Although we have a ton of pictures and their associated stories throughout our site, many people still ask what do bed bug bites look like; below you will find a sample of pictures of bed bugs and their bites. We have a ton more pictures of people bitten by bed bugs, just visit our Bed Bed Bites link in the menu bar above.
Although small in size, you can do a quick inspection to make sure you dont have something similar, such as when staying at a hotel. They dont hide in plain sight and this end of the mattress was covered and facing the wall.
Below, youll see a picture submitted by Ross showing exactly what bed bug bites look like. This happened during a stay in a cabin at Yellowstone National Park and was not limited to his head, but also over his entire body!
Whats most disturbing about these images, are that these people were attacked in the middle of the night and never felt a thing! The bed bugs injected their own form of anaesthetic into their human victiums and simply feed until they were full!
You can also see a bad reaction to bed bugs as they made a meal of Julios arm and below, you can see the bed bugs and damage they can do!
The image below is from Monica and serves as an excellent example of the bite pattern of bed bugs!
A special thank you to Ross, Monica and Afraid to sleep at night for sharing these pictures with everyone around the world!
If you have a bed bugs photo you would like to include, please send me an email with the picture attached to badbedbugs@gmail.com; this not only helps you, but helps others figure out what bed bug bites look like and possibly identify their own bites.
Sandy::
For about two months now Ive had incredibly itchy skin and random marks all around my body. Im often woken in the night because the itching is so intense. Ive been to the doctor and they suggested it might be scabies but Ive only ever got a few marks so think its more likely to be bed bugs.
I have been staying in two different beds, could I have brought the bed bugs from one to another? Ive never seen the bed bugs and have a mattress protector. The itching and lack of sleep is driving me insane! I now have several red dots on my body, some have a black spot in the middle. Is this the result of a bed bug?
Michael::
A few months ago I noticed a bug on my bed as I was getting reading to go to sleep. I had never seen a bug like this before. I killed it and have not seen any more since. Seeing these pictures of bed bugs on your site, reminds me of what that bug looked like. I dont experience any itching or redness on my body however. It is possible that there was only one bed bug or am I wishful thinking? Once you see one, does it mean there may be several more or eggs that may have been laid?
Susie Thomas::
Hi! My name is Susie Im up now trying to figure out what can you do when your neighbors are very nasty and Chicago Housing Authority (CHAange) wont evict these residents. Ive lived here for 17 years and never had beg bugs until they relocated residents from other developments without inspecting the units they were in. Before I moved into my unit my furniture was sprayed before I can into a new unit, now they have stopped spraying because of lack of funds. What can residents do to get nasty neighbors to clean up?
Laura Emily::
For the last several months I was getting red welts all over my body. It seemed to occur after spending the night at my boyfriends house. I questioned him, but he advised me he thought they were stress hives. The welts appeared two more times after that.
I saw a physician and a dermatologist, both of whom were clueless! Finally, I had the boyfriend come over to my apartment with his sheets. We had conjectured that I was allergic to his laundry detergent. In hindsight, this was a huge mistakehaving him wash his sheets at my houseas he later revealed he had a horrific mattress infestation of bed bugs the month following.
Two months later, I started getting the welts again. They were smaller and less pronounce. Last night, I found a bed bug. Ew! I captured it, put it in a sandwich bag, and smashed it with a spoon only to watch blood spatter all over the interior of the bag. I have brought this to the attention of my apartment complex.
Matt::
Sandy, I had a condition that drove me crazy when I was like 20 yo. It sounds quite similar to what you are experiencing. Have your doctors treat you for a Norwegian mite infestation. Its the same treatment for scabies I think (quell shampoo etc) See if the problem doesnt end with that.
Sherry::
I got bed bugs from buying a used bedroom suite from an apartment dweller. They didnt have any furniture in their apartment, so I thought they were getting new furniture. It never dawn on me that they were battling a bed bug problem nor that they could be transferred from a headboard, I only got the the wood furniture, not the mattress. I had an experience with bedbugs as a child and I could feel them bite.
I started getting really itchy bumps I thought was nerves: until I found a brownish mess on the side of my mattress and on my sheets there was also little blood spots, I thought was because I scratched my bumps too much. After closer examination I realized they were bugs and I remembered my experience from childhood.
Ive got them under control for now. By: hauling the invested furniture to the dump, treating the mattress and carpet with bed bug spray, from Lowes and also spraying 91% alcohol on everything, especially rubbing the alcohol in the seems. I also, encased my box springs & mattress with dust mite proof mattress covers.
Tyla::
My partner and I just moved into an apartment together about a month ago and within the last week Ive had my left leg bitten 3 or 4 times. The bites get badly swollen, ending up to be about 2 or 3 inches in diameter; theyre extremely itchy, hot to the touch, and burn after being itched.
I asked her if she was getting bit too and she said no, that nothing is happening to her. Our bed is up against the wall and I sleep on the side against the wall. Could this be bed bugs?
