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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes. Bed bug bites are assessed on camera, and a doctor can treat the itch and any infection.
- What they look like: raised, itchy bumps, often in a line or a cluster, on skin exposed while sleeping, such as the face, neck and arms.
- Timing: bites can take from a few hours to 10 days to appear, and they usually clear up on their own in about a week.
- Health risk: bed bugs are not known to spread disease; the main problems are itching, lost sleep and infection from scratching.
- Emergency: call 112 for swelling of the lips, mouth or throat, or difficulty breathing, the signs of a rare severe allergic reaction.
Do not book a video appointment if bites come with swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or sudden dizziness, confusion or fainting. These are signs of a severe allergic reaction, which is rare with bed bugs: call 112.
Can an online doctor treat bed bug bites?
Yes. Bed bug bites are recognised by their pattern and the setting, and both work by video. The doctor looks at the bites on camera, asks where you have slept, tells them apart from mosquito bites, scabies and other rashes, and checks for infection. The bites usually need only something for the itch; getting rid of the bed bugs needs pest control.
How an online consultation helps with bed bug bites
- Bites seen on camera: The doctor looks at the pattern, the size of the bumps and any blisters, and how they look on your skin tone.
- Lookalikes ruled out: Mosquito and flea bites, scabies, hives and heat rash can look similar, and some need different treatment.
- Infection checked: Spreading redness, pain or pus around scratched bites can mean an infection that needs antibiotics.
- Relief that suits you: A steroid cream or an antihistamine for the itch, chosen after the doctor checks your other medicines.
What the doctor checks in an online bed bug bites consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the warning signs come first. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: swelling of the lips, mouth or throat, breathing difficulty, or a high temperature.
- The bites: where they are, whether they are in a line or a cluster, when they appeared, and how itchy they are.
- Where you slept: hotels, hostels, night trains or second-hand furniture, and whether anyone sharing the bed has bites.
- Infection: pain, spreading redness, warmth or pus around scratched bites.
- Your health: skin conditions such as eczema, pregnancy, and the medicines you take.
Before the call, find good light so the doctor can see the bites, and have photos of anything you found in the bed.
What do bed bug bites look like?
Bed bugs feed at night on skin left uncovered in bed. Their bites are usually:
- raised, itchy bumps, usually 2 to 5 mm across, sometimes with a tiny puncture mark in the centre
- in a line or grouped together, sometimes in a row of three
- red or pink on white skin; on black or brown skin they may look brown, red or purple and be harder to see
- on the face, neck, arms and legs, the skin exposed while sleeping
- very itchy, and in people who react strongly, swollen, painful or blistered
Bites often take one to several days to appear, and in some people as long as 14 days, so they may only show up after you have left the hotel. Up to 70% of people do not react to bed bug bites at all, which is why one person in a bed can be covered in bites while the other has none.
Bed bugs cannot bite through clothes, so they bite bare skin, most often the face, neck, arms, hands and legs. They are drawn to the warmth and the carbon dioxide you breathe out, feed for 2 to 5 minutes, and then crawl back into hiding. A row of three bites is sometimes called the breakfast, lunch and dinner sign. Some people get small blisters, pus-filled spots or welts like a nettle rash instead of simple bumps.
Bed bug bites or something else?
A bite alone cannot prove bed bugs: finding the insects or their traces confirms it. Bites that appear after nights in one bed, in a line on skin that was uncovered, together with blood spots or tiny dark droppings on the sheets, point to bed bugs. These patterns help tell bites and rashes apart:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Condition | What points to it | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Bed bug bites | Itchy bumps in a line or cluster on skin exposed in bed, with signs of bed bugs in the room | This page |
| Mosquito bites | Itchy bumps on uncovered skin after time outdoors, especially in the evening | Mosquito bites |
| Flea bites | Small, itchy bites in groups, usually below the knees | Ask the doctor |
| Scabies | Intense itching, especially at night, with tiny lines in the skin between the fingers, around the wrists or under the arms | Scabies |
| Hives | Raised welts that come and go within hours, anywhere on the body | Hives |
| Heat rash | Tiny prickly spots where you sweat, in hot weather | Heat rash |
Itchy in bed, but no bites and no bugs?
If you itch in bed but find no bites and no signs of bed bugs, another cause of itchy skin is more likely: eczema, hives or an allergy, including to laundry products, or scabies, which itches most at night. Less often, itchy skin is a sign of a thyroid, liver or kidney problem. Use laundry products made for sensitive skin and an unperfumed moisturiser, sleep in loose cotton, and see a doctor if the itching affects your daily life, keeps coming back or covers your whole body.
Where do bed bugs come from?
Bed bugs travel with people. They hide in the seams and folds of luggage, clothing, bedding and furniture, and most people do not realise they are carrying them. They cannot fly or jump, and crawl at about the speed of an ant, so they spread from place to place in bags, second-hand furniture and mattresses, not on the body.
