Bedbug Bites: Pictures, Symptoms, Treatment, And Prevention

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Destination: WellnessWhat Bedbug Bites Look Like and How to Get Rid of Them

Medically reviewed by Helen Chen MCMSc, PA-C — Written by S. Srakocic — Updated on March 3, 2026

Pictures
Symptoms
Identification
Elimination
Prevention
Treatment
Treating bites on baby
Vs. other insect bites

Key takeaways

Bedbug bites can look like red or discolored itchy bumps that appear in lines or clusters on exposed skin, though not everyone reacts to them.
While bedbug bites usually heal on their own with over-the-counter treatments and home remedies, it’s important to monitor for allergic reactions or infections that may require medical attention.
Eliminating bedbugs from your home typically requires professional pest control, focusing on methods such as heat treatment. Preventing their return involves careful inspection of belongings and surroundings.

Bedbugs can live in your bed, furniture, carpet, clothing, and other belongings. They are most active at night.

Bedbugs typically get into your home after an overnight trip, typically by hitching a ride in your luggage or clothing. Or they can enter your home if you bring in secondhand furniture that’s infested.

They can also travel from one apartment to the next if a building or hotel has an infestation.

Keep reading to learn about bedbug bites, their appearance, and how to treat and prevent them.

What do bedbugs and bedbug bites look like?

What do bedbug bites look like?

Only some people react to bedbug bites. When symptoms do develop, the bites may be:

redness or discoloration
swelling
a dark spot at the center of each bite (they may also look like a hive or welt)
arranged in lines or clusters, with multiple bites grouped together
itchy
burning
fluid-filled blisters

You may also find blood stains on the sheets from scratching. Scratching bug bites can cause them to bleed or become infected, so it’s important to avoid scratching as much as possible.

Bedbugs excrete an anesthetic before feeding on people, so you won’t feel it when they bite you. It may take a few days to develop symptoms, up to 14 days in some cases.

»Learn more:Identifying Infected Bug Bites, Treatments, and When to Contact a Doctor

Where on the body do bedbug bites occur?

Bedbugs can bite any part of your body. However, they typically bite skin that is exposed while you sleep. This includes your:

face
neck
arms
hands

If you typically wear pajamas to bed, the bug may bite along the line of the clothing.

Do bedbugs bite every night?

Bedbugs don’t always feed every night. They may only feed every 3 to 7 days. This can make it more difficult to notice them.

It may take a few weeks to realize that the bites are part of a larger pattern.

How can you tell if you have bedbugs in your home?

If you suspect there are bedbugs in your home, look for signs of them in your bed and other areas. They usually hide during the day in:

household cracks or crevices
walls
luggage
bedclothes
mattresses
bedsprings
bed frames
spaces under baseboards
loose or peeling wallpaper
electrical switch plates
conduits for electrical cables
sofas

Bedbugs typically live near where people sleep in the house. They don’t usually travel to other rooms if people aren’t sleeping there.

You may not see the bugs themselves, but you may find drops of blood or small black dots of bug droppings in your bed. If you find bedbugs, call your landlord or a pest control company.

Until you’ve eliminated the infestation, do not visit or sleep at someone else’s house or a hotel, as this may potentially spread the bugs to their home or hotel room.

Risk factors for getting bedbugs

Bedbugs can live in any home or public area. But they’re common in places that have a lot of people, a lot of turnover, and close quarters. You may be at increased risk for encountering bedbugs if you live or work in a:

hotel
hospital
homeless shelter
military barrack
college dorm
apartment complex

Bringing secondhand furniture into your home is another risk factor.

How to get rid of bedbugs in your home

To contain and eliminate a bedbug infestation, it helps to do the following

Vacuum and steam-clean your floors, mattresses, furniture, and appliances.
Launder your linens, drapes, and clothing using the hottest settings of your washing machine and dryer.
Seal items that can’t be laundered in plastic bags and store them in a freezer for several days.
Wash suitable items at temperatures of 113ºF (45ºC).
Fill gaps around your baseboards and cracks in furniture with caulking.

Generally, you will need to call in an exterminator, particularly for larger investigations.

»Learn more:How to Get Rid of Bedbugs at Home: DIY Guide and When to Get Professional Help

How to prevent bedbug bites

Bedbugs travel from place to place by hiding in items, such as furniture, clothing, blankets, and luggage.

You can take some steps to help prevent bedbugs:

If you’re concerned about bedbugs, you can decontaminate luggage, clothes, and belongings before entering your home using mechanical methods (brushing, vacuuming, heating, washing, or freezing).
Use luggage racks when you travel to keep your clothes off the floor and away from hotel furniture.
After returning home, run clothes through a dryer cycle before putting them away.
Store your clothing in vacuum-sealed bags when traveling.
Inspect secondhand furniture, linen, or clothing for signs of bedbugs before bringing them into your home.
If you use a shared laundry room, transport your laundry in plastic bags, and don’t fold it until you return home.

What’s the best way to treat bedbug bites?

In most cases, bedbug bites get better on their own within 1 to 2 weeks. To relieve symptoms, you can try the following:

Apply an over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription corticosteroid cream to decrease inflammation and itching.
Take an oral antihistamine to reduce itching and burning.
Use an over-the-counter pain reliever to relieve swelling and pain.

