Bed Bug Bites: Symptoms in Cambridgeshire

People usually start searching for bed bug bites after waking up with itchy marks they cannot explain. This post covers what the bites look like, how to look after them, and why the next step is always to look at the bed rather than at your arm.

What Bed Bug Bites Look Like

There is no single look, because the mark is your body's reaction rather than the bite itself. That said, these features are typical.

• Small raised red or pink bumps, sometimes with a darker centre.
• Itching, which can be mild or intense and often worse in the morning.
• A line or small cluster of bites, because a bed bug may feed a few times as it moves along.
• Exposed skin: face, neck, shoulders, arms, hands and upper back, wherever the covers did not reach.

On darker skin, bites can look purple or darker brown rather than red, and may be easier to feel than to see.

Why the Bites Are So Confusing

They can appear late

Bed bug saliva numbs the skin, so you do not feel the bite. The reaction can take hours, or a day or more, to develop. By the time you notice, you may have been bitten on several nights.

Not everyone reacts

Two people can share a bed and only one of them gets marks. The other is still being bitten. This often leads couples to think one of them has a skin problem instead.

They look like other bites

Mosquito, flea and mite bites, and some skin conditions, can look very similar. Flea bites tend to be around the ankles and lower legs; bed bug bites favour the upper body and arms. If you have pets, read our flea identification guide too.

Looking After the Bites

Most bed bug bites settle by themselves over a week or two. Some simple things help in the meantime.

• Wash the bites gently with soap and water.
• Try not to scratch; a cool, damp cloth can ease the itching.
• Ask a pharmacist about creams or antihistamines that can help with the itch and swelling, and follow their advice.
• Keep children's fingernails short if they have been bitten.

When to Get Medical Help

Speak to a pharmacist or your GP if:

• the bites become hot, swollen, painful or weepy, or you feel unwell, as they may have become infected;
• the itching is so bad it stops you sleeping for several nights;
• the reaction is spreading, or a child or someone with a health condition has been bitten and you are worried.

Call 999 straight away for any sign of a severe allergic reaction, such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, or feeling faint. Severe reactions to bed bug bites are unusual, but they need emergency help if they happen.

Treat the bites for comfort. Treat the bed to make them stop.

From Bites to Answers

The bites will keep coming until the insects are dealt with, so the useful next step is to check the bed with a torch: the mattress seams, the corners of the frame and the back of the headboard. For the full list of first steps, see what to do if you have a bed bug infestation.

If you are not sure what you have found, a pest inspection and survey is £120 fixed cost and identifies the pest before you commit to a treatment. If it is bed bugs, our bed bug control service is £220 for the first room, plus £80 for each additional room, with no call-out fee; the cost guide explains how rooms are counted. The same prices apply across Cambridgeshire.