Chicken Pox v.s. Bed Bug Bites

I thought I would post up a picture showing a rash from chicken pox to contrast it with bed bug bites.

Generally the pox will show up just about anywhere on the body and in a disordered pattern. Bed bug bites, however will be more or less grouped in line.

Experiment Update

As introduced I have bottled a number of bed bugs at various age stages in order to examine feeding behaviors and longevity without feeding.

It is purported that bed bugs can live for 365 days (or more) relatively quietly while waiting for their next meal to arrive. Actually many bugs reliant on blood feeding have this same trait. I have seen documentaries about tics in the desert that bury themselves into the sand until a passing buffet disturbs the ground and they wake up and jump on for a feed.

Well, I bottled my samples five months ago and most of the samples are still going strong. There have been a few deaths, a few babies but mostly adults. I cannot say for certain how old the adults I captured were already, but this is what I have noticed.

-Most of the adults have died.
-The babies who have never fed before who were born a few months ago are still alive.
-The babies who have fed and have shed their skin and morphed to the next stage are still alive.
-The gang, adults and young ones held in an airtight container are not doing as well as those in a fresh air container.

One bottle group I put mesh over the opening, and another I put cotton cloth and have intermitently fed them by placing the material against my skin.

First I blow through the material to activate the bottle with CO2 and then tip it onto my wrist or arm, and then observe who is feeding and how long it takes.

My first purpose was to test if they could bite through material, and if so, how thick a layer can they effectively bite through. My second purpose was to have a control group, a group that is fed periodically versus a group that is not fed and to test the longevity of both.

This is what I have noticed about the material thicknesses:

-The adults do not bite through the cotton. They take no interest in it. Even if they have not eaten in months! However the newly hatched babies and the young ones not yet morphed into an adult seem to recognize skin through the cloth and eagerly chow down.
-The adults and the babies do recognize skin through mesh however and feed heartily.
-The bugs also prefer to bite at the edge of the opening rather than the middle, however if the places around the rim are taken they will snug in next to their neighbors or just wait their turn.

The latter point proves to me my theory that bed bugs prefer to feed where they perceive shelter. I quite often find a line of bites running up my shin. When I sleep I do so on my side. My leg is lying on the bed and where the mattress is in contact with my leg, along the edge there is where the feeding takes place.

In this way I can tell from this pattern, the bites occurred while I was lying down.

I also have had a line or grouping of bites across my foot near my toes and realized that the line matches exactly the straps on my sandals so that means that the bites are occurring while I am standing or sitting somewhere for long lengths of time, probably at my desk, and should investigate that area for bed bugs.

I hope you have found this post of interest, by signing up for the newsletter you will get updates in your mailbox when I have posted something new.

Bed Bug Quiz

Here is a quiz from medicinenet.com to test your knowledge about Bed Bugs! Think you know everything? Check again!

Bed Bug Quiz

BedBugs 101: Free iPhone App to Recommend

I just discovered an excellent FREE iPhone app called BedBugs 101. It is like an instant information resource when you need it.

It is packed full of facts and pictures.

Yes, it is an advertisement for the Protect-a-Bed system, a set of mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements that I am willing to endorse, but you do not have to buy anything to enjoy the application itself.

Plus, if you ever find any bed bugs you can instantly report it at the Bed Bug Registry, right there in the App. (I also link to this registry check the side bar.)

I absolutely love this App!

Here is the link!

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/bedbugs-101/id411932955?mt=8

Bed Bug Bite Pictures: Getting Cheeky, Are We?

Bed Bug bites are never welcome, but bites on the face are simply not acceptable. Grrr! These guys were not only hungry but way too cheeky! It is a good thing I was not getting my portrait done!

Bites on the face are too often assumed to be blemishes. This is clearly Bed Bug Bites.

And what about this lovely ear stud? Not!

What's Biting You Guide Coming Soon!

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• Are these bites or just a rash?
• Why do I get these bites and my partner doesn't?
• How can you tell the difference? 
• Can you tell from the bite alone? 
• What about the location of the bite? 
• And the color markings around the bite zone? 
• Is it red because of scratching?
• Am I just going crazy?

"Look, I keep getting these tiny bite marks, two little punctures right beside each other. Could they be spider bites?"

Inside the Guide you will get:

-- Descriptions and photo examples of the red spots and marks that you can compare yours marks too.
-- Ways to trap whatever may be biting you to find out if it is a bug or what.
-- Steps towards taking care of the problem once you have determined what it is.

"I got my place sprayed three times for bugs and even sprayed my own can of spray everywhere only to find out I did not have bugs at all -- I was allergic to my laundry soap! I am glad that was all it was!"

How to Pre - Order: Click on the link below. It will take you to PayPal where you can take care of the payment, You will be added to the newsletter list and then we will notify you by email when the book is available and how to get it downloaded. It Is as Easy as That!

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Guarantee Your 100% satisfaction is guaranteed. Not happy with your purchase? I will return every penny you paid for the book. But I am sure you will love it. What a relief it will be to finally identify what creature is biting you so you can finally take care of the problem once and for all!!!


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Bed Bug Bite Pictures

Example 1. Red marks foot and ankle.

Here you can see how the bed bug(s) followed along a line. Not necessarily a vein line, but rather the edge of the resting place. The victim was sleeping on her side. The leg and foot was pressing against the mattress  on the side we are facing now. The bug(s) bit right where the skin edged along the flat of the mattress. Adults tend to bite. Then walk a bit and bite again, and then again. Younger bed bugs also behave similarly but do not walk as far. Young fresh babies bite all in the same area. The red patch near the big toe is a cluster of baby bites. Although bed bugs do bite out in the open they seem to prefer a slightly squashy place where at least one side is pressed.

Example 2. Elbow.

Here the bites are several days old.  You can see the three bite cluster and line patterns. The victim scratches at the bites sites and causes them to bleed and fester. Actually bed bug bites are harmless, except only that they can be quite itchy for a time. It is the constant scratching and the breaking of skin that causes the blisters and infections some victims experience with bed bug bites.