Most of the time bedbug bites don’t require medical attention. However, you should seek immediate medical help if you experience an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.

Allergic reactions and infections from bedbug bites

Although rare, there have been isolated case reports of systemic allergic reactions to bedbug bites. Reactions may include hives, asthma, and anaphylaxis.

In addition, constant scratching of lesions caused by bedbug bites may lead to secondary infections, such as folliculitis and cellulitis. To reduce the risk of infection, wash the bites with soap and water, and try not to scratch them.

If you suspect that you’ve developed an infection or allergic reaction to a bedbug bite, contact a doctor. Get emergency medical care if you develop any of the following after being bitten:

multiple hives
difficulty breathing
wheezing
swelling of the throat or mouth
fever
chills
dizziness
confusion

How should you treat bedbug bites on a baby?

Washing the bites with soap and water will help treat bedbug bites on a baby.

Talk with a pediatrician or pharmacist before using topical steroid creams or oral antihistamines. Some medications may not be safe for babies or young children.

Make sure to cut the baby’s nails short so they can’t scratch their skin.

If the child is old enough to understand your instructions, ask them not to scratch the bites. To prevent scratching, it may help to trim the child’s nails and cover the bites with a bandage.

Bedbug bites vs. other insect bites

Bedbug bites and bites from other bugs may appear similar.

Bedbug bites vs. fleas

Bedbug bites and flea bites can cause red bumps on your skin, although flea bites are typically smaller. Both can be itchy.

When fleas bite you, they typically bite the lower half of your body or warm, moist areas around joints. This includes:

feet
ankles or legs
armpits
the inside of elbows or knees

Bedbugs tend to bite the upper parts of your body.

»Learn more:What’s the Difference Between Flea Bites and Bedbug Bites?

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Flea bites tend to occur on the feet, ankles, or lower leg. Source: Getty Images (Dermnet, Wikimedia, etc.)

Bedbug bites vs. mosquito bites

Bedbug and mosquito bites can be swollen and itchy. Symptoms can appear within minutes after the bite.

Symptoms following bedbug bites can take much longer to appear.

»Learn more:How to Tell Whether You Were Bitten by a Bedbug or Mosquito

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Mosquito bites cause raised, itchy welts. They typically don’t appear in a line or pattern. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bedbug bites vs. hives

Hives are red bumps that can develop on your skin due to an allergic reaction or other causes. Like bedbug bites, they’re often itchy.

Bedbug bites may initially look like hives with small central bumps or bites. However, hives usually resolve within 24 hours. Bedbugs take longer to go away.

If you develop hives, breathing difficulties, mouth and throat swelling, wheezing, rapid heart rate, or confusion, get medical help immediately.

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The itchy bumps from hives may spread from one part of your body to another. Source: Panther Media GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo

Takeaway

Bedbugs are tiny insects that feed on blood. Although the initial bite won’t hurt, it can leave behind itchy bumps in a cluster or line.

Most bites will heal on their own in a week or so. You can treat bedbug bites with soap, water, and calming lotions. In some cases, bites can get infected and need medical attention.

Removing bedbugs from your home can be difficult. You will most likely need the help of pest control to get rid of them.

If you are unsure about what type of rash or bites you have, visit a doctor or dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

About bed bugs. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/bed-bugs/about/index.html
About mosquito bites. (2024).https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/about-mosquito-bites.html
Bedbugs. (2022).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bedbugs/
Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/bed-bugs-treatment
Biting insect allergy: Bed bugs and fleas.https://aafa.org/allergies/types-of-allergies/insect-allergy/bed-bugs-fleas/
Fésűs L, et al. (2021). Dermatologic aspects of bed bug epidemic: An atlas of differential diagnosis.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9880782/
Ludmann P. (2024). Hives: Signs and symptoms.https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/hives-symptoms
Miller DM. (n.d.). Using heat to kill bed bugs.https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-heat1.pdf
Miller DM, et al. (n.d.). Bed bug biology and behavior.https://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-biology1.pdf
Patterson I, et al. (2023). Bed bugs.https://dermnetnz.org/topics/bed-bugs
Restivo J. (2024). Bed bug bites: How to identify them, get relief, and prevent future bites.https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/bed-bug-bites-how-to-identify-them-get-relief-and-prevent-future-bites

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Medically reviewed by Helen Chen MCMSc, PA-C — Written by S. Srakocic — Updated on March 3, 2026

Bedbug Bites: Pictures, Symptoms, Treatment, And Prevention

Key takeaways

What do bedbugs and bedbug bites look like?

What do bedbug bites look like?

Where on the body do bedbug bites occur?

Do bedbugs bite every night?

How can you tell if you have bedbugs in your home?

Risk factors for getting bedbugs

How to get rid of bedbugs in your home

How to prevent bedbug bites

What’s the best way to treat bedbug bites?

Allergic reactions and infections from bedbug bites

How should you treat bedbug bites on a baby?

Bedbug bites vs. other insect bites

Bedbug bites vs. fleas

Bedbug bites vs. mosquito bites

Bedbug bites vs. hives

Takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

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