How do you know if you have bed bugs?

How do I know if I have bed bugs?

• I recently got back from Cuba (May 1), and today is May 16. I have about 10 itchy bumps on my legs (Below my knees) that have developed over the past week. I fear that I may have brought bed bugs back from Cuba. My friend, who also came down south has a ton of bumps but hers are all over her legs (approximately 30) and a whole lot more on her arms and stomach. She had a specialist come in and he found some bed bugs. So I am feelings like I might have them too, but I cannot seem to find any evidence. I have taken off all my sheets, and removed my mattress from the box spring and carefully inspected both with a flashlight. I am not seeing eggs, bodies, fecal spots or anything.. I am starting to get paranoid. I also have 2 cats and thought it could be fleas, but I looked them all over this morning and couldn't find anything, and they are not scratching themselves. I would really like some advice on how to proceed since I don't want to treat my room for bed bugs if there are not even there. Also an exterminator in the area charged my friend 1500 this morning to take care of her problem. That is a little steep so I would like to do as much as I can on my own. Thanks!!!!!

• Answer:

  According to this post on bed bug bites http://www.getridofbedbugsathome.com/bed-bug-bites/ some people may experience a delayed skin reaction to the bites ranging from a few hours to as long as 10 days after being bitten. Since you have already done your due diligence in the inspection, you may have gotten the bites while you are traveling in Cuba. Monitor the 10 bumps on your leg for a few more days and see if there are any additional bites appearing. Usually if you have bed bugs in your bed, they will continue to feed on you almost on a daily basis so you should be seeing more bite marks appear like your friend. Also, since you also have 2 cats, I believe it wouldn't harm to take them for a professional grooming session to have them bathed and properly treated for fleas since you have been traveling in Cuba. Most of the time, flea bites appear on the lower part of the body so it is better to be safe than sorry. If you are still concerned, there are pest control companies that bring in canines to sniff out the place for bed bugs. These services are usually alot cheaper than the actual extermination but as always, call and ask. Hope that helps.