Are these bed bugs? Need support!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently backpacking in Indonesia with my girlfriend. We've been staying in a total of 10 hotels over 3 weeks. At our fifth hotel, I woke up the first night with two clusters of bites - one on my right hand and the other on my upper right arm. The second night I got three more bites on the left side as well. My girlfriend, who sleeps directly next to me, has visually no bites at all.

https://imgur.com/a/hLEmzKt

Usually, I react to mosquito bites in a similar way then the bumps on the pictures. So at first, I thought it was just that. But then I started googling and got worried it might be bed bugs instead.

We're already in a new hotel now and after the first night no more new bites appeared during the first night. I’m really concerned about these bites and unsure if they could be from bed bugs. Does anyone have any idea, if these bites are from bed bugs? 

What should we do in this situation, especially since we're moving to new places soon (in 2 days)? I'm really stressed about the situation and any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I experienced bed bugs once, in Thailand, and these don't look like the bites I had then. They were really "bites" instead of "stings", and were very red, without the swelling. An image search for "bed bug bites" seems to show the same thing, suggesting that these are just mosquito bites.

Even if they were bed bugs, since no new bites appeared in the new place, you seems to have avoided bringing any with you.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

It definetly feels like a mosquito bite, but the only thing that worried me is the amount of "stings" or "bites" in one area. There are 4 bites directly next to each other on the right hand and 3 bites directly next to each other on my upper arm. There is definetly a swelling for all of them and they are as itchy as mosquito bites.

Don't stress.

Apart from what Sander has said:

Your bites are in groups on isolated places on your body. If a place has bed bugs it won't have just one or two: it'll have lots. Bites would appear on different parts of your body and anyone in the same bed would be bitten, even if he/she didn't react in the same way.

Your girlfriend didn't get any. Mosquitoes are choosy about who they bite....bedbugs aren't!!

If they look like your normal mosquito bites that's almost certainly what they are. Mosquitoes often bite more than once in the same body area (I get 'golfballs', so I know!) and there only needs to be the tiniest rip/hole/gap in a net/screen for them to get at you.

And....if it had been bedbugs you'd almost certainly have brought them with you and been bitten in the new place.

Relax, enjoy the rest of your trip....and avoid scratching those mosquito bites!

Thank leics2, really appreciate also your feedback!
I will then move on with this topic and keep an eye on those bites, if it gets more. Your words helped me to cool down!

Not scratching is currently the hardest part 😅

>Not scratching is currently the hardest part

Oh, I know!!

Glad I helped.

Hi.

I have used some really cheap places in Asia. My chief worry is infecting my house when back home on return.

Just in case I unknowingly have a few of them, when I return home I leave my washable clothes out in the yard for a while in a plastic bag. Then all washable clothing goes in the washer and then the clothes dryer. Bottom line - don't bring the little buggers into your home!

Thanks Karazyal, I think it's one of the wisest things to do. The question is, how long to store it in a different place, before bringing it back in? 😅 I read those beasts can survive for more than a year and I don't have so much time 😂

Any other tricks to speed up the process?

"Any other tricks to speed up the process?"

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If it is washable, throw the clothing in a washer. I am guessing the drying heat cycle will kill them.

I don't travel with anything that requires dry cleaning.

My only exposure to bedbugs was in the Philippines. I do check for them on the sheets and pillow cases in my cheap hotels. Check the seams and look for blood specks.

• Free Google type search below:

https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/bedbugs/bed-bugs-travel.pdf

One link I read mentioned that plain old cheap rubbing alcohol might be useful wiping solid stuff down. Wiping each other down can't be too much wasted time!

Up to you!

I agree that it is very similar to mosquito bites. At least my skin reacts to them the same way.