Bed bugs are a common pest found in homes, hotels, AirBnBs, etc. They’re little vampiric demons that suck your blood while you sleep. Where do bed bugs hide on your body? Do they live in your hair or on your body like lice?
Here’s the bottom line:
- Bed bugs do not live on your body or hair.
- They feed on human blood and can cause severe skin irritation.Â
- Bed bugs do not transmit diseases but can cause allergic reactionsÂ
Bed bug bites may lead to asthma, eczema, and dermatitis. They come out at night to feed on their host’s blood from any part of the body where there is an opening in the skin.
Keep reading for a full explainer!
Where Do Bed Bugs Hide on Your Body?
Bed bugs are not picky about where they hide, but the good news is that they don’t hide on you!
Bed bugs can hide anywhere in your home and prefer dark areas with high humidity. They can be found in any furniture and bedding, but the most common places to find them are in the following:
- Between the mattress and box spring
- Pillows
- Bed frames/headboards
- In cracks/crevices of bed frames/headboards
- Under carpeting (especially near beds)
- Cracks and crevices of your home, such as baseboards, electrical outlets, seams of mattresses, door frames, windowsills, cracks between trim and walls,
- Folds of a couch, and inside furniture.
They are most likely to be found where there is clutter or a bed.
But the main thing you will notice here is that nowhere on that list is anything living, or anything human. Bed bugs come out to feed on you at night, but do not live on or inside people or animals.
Bed bugs come out to feed on you at night, but do not live on or inside people or animals.
Prominent Signs of Bed Bugs’ Presence on Your Body
The bed bug population has grown in recent years due to increased international travel, lack of knowledge about how to detect them, and pesticide resistance. Bed bugs are capable of living for up to a year without feeding, so they can survive in homes and hotels after being dormant for a while.
Bed bugs are capable of living for up to a year without feeding, so they can survive in homes and hotels after being dormant for a while.
Bed bugs feed on human blood at night while you are sleeping or sitting still for long periods. They are attracted to carbon dioxide and must be on to their prey to feed on it. They can’t feed through clothing or fabric, they must be in direct contact with the skin.
In addition, their saliva contains an anesthetic that numbs the skin, so you don’t feel them bite you.
The best way to spot a bed bug is by looking for small red stains on mattresses and sheets from their droppings or blood.
The following are common signs of bed bugs on your body:
- Bed bug bites can be itchy, red welts that may look like a rash or hives.
- Bed bug bites may cause the skin to become dry and irritated.
- If bitten by bed bugs, you may experience a fever, chills, nausea, and vomiting.
- You may experience insomnia due to the anxiety from being bitten by bed bugs.
- You might notice blood stains on your sheets or mattress from scratching at bites or from having your skin bleed during sleep.
- Your skin can become inflamed after being bitten.
The best way to spot a bed bug is by looking for small red stains on mattresses and sheets from their droppings or blood.
Can Bed Bugs Hide in Your Body?
Usually, bed bugs are difficult to detect because they are small, flat, and oval-shaped. They typically do not like to live in hair or anything like that, and are unlikely to be attracted to your genitals or pubic hair.
Phew.
However, if you have bed bugs, they will always leave a red bite mark on your skin and an unpleasant odor.
Bed bugs prefer feeding on bare skin that can be conveniently accessed like the face, arm, neck, and leg.
It is very rare that bedbugs live in hair, they’re not lice.
The common misconception is that bed bugs only bite the face during the night. However, according to a study by the University of Kentucky, bed bugs prefer to bite the lower body part during their feeding time.
They prefer to bite people in their lower body parts, such as the feet, ankles, and legs, as they are more exposed and accessible. They also like to feed in the dark, so clothing may also be a factor for them.
However, bed bugs do not hide on the human body for long as they swell thrice their normal size after feeding.
They escape the body once they turn into a red balloon shape, in the same way a tick does.
Can Bed Bugs Get Into Your Ears?
Bed bugs use their mouthparts to penetrate the skin, then suck blood from their host. In some very rare cases, bed bugs can enter the ears of their victims through the ear canal and continue to feed on their blood from there.
Bed bugs can enter the ears of their victims through the ear canal and continue to feed on their blood from there.
Bed bugs have been found in people’s ears and nostrils before. However, such a situation does not frequently occur due to the variable size and shape of the bugs.
Conclusion
Bed bugs are smart little vampires, but fortunately, they don’t stay on your body. They like to go back to their coffins (err hideouts) after feeding.
Their bites can be itchy, painful, or leave a rash or blister on the human body, leading to infection if not treated properly.
If you suspect bedbugs in your space, the best move is to call a professional. Removing bed bugs is a real hassle, so call in some help before the bed bugs get out of control!
