There is no standard reaction to bedbug bites. Recent studies have indicated that up to 40% of people do not react at all to these bites, with a large percentage of the non-reactors being found in elderly populations with suppressed immune systems. This means that unaided bed bug detection can be especially difficult when the victim can’t verify a bed bug infestation at all!
In the people that do react, the bed bug bites resemble those of other blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes, fleas, biting gnats, or mites. However, there is no classic identifying feature of a bed bug bite. Reactions can range from mild mosquito like bumps, to more intense hive like welts, depending on the strength of a person’s allergic reaction. The irritations can be seen immediately after being bitten and subside just as fast, or take a few days to emerge and last up to a few weeks. Secondary infections have been seen in people who react as a result of intense scratching.
Unlike mosquitoes and ticks, bed bugs are not known to transmit disease. However their skin casings, which they shed during development, have been known to trigger attacks in asthmatics. For this reason, prompt bed bug control is still important for people with respiratory problems or for anyone who isn’t comfortable sleeping with a bed bug infestation in their home or apartment!
Posted in: Bed Bug General