bed Bug Bites: Photos And Information

These are photos of bed bug bites submitted by Bedbugger readers or found on the bed bugs pool on flickr.

Click photo to get to flickr, and choose all sizes to see larger photos.

Bed bug bites look very different from one person to another. Some bedbug bites are larger, some smaller, some have a red dot in the center, or a scab, others dont, some look like mosquito bites or pimples. Some bed bug bites are in groups of 2 or three (a pattern known as breakfast, lunch, and dinner), or in a line, or in a circle. Others are single bites.

Ive heard from experts that whether you get multiple bites in a pattern may have to do with whether the bed bug is disturbed while feeding (if you move, they may move and start over) and also whether your veins are easily accessed by the bed bugs (if they are, they need pierce only once).

Dermatologists and PCOs cannot identify a bed bug bite or distinguish it from something with another cause.

A dermatologist can test a skin reaction and determine its an insect bite, but cannot be certain its from bed bugs.

Many people dont even react to bed bug bites.

For this reason, you cant be sure you have bed bugs unless you find visual evidence (bed bugs, a cast skin, bed bug eggs, or fecal stains). See this gallery for pictures of bed bugs and signs of bed bugs.

However, people still do ask what bed bug bites look like, so below are some examples.

Note that we have a FAQ on remedies for itching caused by bed bug bites, and additional posts about bed bug bites, photos of bed bugs bites and bed bugs biting, and other related topics.

Now for the examples:

Amys photo:

Bassommeijers photos:

The caption to this one mentions bigger bites that did not itch:

Note the shape of a devil in this one also from Bassommeijer (couple bitten in Argentina):

Ss photos:

BittenWomans photos

BBsBlows photos are here.

You can see some of Lou Sorkins photos here and here. The first photo shows no difference between a nymph and adult bite.

For some background on bed bug bites, heres a post from October 2006 about doctors (not) diagnosing them, which links to a number of photos of bed bug bites that do, and dont, look typical. Also, see this series of articles (with additional photos) about Ss experiments with intentionally being bitten to see how nymph and adult bites compare, and to see if apparently unbitten G reacts when bitten.

To see additional bite photos, click on any of the following DermAtlas, and APictureofMes Bite Photos. Also, additional bite photos can be found at the bed bugs / bedbugs photo pool on flickr.com. And these are photos of entomologist Lou Sorkins arm after he is bitten by many bed bugs at once.

If you want me to post your photo of bugs, bites, or mattresses on flickr.com and link to them from Bedbugger, please post them on your flickr.com account and send me the link, and I will add them here. You can start a free, anonymous flickr account by going to http://flickr.com

If you have your own flickr account, please join the bed bugs / bedbugs photo group, and post your bedbug-related photos there (I can link to those photos here if you let me know!)

Thanks for helping people see the variety of ways bed bug bites can manifest themselves on people.

Comments for this page are now closed. Please post a message on our Bedbugger Forums if you have questions or need support. If you have suggestions or want to share your photos, please contact me.

Last updated 3/7/2015

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bed Bug Bites: Photos And Information