...to be freaked out I could have bedbugs?

[userofthiswebsite]

I keep getting bitten on the face. This has been going on a long time now. Normally it will just be say a couple, sometimes on the cheek area or sometimes on the hairline. Though recently I got lots of bites all in one go, on one cheek and then a week later on the other cheek.
I've not noticed bites anywhere else on my body.
So I am a bit worried I have bed bugs. I have looked at the mattress (white/cream coloured all over) to look for bugs and not seen any. I've looked on the seams of the mattress and I've looked at the bed sheet (white) to see if there are any black-red smudges or dots and can't see anything. I also lifted up the mattress and couldn't see anything. I've not been away or travelled for a good few years and I live alone.
But I don't know where all these horrid bites are coming from. My only other suspicion is that we have a common bin room with 5 large Biffa bins where all the flats chuck their rubbish and I go down twice a week to take down the rubbish and wonder if I could be being bitten by anything 'hanging out' in there... I'm outside for an hour a day walking but just in the street so that's not an immediate suspicion.

I'm due to see a dermatologist shortly (for another matter) but will raise this at the same time but does anyone have any words of wisdom. When my colleague suggested bedbugs I've been feeling quite sick at the thought of it as I know they are a nightmare.

[Hassled]

I'm absolutely no expert, but I don't think a bedbug would be satisfied with just your face - there would be bites all over your torso. DH experienced bedbugs in an iffy hotel once and he was covered in bites. I don't have an answer for what it might actually be, though.

[ToadOfSadness]

It doesn't sound like bed bugs, more likely something that flies, midge or mosquito type things, as you say, probably around the bins, they have access to your face.

Bedbugs would be biting you in other places.

[LRL2017]

It doesn't sound like bed bugs. They will bite all over and it is usually in the pattern of a line. I will add though we got them thanks to our neighbours we had to take the bed alert to find them

[LRL2017]

apart not alert!

[userofthiswebsite]

I never hear any mosquitoes though and they make a whirring sound, no, make that whining sound or something don't they so you are aware of their presence.

[LeighaJ]

Bed bugs like to hide in places besides beds, light sockets for example...but as others said they probably wouldn't be content with just your face.

I would call a pest control company and explain what is happening, as a dermatologist can only treat the aftermath.

[frankenburger]

Bed bugs often leave bites in groups of 3. This is from personal experience!

[hairycoo]

I thought bedbugs were more likely to bite you on the face as they are attracted to the CO2 you breathe out? Thats not to say that you have bedbugs tho. I had the same problem when i came back from holiday, I was the only one getting bit, dp sleeping right next to me got nothing. I couldnt find anything but i did order some power stuff and sprinkled it around my bed and that seemed to have solved it.

[userofthiswebsite]

This evening I used my mobile phone flashlight and looked down behind the headboard and pulled out the underbed drawers and lay on the floor and looked with the light at the wooden slats and on the under-edges of the bed and I've not seen anything amiss. As in I couldn't see any bugs or any black dots/spots.

It's taking over my thoughts at the moment and the last few days I've been spending too much time googling pictures of bed bugs and visiting bed bug websites.

For those of you who know for sure you've had bed bugs, how did you know it was that? Did you find any bugs or blood on the sheet/pillow or the black dots in/around the bed?
I've got bites on the face which could or could not be bed bugs, but I can't see any evidence of it. I'm going a little bit crazy.

[userofthiswebsite]

I should add my bed and furniture are a white/light grey colour so relatively easy to 'inspect'.

[beardymcbeardy]

I couldn't find any proof despite just about ripping my room apart. I was just happy to stop getting bit though 😊

[Callmegeoff]

Could it be your pillows ?

[Grammar]

My daughter has bed bugs...picked up in her accommodation in Beijing where she is studying Chinese for a year within her uni course. She has been bitten all over her arms and legs ( not at all on her face).
I have looked into this in depth and she couldn't find any 'faeces , droppings in the bed but she did, eventually see some crawling across the bed.
She was accused of bringing them and made to pay for spraying ( not the thorough kind you would get here in the UK , either) seems to have cleared up.
I am sure what you describe is not bedbugs. But good you're seeing a dermatologist.
Btw
I am terrified she will bring them back when she returns in June. They are hardy buggers to get rid of. But I'm sure you don't have them otherwise they would be not biting you face bed but more your arms and legs.
Good luck!