Hi Tyla,
Can you send me a few pictures? Send them to the email address located at the bottom of this page.
Thanks!
Jim
Nicole::
Can u only get Bed Bugs if you have a wooden frame? I think ive got bitten by them but ive got a metal frame and no bed bug infestation. But my bites are all over my legs and look Bed Bug bites
Hayley::
I have wooden frames on my bed. I dont see any bed bugs or dust mites. But I have recently just got bitten by one of them . The bites are all over my back my legs my arms neck and some parts of my face. I dont know what to do. I cant bring myself to sleep in my bed. If it is these horrible little creatures how do I go about gettin ride of them.
Julia::
It sounds like Hayley might have scabies which there is a cream you can put on to get rid of it. If you have bed bugs you will eventually find one on your sheets or bedding. They can hide in the walls or the cracks of the floor or even in your mattress. You should get mattress and pillow covers, and you can also spray to get rid of them. the scabies you just have to wash your bedding in hot water and then make sure to get the cream and maybe the antihistamine pill if your rashes are worsened by an allergic reaction.
Chambers::
Michael says: January 19, 2010 at 3:36 am A few months ago I noticed a bug on my bed as I was getting reading to go to sleep. I had never seen a bug like this before. I killed it and have not seen any more since. Seeing these pictures of bed bugs on your site, reminds me of what that bug looked like. I dont experience any itching or redness on my body however. It is possible that there was only one bed bug or am I wishful thinking? Once you see one, does it mean there may be several more or eggs that may have been laid?
- Micheal have you got a reasons to your question about wishful thinking on only having perhaps just One bedbug? I recently took over a different bedroom in my house and got bit by a bedbug, I did however find One, and killed it.. Im praying there was only one but I dont know how they work, am i also wishful thinking?
Kirstin::
Im a bit confused with my situation. I woke up a few days ago with five bites on my right leg, three around my knee and two on my shin.
I am thinking it was just a mosquito I ignored it. But within the next day or two I noticed three bites on my left arm, and two on the inside of my bicep. I showed a coworker who said it was spiders, but I checked over my entire room andno spiders! Now I have one more on my left arm, one on my hip and the other on my abdomen.
I checked the internet and found this bed bug site here, so Ive been checking my bed and blankets for bed bugs (in fact all my sheets are getting washed right now, haha), and Ive now vacuumed my bed and the surrounding area.
But the thing is, I didnt see anything. No feces, no bugs, no curious stains. I took some pictures of the ones on my arm, but they look kind of different from any of the images on the bed bug site. I was wondering if perhaps you could help?
Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
I forgot to mention I work over nights, so I sleep during the day. I have good blinds so my room can get pretty dark during the day.
Jo::
I have had particularly itchy skin for a while on my body, even on parts of my body where I dont have eczema, and especially on my head. Though my head has been checked and theres nothing there either. A few days ago I started scratching my skin and I noticed there were two red, circular marks with lumps beneath them. The next day I found another, and my friend said they may be flea bites, but I have three cats and with past experience knew they were not. But this morning I woke and noticed three red circular marks on my right arm, but they werent itchy until I poked one. Waking up with these marks, I decided to ask my mum what she thought they may be and she suggested they could be bed bug bites, do my bite descriptions sound accurate? Also if they are, how do bed bugs get from on top of my mattress and through the sheets?
Leatha::
Sandy, If they have black dots in them chances are that its scabies.
Jessica::
Well I just started to this itch two nights ago and I dont no from what. At first I thought it was just a bug bite but so itchy and I showed my mom she says it maybe bedbugs so i moved into another room I hope it is not. and I just changed my bed sheet a few days ago. The itchiness is OK its sort of pink and look like mosquito bites. Im thinking I might have irritation but I dont no. The size vary but looks like mosquito bite. Can any1 help me . This itching started when I washed and changed blankets they were clean. Only begun when i washed my bed sheets and everything and got my summer blanket.
How long do they itch because mine dont itch for very long maybe an hr and wen I itch it it turns red but wen it calms down u cant really c it.
Update: Like is it only there fir a little while and next morning the bites will begone so is that a bedbugs
Alex::
Hi,
I woke up the other morning with a red hive type thing on part of my middle hip. I thought it mightve been an irritation spot, so I let it go, but I think its gotten worse.
It is pinkish and swollen, also pinkish around it too (it looks like under the skin). It is painful, especially when I sit down, because it hits my leg.
Also, today, I noticed a little thing sticking out of a small part of it. It was very tiny, but I continued to pull it out. After I did, this yellowish type thing came oozing out, and I had no idea what it was. It stopped coming out after a while, and I washed it with soap and water, and iced it. The swelling has gone down, but it is still pinkish and painful.
Any idea what this is? I just washed my sheets and have never experienced this before, so I dont know if it is bed bugs or not.
