can irritate the skin, leading to red marks that look like bites even though they do not feed on people.
If you cannot see any signs of bed bugs on the mattress, behind the headboard, in bedside tables or on skirting boards, it is worth looking at these other causes. A professional inspection can save a lot of guesswork.
When to worry about bed bug bites
Bed bugs do not carry disease in the same way as some other pests, but their bites can still cause problems. You should take them seriously if:
The number of bites is increasing night by night
You can see spotting, eggs or live bugs around the bed
You have recently stayed in hotels, on trains or in shared accommodation where bed bugs are known to spread
Someone in the home is reacting badly, with large swollen patches or signs of infection from scratching
Bed bugs breed quickly. A few bugs brought home in a suitcase can turn into a full infestation in a matter of weeks if nothing is done.
Professional bed bug treatment in Essex
DIY sprays and smoke bombs rarely solve a bed bug problem for long. They often miss eggs and hidden nymphs. The bugs then reappear and move into new rooms.
As local pest controllers in Essex, we carry out thorough bed bug treatments that target the whole problem, not just what you can see. A typical visit will include:
Careful inspection of mattresses, bed frames, skirting boards, furniture and sockets
Advice on what to bag, wash and dry at high temperatures to kill bed bugs and eggs
Professional grade treatments, which may include insecticide sprays or heat based methods depending on the property
Follow up visits where needed to check that the infestation has been fully cleared
We know it is embarrassing to talk about bites and bugs in the bedroom. There is no need to be. Bed bugs are a common hitchhiker pest. They can turn up in the cleanest of homes. Our job is simply to find them, treat them and help you get your bedroom back.
If you are anywhere in Essex, including Braintree, Witham, Colchester, Chelmsford, Maldon, Southend, Halstead and Sudbury, and you are waking up with suspicious bites, get in touch with Beeyond Pest Control for clear advice and a friendly, discreet survey.
