Bed Bug Bites

Bed bugs feed on the blood of humans and other mammals. Bed bug bites are unlikely to wake the victim and they can occur anywhere on the body but are often close to blood vessels near the skin.

Despite their blood-feeding nature, bed bugs have not been shown to transmit any diseases.

A single bed bug may bite more than once around the same area. However, bites in different parts of the body may indicate being bitten by several bed bugs.

Effects of Bed Bug Bites

The thought of bed bug bites can be very alarming and have physical and psychological effects.

• Although bed bug bites do not hurt, the bites may result in an itchy welt, which causes discomfort and can lead to secondary infection of the bite wound due to scratching.
• Treating the bites soothes the irritation, but it can still be very distressing when there are multiple bites, which sometimes occur with bed bugs.

• Symptoms of bed bug bites vary between individuals. Early in a bed bug infestation, the victim may not yet be sensitized to the bites and therefore may not develop itchy welts.
• The fear of bed bug infestations and bed bug bites can lead to emotional distress.

Call Ehrlich at for further advice on bed bug bites or to arrange a visit by an Ehrlich technician. Find out more about our various bed bug solutions.