Jim::
Hi Alex,
This does not sound like a bed bug bite, but rather a spider bite!
wyatt::
i have just recently started getting these red spots on my legs that look like little pimples, can they be bed bug bites? ive never seen them but i do work for a furniture leasing company is it possible i brought them home? i cant figure it out please help
Jim::
Hi Wyatt,
Send me some pictures of what you think might be bed bug bites and well go from there.
molly::
recently i got this spot like thing on my arm and i havent really bothered with it but it has developed into a scanb i also have them on my bag and stomach and my chest they are oval shaped slightly red with a rough surface and i have no idea what they are?
Heather::
A few weeks ago I found a bug that looked like a tick. This is the second specimen of this bug on an all white bed-during the daytime. Sadly, many months after the first one. I didnt think much of it until I searched the internet out of curiosity. To my horror- I think we have bed bugs! Apparently, while this is an increasing problem- it doesnt seem to be out in the mainstream.
After much reading, panic and finally resignation- I decided to contact my pest control company. Based on my reading-I was not pleased with their plan of action. The guy told me they would steam treat and spray. Nothing was mentioned about what I should do to prepare or how these things require ongoing treatment.
So- I bought every product that seemed to be logical and enable me to try to get some control over the situation. This includes a steamer that reaches recommended temp, Nightwatch, a DIY kit with Mother Earth, Cyonara 9.7, Pyganic Dust, Sterifab,Bedlam and Gentrol. I also bought mattress covers and every other item that someone had used or recommended. I know that I will need to supplement my efforts with the chemical treatment and that its not the only thing that will resolve the problem.
So, I am getting ready to wage war and it feels like it may be a war. My question is- if I manage to control them in my bedroom- will they move to the living room and use my cats as a source of food? I live in a single family home. I have just completed a major renovation- bought mostly new furniture and fear that if I dont start out with a finite plan- I may make the problem worse. I simply dont trust the info I am getting in my area on the treatment of bedbugs and therefore feel compelled to do it myself armed with logic over emotion.
I would really appreciate any advice from current or past warriors who are effectively treating this issue. Tired before Ive begunHouston
Jess::
I woke up with what I thought was a rash. A curved line of little bites grouped in 3. SO itchy and so gross. The bites have no hole in the center. They are on my hip and stomach. They definitely look like bed bug bites, but Ive searched my bed and room and can find no evidence of them????
lisa::
This is for molly molly, recently i got something similar to what you have. I saw the doctor and he thinks its Pityriasis Rosea. What you have sounds exactly like that description. I myself have been looking at bedbug bite pictures to make sure he diagnosed me right though. For this condition, however, all he gave me was this topical steroid like cream which you apply thin and frequently. Good luck!
hilary::
My son has these 4 bite marks on his back there all in a shape that looks like the little dipper i recently found out my neighbor across the hall had them can i get them and what does the marks sound to you thank you Hilary
abel::
Can somebody help me out with this? i know i have bed bugs and have been bitten on my legs continuously. we had a pest control company come in to rid us of them but to no success. after a few weeks they came back. so i decided to take measures into my own hands. i sleep in the basement so my cleaning job wasnt to difficult.
I began by tossing out my mattress and everything associated with it (frame, pillows, blankets). then i vacuumed three times. then sprayed the floor with rubbing alcohol. i hit all the base boards with it as well. i showered after cleaning and put on clothes that just came out of the dryer. then i went up stairs to my computer to see if anyone has a special weapon against these bugs and as Im writing this now i feel as if Im covered with bed bugs. Is this because Im just anxious to kill these things or am i literally carrying them around? Im searching my skin with a magnifying glass and flashlight but nothing appears when i itch this worries me greatly. any advice??? anything at all would be much appreciated. thank you for reading.
Brenda::
Hi Abel,
You would see the bed bugs clearly if they were on you, however, if they had you for dinner last night, then you may now be feeling the effects!
abel::
thank you for your reply brenda. i thought i was going nuts. i took walk today and in the middle of the street i was itching on my legs and looked like a weirdo scratching them. well i hope youre right about seeing them. i read an article a little while ago stating that a boy brought up the same claims as i and the result was he had nymphs crawling all over him. he only saw them after a couple days pass. sometimes i feel as if im being punished for something.
well, thanks again.
Jim::
Hello Abel,
If you found bed bugs, then chances are that its bites from last night.
A number of people on this site found they had scabies which often show up as a bite with a black dot in the center just throwing that out there
To help get rid of that itching feeling, many claim that tea tree oil does wonders with the bites (regardless where they came from).
Alex::
Ever since the end of March, Ive been living in a trailer park unfortunately whats bad around here is that EVERYONE has ants theyll find a way into your house. Ive woken up several times to just a bite every now and then. My girlfriend woke up to a bunch of itchy pink spots all over her upper arm. The next night, I wake up and find the same marks all over the bottom part of my back.
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