[Goldangel]

Yes, as pp could it be your pillows? Maybe replace them, then see?

[Jeds55]

Agree that it doesn't sound like bedbugs. This sounds like something that can only access your face (so is coming from above not below). 2 of the 4 rooms in a house share I lived in had bedbugs. Luckily my housemate realised really quickly (she'd been to Anserdam) and we took action (they are really really hard to get rid of though). I was told by the bug man that they have a host (ewww) that they like to live off. You could clearly see bites on flatmate's shoulders and black dots (like pen ink marks) on her mattress. We were told that the host should continue to sleep in her bed as if she went elsewhere the bedbugs would venture out looking for another host. It was pretty awful.

[Winosaurus]

Firstly bedbugs will bite more likely your torso, arms and legs. The bites generally are in straight lines of three or more as they bite, walk along and bite again etc. They’re very distinctive. Bedbugs are also quite large and black (some are as big as ladybirds!) they’re very visible and generally live in the seams of your mattress so check there and behind your headboard if it’s fabric.
You are more likely to have dust mites in your pillow... they cause little hive-like itchy bumps on your face. Buy new pillows and wash your pillow cases on a 60 degree wash.
It is also likely you could have an allergy to a face cream or other product you’re using so you’ll have to work that out by process of elimination.
Problems with your immune system can also cause “bite-like” hives on your face and neck so it may be worth checking with your doctor. Do you have any other health issues? My friend was really susceptible to coughs and colds and had what she thought was bites on her face (looked like mosquito bites) and neck all the time... turned out she had lupus. Again it’s worth speaking to your GP.

[TammyWhyNot]

OP it doesn’t sound like bed bugs.

We encountered them in a hotel. DH said he could feel something biting him and when we looked we could see them in the bed.

Grammar: to be honest I would tell your DD to ditch all clothes and luggage there rather than risk bringing them back. If she does bring stuff home store it in sealed plastic bags and decontaminate it bag by bag before you unpack.

[TammyWhyNot]

The ones we saw (there were lots, from nymphs to adults) weren’t as big as ladybirds, nowhere near. But they were easily visible.

[blueskypink]

Are you absolutely sure they are bites? Something like acne rosacea can cause itchy lump like spots

[Whatthefucknameisntalreadytake]

Buy smoke bombs from Amazon and smoke your bedroom, it worked for us, we couldn't see any evidence of what was biting us either.

[userofthiswebsite]

Going to try and answer all the questions in one go...

I wash all laundry at 50 degrees.

I am pretty sure they are bites as I can see the red dot in the centre where the actual bite is and then it's a bit swollen and the skin slightly paler around that. The ones near my mouth on my cheek tend to swell up more and get pus in them (sorry) then ones under the hairline which tend to be more flat and less swollen.

I've checked again the mattrress and bed slats and taken the top bit off the bed and can't see anything unusual.

Regards the pillows - wouldn't I be having an allergic reaction all over the face more like a rash? Ditto if it was an allergy to a face cream or some such.

I have heard also that bed bugs like CO2 and therefore like the face as their preferred area to bite which is of course easily accessible as not hidden under the duvet though this sounds as if contradicts some of the experiences previous posters have personally encountered.

This is really driving me nuts and I'm getting paranoid about sleeping in my own bed. Couldn't get to sleep till about 3am thinking there might be bugs waiting to come bite my face.

[blueskypink]

Pus suggests spots rather than bites though. Could you bear to post a close up photo of one?

[Kitchenbound]

Umm. Spots with pus could be a bite but sounds more like a pimple. Just my opinion definitely get it checked if you're worried. What you're describing doesn't sound like bed bugs as they usually bite all over the body and they have very distinct patterns of bites. If dermatologist says its a bite buy smoke/bug bombs and wash everything you can on hottest setting possible after. Good luck!

[Dondie]

Husband is a pest controller of 25 years. Unusual to just get bites on your face. Normally it is exposed parts of your body like feet & arms but rarely face, it is true they are attracted to Co2 but they aren’t daft and don’t bite where they can be easily swatted. If you post or pm a pic of a bite I’ll show it him.

[blueskypink]

I think you'll just have to hang on until you see your dermatologist op. You should take some photos just in case you are clear when you have your appointment.

I honestly think bed bugs sounds unlikely from what you've said. And, if you're in the uk it's not the season for mosquito/gnat bites.

One of my dcs had itchy bite like lumps on his thighs which turned out to be folliculitis.