Bed Bugs????

[lukenick1]

I think I may be a victim of bed bugs. Slept at a friends cottage at the Cape and now notice red itchy bumps on my waist. Pretty freaked out that I brought them home and will have a huge problem at home. Anyone have an experience with these nasty little bugs?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

There was a thread last week, with pictures. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2963671&referrerid=70088

Uggh. I hope you can get it resolved. Are you sure it wasn't fleas?

ETA Actually, if you do an Advanced Search with Bedbugs in the title, there were lots!

 

[lukenick1]

These are the bites on my back.......
They were itchy at first but now they aren't at all. What is weird is that I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt to bed and the shorts covered this area of my body. I had to pull my shorts down a little for these pics. I really hope these are NOT bed bug bites but from what I've read online about the bite pattern they fit the bill. The bites have 3 in a row. We counted 9 bites total on my waist. No other bites anywhere else on my body.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I googled bed bug bites and the sort of look like yours

 

[Sgt Mickey]

BUT so do fleas

 

[lukenick1]

Our friends who we stayed with think the bites are from sand fleas on the beach. Some of them had bites too but they went away quick and they are still staying there and are not getting more bites. I am really hoping for the best here. My husband and I stayed in the bedroom with 2 twin bed. He has no bites at all.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

Welll that is a good sign.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Unfortunately, I have had some recent experience with bedbugs....

1. Bedbug bites look just like mosquito bites except they tend to be in a line. Often a linear group of three, which represents where one bug fed multiple times during the night. Your photos look like this. The one other difference from mosquito bites is that they tend to take longer than a day or two to stop itching and go away.

2. They don't usually bite anywhere that is covered by clothes, so if you were wearing pajamas over your waist, then they would have had a harder time getting there. That being said, my experiences with sand-fleas are that they are primarily "ankle-biters".

3. Just because your husband has no bites does not mean there were no bedbugs. My husband was all confused about the "hives" he was getting for weeks before anything showed up on me.

4. Don't take chances anyways. I'd put all your clothes from the trip and all your sheets you've slept on since in the wash. Make sure you run the dryer on high heat for at least an hour (it's one of the few things that kills them). I'd also throw any comforters and pillows in the dryer too. You should also examine your suitcases inside and out. There should be no danger from any bites you received while there, but bringing them home is a recipe for unhappiness.

 

[lukenick1]

Unfortunately, I have had some recent experience with bedbugs....

1. Bedbug bites look just like mosquito bites except they tend to be in a line. Often a linear group of three, which represents where one bug fed multiple times during the night. Your photos look like this. The one other difference from mosquito bites is that they tend to take longer than a day or two to stop itching and go away.

2. They don't usually bite anywhere that is covered by clothes, so if you were wearing pajamas over your waist, then they would have had a harder time getting there. That being said, my experiences with sand-fleas are that they are primarily "ankle-biters".

3. Just because your husband has no bites does not mean there were no bedbugs. My husband was all confused about the "hives" he was getting for weeks before anything showed up on me.

4. Don't take chances anyways. I'd put all your clothes from the trip and all your sheets you've slept on since in the wash. Make sure you run the dryer on high heat for at least an hour (it's one of the few things that kills them). I'd also throw any comforters and pillows in the dryer too. You should also examine your suitcases inside and out. There should be no danger from any bites you received while there, but bringing them home is a recipe for unhappiness.

Ugh.....I was afraid it was bed bugs. When we came home I took the pillow cases off my pillows, put clean ones and and put them in my bed. The suitcase and other things we brought all were left in the laundry room next to the door we came in from the garage. The next day, I stripped my bed off all pillows, blankets, sheets. Vacuumed the mattress and carpet in my room. I am in the process of washing all pillows, blankets, clothing from the trip. I emptied the suitcase and put it out in the garage with the beach bag too. The rest of the stuff is still in my van. I brought a blow up mattress and sleeping bag for my kids. I think I will bring the sleeping bag to the laundry mat as well as my comforter. Hope this has been enough to spare my home.

 

[tjsuk]

Keeping the suitcases and bedding in the laundry room away from your bed is good practice, you should put all your clothing in the drier at a high heat, the temperature should be greater than 45 °C (113 °F) for 15 minutes, this will kill all life stages including eggs. You should also treat your suitcases, especially if they were left on the floor or placed on the bed at the place you were staying, you can do this with a steam cleaner which again will kill all life stages. Also consider fitting mattress and box spring encasement's and placing traps / moats under the bed legs. Good luck.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Could be chigger bites.

 

[figmentswife]

My guess is Chiggers or sand fleas......chiggers bite in dark covered places, like where your bites are.

 

[lukenick1]

My guess is Chiggers or sand fleas......chiggers bite in dark covered places, like where your bites are.

Where would I have gotten bit by chiggers?

 

[goofy4tink]

Bed bug bites don't stop itching for a very long time!!! My dd has had them...and she was a nut case of itchiness for days on end.

 

[Lilliputian]

Sorry, but those look like bedbug bites. The groups of 3 is a giveaway. They call them breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The fact that your husband doesn't have them is telling, too. The bites only show up if you're allergic, and only about 50% of people are allergic.

Bedbugs won't just stick to the bed. You just get bitten by the ones in bed because they're active at night. They can go all over your house, particularly your closet if you have clothes you put away with bugs, and wherever you keep your suitcases. Keeping your stuff out of the house until you can wash it is a good idea. At this time of year, the car is awesome because it gets so hot. Park it out in full sun with anything that might be contaminated inside. We had bedbugs in our house killed by having it heated to 140 degrees for 6 hours. Before they contaminate your house, you can do that to stuff like suitcases with just the car.

Do the bites itch like crazy? As in, once you start scratching, you simply can't make yourself stop? That's the way mine were. My arms looked like I was an IV drug user because they were all scarred up from the scratching. They seemed to like my arms, legs, and um, sitting area best.

We keep our suitcases in the garage now, and we bring in the laundry from the suitcases right when we're ready to wash it.

 

[minkydog]

Where would I have gotten bit by chiggers?

Outdoors. They live in wooded places. They are teeny, tiny red bugs that can crawl fast. I once got chiggers after i sat underneath a tree. By 8pm the itching was driving my crazy. Chiggers like to burrown into the soft, warm places like waist, groin, armpits, elbows.

Do the bites itch like crazy? As in, once you start scratching, you simply can't make yourself stop? That's the way mine were. My arms looked like I was an IV drug user because they were all scarred up from the scratching. They seemed to like my arms, legs, and um, sitting area best.
.

Also typical of chiggers. An old fashioned treatment is to paint the spots with clear nail polish. Supposedly it "smothers" the red bugs and helps with the itching. I have also used an old product called Chigger-Rid. You can probably find that at a drug store.

 

[lukenick1]

Funny only one of the bites was itchy. And it was only itchy like a mosquito bite would be. I remember thinking that was what it was until i saw the bites in the mirror. . It really was only a temporary itch. To be honest, I can't recall if they were there the day before I slept or not now that I think of it. I just cannot remember when it was so itchy. So frustrating because I cannot be sure yet I am treating my stuff as if there were bed bugs. Better safe than sorry. The bumps are gone but the redness is still there. I slept in the suspicious bed on Tuesday night.