What Do Bed Bug Bites Look LIke?

Ruling Out Other Bites

The first step in determining whether or not you have bed bug bites is to rule out other bites. Here are some bites that can sometimes look different from bed bug bites:

• Mosquitoes generally leave bites that are puffy in appearance and associated with a light rash. These bites will appear randomly on the skin, and usually in locations that would normally be exposed when going outside. If you haven't been in an area that has a lot of mosquitoes, there is no reason that you should have multiple bites from this insect.

• Flea bites are very itchy For this reason, you are likely to see a scab on the head of a flea bite. They should be dark red in coloring and appear random on the skin. You're also more likely to find flea bites around your ankles than above your waist.

• Chiggers leave red welts on areas of the skin where clothing is pressed against the skin, like the waistline. They are also likely to feed on your ankles and legs. But, this is an outdoor pest. You shouldn't expect to have chigger bites if you haven't been hanging out in the great outdoors.

• Spider bites come in many forms. Many spider bites look like flea or bed bug bites. When ruling this pest out you have to look at quantity. Spiders don't have any reason to bite people They don't eat blood. Bites from spiders occur when a spider is startled. If you have several red welts that look the same, it is highly unlikely that those are spider bites.

• Tick bites usually have a tick attached to them. These insect feed for a day or more. Bites from a deer tick--which is associated with Lyme disease--may have a bullseye rash associated with it.

• Gnats and tiny blood-eating flies. These bites look like flea bites, but they will be on areas of the skin that are usually uncovered by clothing. If you have tiny, random bites on areas that would be exposed while you were sleeping, like your back, those could be gnat bites. The key word is random.