Do I have bed bugs?? Help!! So itchy but mattress looks clea

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OMG!

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 3:31 pm

Are the bugs noticeable? My legs are so itchy for the last few days and I noticed tiny bumps on my legs. Going crazy!! How can I know if it's bed bugs? My bed is near the window, don't see any spider webs and mattress looks clean. Please help me!! Can I continue using my bed?

amother

Denim

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 3:36 pm

I had something similar that I really thought was bed bugs but after a while it stopped. Of course I can't guarantee that is the case for you. Did you look underneath your mattress and around the bed to see if you could find any bugs? Is your husband/anyone else living with you itchy too, or just you?

OMG!

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 3:39 pm

It's just me. And will look all over again. Are they easy to spot? Or do I need flashlight with magnifying glass??

octopus

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 3:53 pm

can you google image what a bedbug bite looks like?

csfm

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 3:59 pm

Perhaps it could be an allergic reaction to the bedding fabric, nightgown fabric, or detergent. Perhaps it's a newly acquired skin issue that only manifests itself when under the covers, due to the temperature or some other factor. I hope you figure it out soon!

OMG!

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 4:06 pm

Google images are all zoomed mine look pretty similar. Just not so red. I've been using natural detergents for the the past 2 months with no reaction. Usually itchy after hot shower but didn't take one Friday night and I'm still itchy. I am pregnant and my varicose veins are also itchy. But now where the spots are, my veins are fine. So what else? What's my next step?? Wash linen in hot water? Don't want to ruin a new set

amother

Apricot

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 7:01 pm

Check the corner and pull away the edges of the mattress to see if there are tiNY red or black spots. That may indicate bedbugs.

simcha2

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 7:13 pm

If you're pregnant out could be pupps

amother

Bisque

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 7:22 pm

It can't hurt to spray around the mattress and under your bed in case you don't see them and they will disappear

amother

Mauve

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 7:30 pm

Call an exterminator to check your bed. If it's not bedbugs, then go to a doctor to check the rash. If you're pregnant then it's best not to take any chances with your health.

STMommy

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 8:09 pm

I had bedbugs. Please feel free to PM me for help.

OMG!

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 8:10 pm

Can't call anyone now so I think I should switch bed with dh for this night and we'll take it from there. Thanks everyone

Miri1

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 9:36 pm

You should call your OB, itchiness during pregnancy should be checked out.

OMG!

Sat, Dec 31 2016, 10:32 pm

Miri1 wrote:

You should call your OB, itchiness during pregnancy should be checked out.

OB is closed on Sundays. You're getting me scared! What could be the problem? I'll call Monday morning.

JoyInTheMorning

Sun, Jan 01 2017, 2:38 am

1. Bedbug bites look like bites. They are often clustered in three. They are unlikely to look like an ordinary rash, but it's not impossible.

2. Itchiness in pregnancy can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, so it should be checked out. Even if it's just PUPPS, it should be checked out.

3. You can have bedbugs and have no evidence in the bed, sheet, or mattress. I know of a case where the bedbugs were seen only when the bed was dismantled before being discarded. The bugs were living in the hollow legs of the bed. If you really want to know whether you have bedbugs, get one of those services that have dogs that sniff out bedbugs.

4. Insecticides are risky during pregnancy, no matter what exterminators tell you. I would not advise using them when you are pregnant. If you have them, I would suggest one of the following:
(a) Heat-based treatments, where the entire house is heated to a temperature that kills bedbugs.
(b) Using diatomaceous earth everywhere. Diatomaceous earth kills crawling insects by drying out their exoskeletons. It is totally safe for humans. It is best used as part of an integrated pest management solution, but if you're pregnant, use that because it's the safest.

5. Washing sheets in hot water is a very, very small part of what you would need to do to get rid of bedbugs. By itself, it will do almost nothing. Very hot water shouldn't kill your new sheet set, but if you do have bedbugs, your new sheet set will be the least of your expenses.

I hope it is neither bedbugs nor pre-eclampsia, but just an allergic reaction to a detergent.

momof2+?

Sun, Jan 01 2017, 8:17 am

This might sound crazy, but you sure it's not just dry skin? bumps could be irritated hair pores... try lathering with cream liberally.

sweetpotato

Sun, Jan 01 2017, 8:39 am

There's some misinformation in this thread.

You can't diagnose the presence or absence of bed bugs by looking at bites alone. There is no single or typical way a bed bug bite looks on the skin-- it depends on how you react to it. Some people have no reaction whatsoever; others get purple spots, red pinpricks, huge pink welts, bloody scabs, etc.

They don't actually bite in clusters of 3. A doctor can't look at your bites and tell where they came from; neither can an exterminator.

The only way to tell if you have bed bugs is to find actual bugs, bug casings (shed skins), eggs or the fecal spots like leave behind after feeding.

Bed bugs are small but visible to the naked eye. Google photos of what they look like at their various life stages.

In the morning, take all the bedding off your bed and search very carefully for little black spots (they look like ink spots). Search all over your mattress including the seams and underside. Pillows/cases. Search your bed frame and any furniture near your bed, the baseboards and carpet.

At night, using a flashlight and magnifying glass, search for evidence of actual bugs in all the same places. They only come out at night so unless you have a huge infestation you're very unlikely to find bugs during the day.

Do NOT spray any chemicals you see at the hardware store. Not only are these ineffective (the majority of bed bugs are resistant to the active ingredient) but they are more likely to send the bugs into hiding deep in your walls, scatter them around your house, or even make some move into a neighboring unit if you're in an attached house or apt building. It will make your problem much worse if you do actually have bugs.

If you find positive evidence of bugs, or don't but think they could be there, call a good exterminator to inspect.

OMG!

Wed, Jan 04 2017, 12:02 am

Thank you so much sweet potato! Just woke up scratchy and full of red spots. Will take a good flashlight now and look again in the morning! I'm so scared. And btw, I changed beds with dh. He's sleeping fitfully and I'm suffering! So could it be I'm the only one sensitive or with sweet blood? Could bed bugs be found in the pillow or covers? Ouch!!! They itch!!!

shabbatiscoming

Wed, Jan 04 2017, 12:09 am

Could be scabies. I had them about a decade ago. I would wake up and my legs would be all itchy. I went to a dermatologist and he gave me something to spread on it for a while and it was gone.

http://patient.info/health/scabies-leaflet

OMG!

Wed, Jan 04 2017, 12:22 am

Thank you. I'm trying to think where I could have gotten into close contact with scabies. I can call my dermatologist tomorrow but by the time I get to his office my legs will look fine. How will he diagnose? I usually itch at night. Hope it's not bed bugs!!! I'm having nightmares of bugs crawling all over me..

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