Are these bed bug bites and what should I do?
February 26, 2019 12:38 PM Subscribe
Are these bed bug bites and what should I do?
I'm staying at a hotel. The morning after my first night, I noticed a bunch of bites on my stomach. The morning after my second night, I had one on my shoulder and one on my leg. It's winter where I am so they are unlikely to be mosquito bites (and they don't seem like mosquito bites anyway). They don't itch. I've looked at all the photos online and still can't decide if these are from bed bugs or something else. If they are bed bug bites, what on earth do I do? If they're not from bed bugs, what could they be?
Thanks!
http://geekpic.net/pm-PNQU2X.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-M40UCR.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-E4QTRY.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-GG04II.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-6P0Q0X.html
I'm staying at a hotel. The morning after my first night, I noticed a bunch of bites on my stomach. The morning after my second night, I had one on my shoulder and one on my leg. It's winter where I am so they are unlikely to be mosquito bites (and they don't seem like mosquito bites anyway). They don't itch. I've looked at all the photos online and still can't decide if these are from bed bugs or something else. If they are bed bug bites, what on earth do I do? If they're not from bed bugs, what could they be?
Thanks!
http://geekpic.net/pm-PNQU2X.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-M40UCR.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-E4QTRY.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-GG04II.html
http://geekpic.net/pm-6P0Q0X.html
I've had bedbugs but am not an expert. Those don't look much like bedbug bites to me - actually they look more like acne, which makes me wonder if you may be having a reaction to the laundry detergent they use?
Check your bedding for small speckles of blood. That was what tipped me off to my bedbug problem. You can also lift up the corners of the mattress and look in the cracks to see if you notice anything in there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:43 PM on February 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
Check your bedding for small speckles of blood. That was what tipped me off to my bedbug problem. You can also lift up the corners of the mattress and look in the cracks to see if you notice anything in there.
posted by showbiz_liz at 12:43 PM on February 26, 2019 [1 favorite]
Are you super itchy? By the time you can see the bites, you should be scratching. If so, let them know that they need to decontaminate the room. Consider whether you want to review them online or with something like Bedbug Reports.
As far as personal decontamination -
Did you put your suitcase or other bag on the bed? Did you put your clothes or other items on the bed? Toiletries? When you get home, everything that can go in the wash needs to get washed, on hot water if possible, and dried at high heat. I would dry everything at least twice in small batches - heat kills bedbugs. Shoes go in a plastic bag in the freezer for six months. Suitcase goes in a plastic bag for six months. Anything else you can't wash goes in a plastic bag for six months. If you get bites after you get home, get diatomaceous earth and spread it over your sheets.
posted by bile and syntax at 12:51 PM on February 26, 2019
As far as personal decontamination -
Did you put your suitcase or other bag on the bed? Did you put your clothes or other items on the bed? Toiletries? When you get home, everything that can go in the wash needs to get washed, on hot water if possible, and dried at high heat. I would dry everything at least twice in small batches - heat kills bedbugs. Shoes go in a plastic bag in the freezer for six months. Suitcase goes in a plastic bag for six months. Anything else you can't wash goes in a plastic bag for six months. If you get bites after you get home, get diatomaceous earth and spread it over your sheets.
posted by bile and syntax at 12:51 PM on February 26, 2019
everyone's skin is different, reactions can vary with any number of variables including age of bedbug, (the nymphs are voracious!) number of bites, previous history, etc. While there is a sort of myth about bedbug bites going in clumps of three, that's never been true for any of the horrible encounters I've had with them. What I'm saying is there's no way for us to tell. But bites on your stomach in a hotel does sound like bedbugs to me via Occam's Razor.
Launder your stuff. Throw out your suitcase. Don't bring that stuff home. Try to get the hotel to pay for it.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:10 PM on February 26, 2019
Launder your stuff. Throw out your suitcase. Don't bring that stuff home. Try to get the hotel to pay for it.
posted by fingersandtoes at 1:10 PM on February 26, 2019
Oh hi, I had a mysterious bug bite question recently. There is a lot of bedbug info/freakout in that thread. I did not have bedbugs, but the fact you're in a hotel makes bedbugs much more likely.
It's really hard to tell what made a bug bite - bedbugs tend to feed repeatedly in spots close together, that's kinda the only consensus. Some people don't react to bedbug bites at all, not itching doesn't mean they're not bedbugs. Bug bites can also take a long time to swell up - the other places you've been going on your trip may be where you got bitten.
I would check the bedding for bedbugs - find images online and also look for little bloodstains from their feces. Don't put your suitcase or other things on the bed or touching the walls, if possible.
posted by momus_window at 3:31 PM on February 26, 2019
It's really hard to tell what made a bug bite - bedbugs tend to feed repeatedly in spots close together, that's kinda the only consensus. Some people don't react to bedbug bites at all, not itching doesn't mean they're not bedbugs. Bug bites can also take a long time to swell up - the other places you've been going on your trip may be where you got bitten.
I would check the bedding for bedbugs - find images online and also look for little bloodstains from their feces. Don't put your suitcase or other things on the bed or touching the walls, if possible.
posted by momus_window at 3:31 PM on February 26, 2019
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for the responses. I haven't gotten any additional bites and I don't see any evidence of them anywhere (though as someone mentioned they could've come from my prior hotel). Should I still assume they may be lurking in my suitcase?
posted by sunflower16 at 1:06 AM on February 28, 2019
posted by sunflower16 at 1:06 AM on February 28, 2019
Should I still assume they may be lurking in my suitcase?
yep.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:54 AM on February 28, 2019
yep.
posted by fingersandtoes at 4:54 AM on February 28, 2019
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posted by Freedomboy at 12:42 PM on February 26, 2019