A question that I get asked a lot about is do bed bug bites itch. The answer is yes, usually they do itch. But this can really vary from person to person.

Why Do Bed Bug Bites Itch

Bed Bug bites can itch – a lot.  These bugs will usually feed at night or in the early hours of the morning.  This is when we are asleep so that they can feed undisturbed.

These bugs are very small – even a full size adult is only the size of a small apple seed.  Initially, when they feed, the bites are so small that they often won’t hurt at first.  But later a small itchy red welt can develop that can be extremely itchy.

Bed Bugs live on blood, usually from humans but they can also feed on any warm blooded animal.

They feed on our blood by piercing the skin with a pair of elongated beaks located on their head.  One beak will first numb the skin along with injecting an anti-coagulant.  This way we won’t feel the bite and the blood will keep flowing.

The second beak is the one that sucks out our blood for about three to ten minutes.  They will feed till they become engorged and crawl away.

It is this numbing agent and anti-coagulant that is injected that can cause the itching to develop.  Different people can react differently to a bite depending upon how they react to the these injections.

One person can develop red itchy welts while another might not be bothered at all by the bites.

It is important if you develop an itch to treat it as quickly as possible.  If you are bitten don’t scratch the itch because it can cause an infection.

What Happens When Bed Bugs Bite

People will react differently to a bite.  One reason was discussed above, that people will react differently to an itch.

But the second reason that people will react differently is because one may be getting bit a lot more than the other.  Even if they are sleeping in the same bed.

This is because these nasty bugs tend to return to the same places that they have eaten before.  They will move on only if the infestation grows to a point where more feeding areas are required.  Or if some other outside influence forces them to move.

So if a small infestation of just a few bugs start feeding on one person they might stay there for a while.  But sooner or later, as the size of an untreated infestation grows, both people are going to be fed upon.

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like

Bed Bug bites are extremely small.  So you may not be able to see them until they become irritated.  The best way to determine if you are being bit is looking for the signs that accompany an infestation.

These will be the bugs themselves and shells that are left behind when the bugs molt.  There could be small fecal droppings that look like a dark magic marker dot, or smears of blood.

Here are a couple of pictures of people who have had reactions to bed bug bites.

As you can see, the bites can be pretty irritating.  The bites can be either in a line as the bugs follow a vein or in a zig zag pattern.  They can also appear anywhere that the bugs can get to bare skin.

The above pictures show some extreme examples but even a small bite can itch.

Bed Bug Bite Treatment

There are a number of different things that you can do to treat a bed bug bite.  First and foremost of course is to exterminate the infestation.  But this can take some time.

One very effective first step in treating an infestation starts with protecting your bed from the bugs.  If they can’t get to you, they can’t bite you!

 GET THE DETAILS ON PROTECTING YOUR BED HERE

But you can treat bites immediately to get relief from them using a commercial non-prescription anti-inflammatory.

You can also use tea as a quick and easy way to treat a bite.  GET THE DETAILS HERE

Final Thoughts On Do Bed Bug Bites Itch

Do bed bug bites itch, the answer is yes they do though in varying degrees for different people.

The bottom line is that the best way to get rid of the bites is to get rid of the infestation.  This can take a while since these bugs are so hard to exterminate.

The best thing that you can do is make sure that you take action.  Do this as soon as you suspect that you have the bugs.  The longer that you wait the larger the infestation is going to get. BED BUG TREATMENT TIPS HERE

If you have a professional exterminator come to treat for bed bugs or treat them yourself.  Or decide that you need to use natural bed bug treatments, remember – the sooner you start the easier it is going to be.