People often find bed bugs bite in a relatively straight line that sometimes leads to a myth. It is said that each of the bed bugs will bite you three times. Well, it is not fully true nor false. Who knows that bed bugs named Johnny or Andrew are going to bite you just once or three times (sorry Johnny and Andrew, I am just kidding). I mean that it is hard to precisely observe them one by one.
So, on this topic, I would like to share what I find so far about the bed bugs bite in a straight line, why do bed bugs bite in 3, and of course the possibility of other bugs that will do the same things as similar as bed bugs do. You know what, some bugs actually bite in a line too. Let us dive in then 🙂
Do Bed Bugs Always Bite in a Row?
It is a common thing to find bed bites in a row, but, still, not all bed bug bites always form in a row. When there are more bed bugs biting people, the pattern can be formed in a cluster or random spots. The cluster usually happens because bed bugs will bite on the exposed area of your skin. It means that they actually have a limited area that they can share with others.
That is, some exposed areas such as the hand, legs, face, and etc are at a high risk of being bitten by bed bugs. That is why people who put their clothes off can get more bites. That is because those bed bugs have more choices where to bite. Well, in this case, you can actually prevent bed bugs first to save yourself.
Why Do Bed Bugs Bite in A Line?
I actually once got a similar experience but with mosquitoes (I am not sure actually but that is what I think). I find that those mosquitoes precisely bite like a cross on my left arm. So, I got like 4 vertical bites and three horizontal bites. So, it is completely looked like a cross. That’s cool I think.
But, when we talk about bed bugs. those bites are not cool at all 🙂 Often, those bites make people hurt and discomfort more. Unfortunately, sometimes. their bites create a pattern such as a straight line, a row, or even a group. Alright, now you know it is not only a line of bites that bed bugs create.
In this case, there are at least four primary possible reasons why you can find those patterns after bed bugs bite you. Here is the detail.
The Interruption In The Mid-feed
When people sleep, they often suddenly make a move by moving their body, scratching, stretching, and etc. Imagine that when you sleep and unconsciously scratch or move your body, the bed bugs biting you fall off. Here, they are interrupted which makes them need to repeat biting you (only if they are still hungry).
The interrupted bed bugs will find the nearest location/spot where they bite you previously. No wonder that you can get more bites on the different locations as many as the movement you make. The same thing I observed happens while other insects bite. They tend to get a new spot to bite instead of coming back to the previous bitten spot.
That is why you can get multiple bites in an area.
They Can’t Find The Blood Vessel
If you observe carefully, insects that feed themselves with blood will bite more than once. It is because they need to look for the precise point where they can get blood by sucking a blood vessel. Here, the same thing happens to bed bugs. Sometimes, they need to check where your blood vessel is.
This behavior, of course, makes you get more bites that sometimes look like a line. So, that is actually a bed bug that tries to find out the exact spot of your blood vessel. It is true that bed bugs are attracted to the body heat but finding the precise source of the blood in the body is a different story.
There Is More Than One Bed Bug
When there is more than a bed bug reaching out to you, it means that there will be a cluster or line of bed bugs’ bites. In this case, a heavy infestation can lead to this problem because there are more and more bed bugs. It is like they are in a gang that bites you together and shares their joy.
Well, if you are wondering why do they feed in the same area, it actually happens because they likely only bite on the exposed body surface. That is why bed bug bites can be found mostly on the face, hands, legs, neck, and any other exposed area of the body. It is because they gather together in the same area.
Skin Reaction of The Bed Bugs Bite
Bed bugs bite is well known to be painless and the effect can be developed after a few days or weeks. That is why some people may experience straight line bite marks while others don’t. In some cases, people even often don’t feel anything when they had been bitten.
But, fortunately, bed bugs usually leave a straight-line mark. So, the skin may so sensitive to the bed bugs that bite when the bites appear. Here my advice, sometimes when you find your friend in the same hotel, inn, or anything and you see them get bed bugs bite, while you do not get any reactions, it means that you need also check your belongings and luggage.
