Bed Bugs: All You Need to Know in 5 Photos

Bed bugs are six-legged, wingless insects that are typically small and flat. Like mosquitoes, bed bugs feed on the blood from animals and people. Their natural color can range from pale white to dark brown, but they turn a rusty red color after feeding. 

Bed bugs don’t only live in your bed, although that is usually where they do their biting. They can live in your mattress, sheets, curtains, carpets, and even your walls. It is very important to clean these areas regularly to prevent an infestation, and once you have an infestation, it can be difficult to get rid of them.

The common bed bug won’t grow much longer than 0.2 inches (5 mm), so they can be difficult to spot if you don't know what to look for. Their small size and pale coloring makes it easy for them to hide in bedding and mattresses.

Since bed bugs are nocturnal, they hide throughout the day and wait until we are sound asleep before seeking their dinner. Their peak biting activity is usually just before dawn. Bed bugs can obtain their meal in as little as three minutes, leaving trails of itchy, red bites in straight lines on the skin, usually around the arms or shoulders. We don’t feel their bites because they inject a numbing agent into the body, along with an anticoagulant to keep your blood flowing as they suck. 

Bites from bed bugs can look very similar to any other rash, but they are characterized by being itchy with a darker red center on the bumps. These bites are usually the only symptom of bed bug bites, but if you happen to be allergic to bed bugs, you may also experience more severe itching or even blisters and hives.

The main sign of an infestation is the rashes that the bed bugs leave after they bite. You may also notice dark rusty spots on the sheets because of dried blood. If these dark rusty spots are moving, you have just spotted a bed bug itself. If you are traveling, these are also things to look for in the bed you are staying in to prevent bed bug bites.

According to the Mayo Clinic, bed bug infestations are usually caused by increased travel, since they can hitch a ride in your suitcase, but it can also be caused by any changes in your pest control methods in your home or the bed bugs building up a resistance to the insecticide that you normally use in your home. And of course, bed bugs cause the bed bug bites.

Usually, bed bug bites do not require treatment. Sometimes scratching can cause a secondary infection, in which case applying a local antiseptic lotion or antibiotic ointment can be effective. If you experience any kind of allergic reaction, creams with corticosteroids or oral antihistamines might be necessary. 

Get rid of infested mattresses or thoroughly clean and cover them with a plastic mattress bag that will trap and consequently starve any remaining bugs. Use hot water when washing clothes and bedding, and dry on high heat as well.

In order to keep these sneaky blood-sucking creatures away from your bed, there are several steps you can take. Keep furniture clean and vacuum cracks in wooden floors where bed bugs might be hiding. Shake out suitcases after traveling, since sometimes bed bugs will hitchhike back to your home.