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I feel like I'm getting the occasional bedbug bite at home but haven't been able to spot any yet to prove it. The bites are itchy but not like mosquito bites.

koolba 9y ago
Bed bugs tend to bite multiple times, usually in a straight line. If they’re one off bites then it’s likely not bed bugs.
- gk1 9y ago
  They only bite in straight lines ones they’ve grown large enough. If they’re still small, then one-off bites are possible. A better tell is the bite location; they like warm, moist areas like around the waist and armpit area.
  - ashelmire 9y ago
    This is incorrect information. Bed bugs tend to bite center mass, neck, arms, and hands. You can confirm this with a google search.
- istorical 9y ago
  No. Number of bites is simply a function of population size. So a single bedbug might result in one or two bites every week or week and a half. A couple of bedbugs might result in a couple showing up every few days. You're right that seeing a cluster or a line or 2-3 bites is a dead giveaway, but it doesn't mean that a single bite or infrequent bites is not an infestation. A single bite with nothing else showing up at all is no cause for concern, but a mosquito bite showing up in the morning every week or two is definitely cause for concern if you aren't in mosquito season in your location.
ashelmire 9y ago
It sounds like you are getting bit by something else, possibly fleas. Bed bugs do not bite “occasionally”. You’ll get dozens of bites, they last for weeks, and they are maddeningly more irritating than mosquito bites for longer periods of time. They also often take several hours to appear after waking.
- jrs95 9y ago
  That's interesting. You'd think there would be evolutionary pressure for them to be less irritating so people wouldn't respond to them as aggressively.
  - ashelmire 9y ago
    They are so difficult to get rid of that it doesn't really matter. Before the last century, I don't know if it was actually possible.

koolba 9y ago

Bed bugs tend to bite multiple times, usually in a straight line. If they’re one off bites then it’s likely not bed bugs.

gk1 9y ago
They only bite in straight lines ones they’ve grown large enough. If they’re still small, then one-off bites are possible. A better tell is the bite location; they like warm, moist areas like around the waist and armpit area.
- ashelmire 9y ago
  This is incorrect information. Bed bugs tend to bite center mass, neck, arms, and hands. You can confirm this with a google search.
istorical 9y ago
No. Number of bites is simply a function of population size. So a single bedbug might result in one or two bites every week or week and a half. A couple of bedbugs might result in a couple showing up every few days. You're right that seeing a cluster or a line or 2-3 bites is a dead giveaway, but it doesn't mean that a single bite or infrequent bites is not an infestation. A single bite with nothing else showing up at all is no cause for concern, but a mosquito bite showing up in the morning every week or two is definitely cause for concern if you aren't in mosquito season in your location.

ashelmire 9y ago

It sounds like you are getting bit by something else, possibly fleas. Bed bugs do not bite “occasionally”. You’ll get dozens of bites, they last for weeks, and they are maddeningly more irritating than mosquito bites for longer periods of time. They also often take several hours to appear after waking.

jrs95 9y ago
That's interesting. You'd think there would be evolutionary pressure for them to be less irritating so people wouldn't respond to them as aggressively.
- ashelmire 9y ago
  They are so difficult to get rid of that it doesn't really matter. Before the last century, I don't know if it was actually possible.