Why Do Bed Bugs Bite in 3?
As has been discussed above, bed bugs bite can form in various patterns which bite in 3 is one of them. The common myth says that there are three bites in a line which means breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Well, according to this research, bed bugs averagely bite per 2.5 days. So, they do not actually bite three times a day.
Then, the possible reasons why people get three-bed bugs bite in a line actually come from…
- The interruption while feeding.
- The inability to find the precise spot of the blood vessels.
- A heavy infestation means more bed bugs biting.
So, there are some other reasons that make bed bugs bite seems 3 in a line, or in a straight line. It is a common thing to find out 3 bites in a line and that’s why people see it as a pattern. However, research shows that bed bugs only need one single bite if that can fulfill their need for blood.
Are Bed Bugs The Only Bugs That Bite in A Line?
When you get a line bugs bite, that is actually not always bed bugs bite. Sometimes, that comes from other bugs that have a similar bite pattern such as flies, fleas, fleas, lice, and scabies mite. Those bugs have a similar pattern with bed bugs bite in terms of forming a line. Let us discuss it.
The Scabies Mite
Being bitten by bed bugs is bad but scabies mite is at another level of worst experience. Here, they are so tiny that you cannot see with your eyes. Dude, seriously, I had a very bad experience with these mites. It took like months to recover and set me free from those tiny troublemakers.
Their bites are completely crazy like you feel itchy all night long and scratching them means you help the tiny scabies mites transport to other parts of your body. Their bites look like a line with small bumps that exactly look like your skin has been dug and inserted with a strange nylon line.
In this particular point of view, you may think that the bites line comes from bed bugs, but it doesn’t. The scabies mite bites will make you uncomfortable mostly at night when you’re sweating. That is why sometimes you cannot sleep well because they are so itchy.
The Flies Family
The other bites in a line form can be found from those who are bitten by flies. Well, what I mean here is that there is some flies family that usually bite humans such as mosquitoes, midges, horseflies, gnats, and sandflies. Those bugs can bite in a form of a line.
However, most flies will only bite you when they are around you, especially in the outdoor areas. That is why people will close the windows and doors with some screens to avoid those flies entering the house. Some other people will just simply use sprays or any other products to stop them.
Well, the exciting thing is that flies’ bite reaction depends on the people’s condition. Some people may experience bumps while others don’t feel anything at all. Here, the reaction of the bites will appear only in a few minutes after being bitten by those flies.
In contrast, bed bug bites can appear for days. So, it is quite a different thing even those bites have similar a line form pattern. The flies bites sometimes can disappear only in a day (it depends on the people’s reaction too. So, a bite in a line is not always a bed bugs’ bite.
The Fleas and Lice
Well, fleas and lice are the other bugs that make a bad experience for people. Some people know that fleas are mainly infested pets because they stay in fur. But sometimes and somehow, a bit rare, fleas are reported to bite people.
On the other side, lice are well known for their blood-feeding system that come to people head. They are the real problems for humans because they consume blood like bed bugs. Unlike fleas, being bitten by lice is much more possible because fleas usually just infest your pets.
Then, in terms of a line of bites, both fleas and lice can possibly create the form. The reasons are just the same that there may a heavy infestation that makes those bugs bite you in a row or a group. But, still, fleas and lice are much easier to be observed because they live on the human. It means that they are not like bed bugs that always hide somewhere.
Can Bed Bugs Bites Bed Localized?
Here comes the other common question. Bed bugs bites can be spreaded around human body as long as the skin areas are exposed. It is because bed bugs tend to bite only on the exposed skin areas. That is why you can find the bites not only in your hand or face, but also on the other parts of the body. So, the bed bugs bite can’t be localized.
Well, that’s all for the discussion. If you have other good sources about this topic (why do bed bugs bite in a line), please inform me so we can renew the information. Thank you 🙂