Identifying bed bug bites can be difficult if you don’t know what to look for or you’ve never had a run in with the little blood suckers. Sometimes it can take days for you to notice that something is off, and by then they’ve made themselves pretty comfortable in your home. Unlike mosquito bites, which can be anywhere and flea bites that happen more around the ankles, bed bug bites will usually appear to be little raised red bumps possibly mistaken for a rash of some sort. They can be clusters of little red bumps concentrated in one area, or a line of little bumps, providing you even notice them at all. You won’t feel a bed bug bite until it’s too late, and the damage has been done. Even then though, it can take days to realize you have been bitten. Should you find yourself wondering what those little red bumps are on your shoulder, look for images online of bed bug bites as they will help you identify what they are. Bed bug bite information is abundant online, and a lot of useful information can be found there.

While their bites aren’t known to be fatal, they can be irritated enough by an individual’s scratching of them. Unlike mosquitos or fleas, bed bug bites tend to be in a line and in certain areas more often, where other insect bites are usually spread out. The most common places that bed bugs bite are the arms, shoulders, face and hands. Even though bed bugs don’t spread disease to people, their bites can become very itchy and red and even infected when scratched too much. If you happen to notice that the bites become more inflamed, or pus up, ooze liquid, or other effects that could be an allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately.

With over 200,000 cases annually, it’s safe to say that bed bug bites are a somewhat common occurrence. Fortunately, if you know what to look for you can stop an infestation before it becomes a problem for your family. Check all of your bedding and clothing for fecal stains which will look like little brown/red smeared specks, or blood stains on your sheets and pajamas as well as exoskeletons, shells, or bed bug skins. Bed bugs love wood, so if you notice little black dots all over your wooden furniture, there’s a pretty good chance that you may be the victim of an infestation.

Learning how to get rid of bed bug bites involves more than just spreading some anti-itch cream on the infected area because as you’re treating those bites, new ones can appear even before the others have faded. What you’ll need to do is eliminate the threat as soon as it is realized. There are home remedies as well, but your best bet is to contact your local pest control agency and get tips from the professionals.

Once an infestation has been confirmed, your bedding, clothes, carpet, furniture, pets, will all need a thorough cleaning. You can find all kinds of solutions on the internet for cleaning your entire home from top to bottom, and throwing out such things that cannot be machine washed or cleaned up. If you can’t afford to get it professionally done, research online for solutions that you can do yourself for a lower cost. Any of the proper steps you take whether by a professional or DIY can help eliminate another infestation in the future.

Some people are lucky and have no physical reaction to bed bug bites at all, even though they may be present. It’s still a good idea to take the proper steps to make sure you don’t have an infestation, better safe than sorry. Bed bugs don’t attach themselves to you, like ticks might, but they do feed throughout the night in brief intervals then they hide until the next feeding.

Fortunately, bed bug bites can fade with time even if not treated, but making sure to use some form of hydrocortisone cream or antihistamine can help speed up the process. In the rare case that you need something stronger make sure to get the proper prescription from you physician. Other methods of treating bed bug bites include washing the infected area thoroughly with soap and water; oatmeal baths; for those with allergic reactions to the bites, some people may require an injection of antihistamine, corticosteroid, or epinephrine. But more commonly treatment would be the hydrocortisone anti-itch cream.

In conclusion, while bed bug bites can be very irritating and itchy, they are not fatal and most people do not have an allergic reaction to them. A lot of the time they can go undetected and they will even heal within a week or so. To avoid the possibility of even being a victim of bed bug bites, follow steps to ensure that you do not get an infestation of bed bugs.

Call Alliance Pest Services for all your bed bug and pest control bug problems.