Skip to content 
I packed my clothes into trash bags, grabbed my backpack, and left immediately.
The first thing I did when I got home was leave everything outside.
Every piece of clothing went straight into the washing machine on the hottest setting the labels allowed.
Then everything went into the dryer for over an hour.
I vacuumed my suitcase.
I wiped down my shoes.
I even checked inside my laptop bag.
The internet had convinced me that bed bugs were expert hitchhikers.
For the next several days the itching became unbearable.
Some bites faded while new ones seemed to appear.
I couldn’t sleep.
Every tiny sensation on my skin made me panic.
Was another bug crawling on me?
Or was my imagination taking over?
I visited an urgent care clinic.
The doctor carefully examined my arms and legs.
“They certainly look like insect bites,” she said.
“But I can’t confirm exactly what caused them just by looking.”
She explained that many different insects can leave similar-looking marks.
Mosquitoes.
Fleas.
Bed bugs.
Mites.
Even allergic reactions could sometimes resemble bug bites.
She prescribed medication to reduce the itching and advised me to avoid scratching because broken skin could become infected.
Meanwhile, my friend contacted her landlord.
He insisted the apartment had already been treated months earlier.
Still, he agreed to bring in another pest control company.
A week later the results came back.
The inspectors found several live bed bugs hidden behind the headboard and inside the box spring.
The previous treatment had apparently missed a small surviving population that slowly multiplied over time.
My friend was horrified.
“I feel terrible,” she said.
“You had no idea,” I replied.
She offered to pay my medical bill and even replaced the clothes I had thrown away because I was too nervous to keep them.
Thankfully, after several weeks, the bites healed completely.
The itching disappeared.
No bugs ever appeared in my own apartment because I’d been extremely careful with my belongings after returning home.
Looking back, I realized how easily I had dismissed the warning signs.
The first few bites seemed harmless.
The occasional itch didn’t seem worth worrying about.
Only when dozens appeared did I realize something was seriously wrong.
The experience also taught me an important lesson.
Old buildings aren’t automatically infested.
New buildings aren’t automatically bug-free.
Bed bugs don’t care whether a home is spotless or messy.
They simply follow people.
Hotels, apartments, buses, airplanes, dormitories, and vacation rentals can all occasionally experience infestations.
The key is recognizing the signs early.