- Where they are found: hotels, including expensive ones, homes, shared accommodation, trains, buses, cruise ships and student rooms, on every continent except Antarctica.
- Not a sign of dirt: they are found in clean and dirty places alike, and in France, infestation was not linked to household income.
- How long they live: adults usually live 3 to 9 months, up to 16 months in cool conditions, and can survive several months without feeding.
- Why there are more of them: more travel, and growing resistance to insecticides.
Europe has seen this rise. In a survey for the French health and safety agency ANSES, 11% of French households had bed bugs at some point between 2017 and 2022. Sleep problems and the effect on mental health were the biggest costs to health.
How to treat bed bug bites
Bed bug bites usually clear up on their own in a week or so. To ease the symptoms:
- Put a cool, damp cloth on the bites to ease the itching and swelling.
- Keep the area clean.
- Try not to scratch, because scratching can lead to an infection.
- Ask a pharmacist about a mild steroid cream, such as hydrocortisone, for the itch.
- An antihistamine at night can help if the itching keeps you awake.
How to check for bed bugs
Bed bugs hide by day and come out at night. The three most common signs are bites on skin exposed while sleeping, spots of blood on the bedding, and small brown spots of droppings on the bedding or furniture. Look for:
- small, flat, wingless, reddish-brown insects, up to about 7 mm long, about the size of an apple seed
- rusty or dark spots on the mattress, the sheets or nearby furniture, from droppings or blood
- shed skins in the folds and seams of the mattress
- a sweet, musty smell in a heavily infested room
Adults are big enough to see, at about 5 mm, and turn redder and larger after feeding. Young bed bugs are about 1 mm across and pale, and the eggs are hard to see at all. If you catch one, keep it in a sealed pot so a pest control specialist can identify it.
They hide in mattress seams, bed frames and headboards, in furniture, in cracks in the walls and behind loose wallpaper or pictures.
In a hotel or holiday rental
Before you unpack, check the mattress seams, the headboard and the bed frame. Keep your luggage off the floor and the bed, or in a plastic bag. If you find any signs of bed bugs, ask for another room.
Getting rid of bed bugs
Bed bugs are very difficult to get rid of yourself, and they can resist some insecticides, so contact a pest control service. Repeat visits are often needed, because insecticides often do not kill the eggs. Heat for a whole room and freezing for small items are the preferred methods. Meanwhile:
- Wash bedding and clothing at 60°C, then tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes.
- Put items you cannot wash in a sealed plastic bag in the freezer for 2 to 3 weeks: the colder the freezer, the better, ideally −20°C or below.
- Clear clutter around the bed, and vacuum regularly, sealing the vacuum’s contents in a bin bag.
- A cover that seals the mattress completely, kept on for at least a year, traps any bed bugs inside it.
- Put interceptor cups under the bed legs to catch bed bugs climbing up.
- Check second-hand furniture carefully before you bring it indoors, and avoid second-hand mattresses.
Keep sleeping in your own bed: moving to another room does not help, because the bed bugs follow. Never use rubbing alcohol, paraffin or petrol on bed bugs, or try to heat a room with a heater or fire: these can cause fires and harm you. Steam cleaners work, but forceful jets can scatter bed bugs. Bed bugs do not live on the body, so you can go to work and see friends as usual.
After a trip
If you have stayed somewhere with bed bugs, check your luggage and clothing carefully before you bring them indoors, and wash your clothes at 60°C.
Which bed bug bite treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on how many bites you have, how itchy they are, and whether they are infected. This is the framework the doctors use, in line with NHS and dermatology guidance.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A few itchy bites | A cool compress and a mild steroid cream from a pharmacy | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Many bites, or itching that stops you sleeping | A steroid cream and an antihistamine | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Bites still very itchy, painful or swollen after pharmacy treatment | A stronger steroid cream, and a review of the diagnosis | Yes | If the doctor needs to examine the rash |
| Pain, redness or swelling spreading around the bites | Antibiotics for a skin infection | Yes | If you have a high temperature and feel very unwell |
| Swelling of the lips or throat, or breathing difficulty | Emergency treatment | No | Call 112 now |
Not sure what bit you? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →Treatment options for bed bug bites
What you can do yourself
- Use a cool, damp cloth for the itch and swelling.
- Ask a pharmacist about hydrocortisone cream; if you are pregnant, check with a doctor first.
- Take an antihistamine at night if the itching keeps you awake.
- Keep your nails short, and cover bites you cannot stop scratching.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. If pharmacy treatments have not helped, the doctor can prescribe a stronger steroid cream. If scratched bites have become infected, the doctor can prescribe antibiotics. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Treating the bites while the bed bugs are still in the bed only brings new ones: the bites stop when the bed bugs are gone. Sprays bought for use at home rarely clear an infestation, because bed bugs can resist some insecticides.
Special situations
Bites after a holiday
Bites can appear days after you check out, so tell the doctor where you have slept in the last two weeks, and check your luggage and clothes before you bring them into your home. Other holiday health problems are covered on the travel illnesses page.
Pregnancy
Check with a doctor or a pharmacist before using hydrocortisone cream in pregnancy.
Eczema
Scratched bites can make eczema flare and become infected. The doctor can suggest treatment that suits both.
Worry and lost sleep
Bed bugs can cause real distress and broken sleep. If worry or poor sleep continues after the bed bugs have gone, the doctor can help with that too, and the insomnia page has more on sleep.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When bed bug bites are treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: bed bug bites, itching and swelling, bites that have not settled with pharmacy treatment, and infected bites.
In-person care: a severe allergic reaction, a spreading skin infection in someone who is very unwell, and a rash the doctor needs to examine.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue
- fast or difficult breathing, a tight throat or trouble swallowing
- skin, lips or tongue turning blue, grey or pale
- sudden confusion, drowsiness or fainting
Get medical advice the same day for:
- pain, redness or swelling spreading around the bites
- pus or fluid coming from the bites
- a high temperature with swollen glands
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about the bites: show them on camera in good light, and say where you have slept in the last two weeks.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s bed bugs? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Scabies can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about bed bug bites
What do bed bug bites look like?
Bed bug bites are raised, itchy bumps, often in a line or a cluster, on skin exposed while sleeping, such as the face, neck and arms. They look red or pink on white skin, and brown, red or purple on black or brown skin, where they can be harder to see.
How can you tell if bites are from bed bugs?
Only finding the bed bugs or their traces proves it. Bites that appear after nights in one bed, often in a line or a cluster on skin that was uncovered, together with blood spots, tiny dark droppings or shed skins in the mattress seams, point strongly to bed bugs.
How long do bed bug bites take to appear?
Most people notice bites one to several days after being bitten, and in some people they take as long as 14 days to appear. That is why bites often show up after you have left a hotel.
How long do bed bug bites last?
Bed bug bites usually clear up on their own in about a week. See a doctor if they are still very itchy, painful or swollen after pharmacy treatment, or if redness and pain are spreading.
How do I stop bed bug bites itching at home?
Put a cool, damp cloth on the bites, try not to scratch, and ask a pharmacist about a mild steroid cream such as hydrocortisone. An antihistamine at night can help if the itching keeps you awake.
Do bed bugs spread disease?
Bed bugs are not known to spread disease to people. The main problems with bed bug bites are itching, lost sleep and skin infections from scratching, and rarely an allergic reaction.
Why am I bitten and my partner is not?
Many people do not react to bed bug bites at all: up to 70% have no visible reaction. Your partner may be bitten too without any marks.
Where do bed bugs come from?
Bed bugs travel in luggage, clothing, bedding, second-hand furniture and mattresses, and are picked up in hotels, shared accommodation, trains, buses and homes. They are not a sign of a dirty home. More travel and resistance to insecticides have made them more common in Europe.
How do I check a hotel room for bed bugs?
Look at the mattress seams, the headboard and the bed frame for bed bugs: small reddish-brown insects, rusty or dark spots, and shed skins. Keep your luggage off the floor and the bed, and ask for another room if you find any signs.
How can I avoid bed bug bites when travelling?
Check the mattress seams, headboard and bed frame before unpacking, keep luggage on a rack or in the bathroom rather than on the bed or floor, use a hard-sided case, keep clothes in sealed bags, and inspect second-hand furniture before bringing it home. On return, unpack on a hard floor, wash everything at 60°C and tumble dry hot, and freeze what cannot be washed. Bed bug bites follow the bugs home, so prevention is about luggage, not skin.
What kills bed bugs instantly?
Nothing kills a whole bed bug infestation instantly. Heat works best on fabrics: a 60°C wash followed by a hot tumble dry for at least 30 minutes. Freezing small items in a sealed bag for 2 to 3 weeks, ideally at −20°C or below, also works. A room needs a professional heat or insecticide treatment, often repeated to catch eggs as they hatch.
How do I get rid of bed bugs?
Contact a pest control service, because bed bugs are very hard to remove yourself and can resist some insecticides. Wash bedding and clothes at 60°C and tumble dry on a hot setting for at least 30 minutes, and freeze items you cannot wash in a sealed bag for 2 to 3 weeks.
Can an online doctor treat bed bug bites?
Yes. A doctor can look at the bites on camera, tell them apart from other bites and rashes, and recommend treatment for the itch. If bites are infected, the doctor can prescribe antibiotics after the consultation.
- Bedbugs, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 1 May 2026.
- Bedbugs and managing bedbug infestations: patient information leaflet, British Association of Dermatologists, 2022.
- Bed bugs, DermNet, New Zealand, reviewed October 2023.
- About bed bugs, CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US), 26 April 2024.
- Bed bugs are a financial burden and reduce quality of life for many people in France, ANSES, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, July 2023.
- Do-it-yourself bed bug control, US Environmental Protection Agency, updated 2026.
- Itchy skin, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 19 July 2023.
- Insect bites and stings, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 1 June 2023.
- Scabies, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 21 November 2023.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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