I'm looking for some support/advice/reassurance! My "experience" with bed bugs may not be an experience at all, but without being able to rule it out, I'm just assuming that they are my problem.
About 6 weeks ago I noticed what seemed to be a small rash on my inner thigh. Obviously because I noticed it I instantly started scratching. They swelled up and seemed to look like a bunch of mosquito bites, about 8 in total. I had worn a long dress out the night prior and it had rained so I just assumed that something had gotten trapped in my skirt and bit me up. But after a few days they became a more angry red color and very defined and hadn't gone away. After much researched I decided the bumps look very similar to some pictures of those with bed bug bites.
I had stayed in a hotel for two nights the week prior and assumed that must have been the source of the bites, given that they could take a while to present. I was sure to clean and isolate my luggage as well as heat treat my bedding and washed everything I had brought with me. I figured I hadn't brought any home with me since there was no sign of bugs or new bites. I also placed interceptors under the legs of my bed and they have been clean.
Fast forward to this Tuesday (7 weeks later) I am taking a shower and noticed approximately 17 bumps along the side of my buttocks. I automatically assumed they were bed bug bites, and today they are still itching and red. This morning I heat treated all of my bedding, pulled off my mattress and box spring (including ripping off the dust cover) and inspected every inch of both for evidence. There is absolutely no evidence of bedbugs anywhere. My linens and headboard are both white so I assume they would be easy to see. I feel like to suddenly have 17 bites there would have to be at least SOME sort of evidence.
I am at a loss. I don't know what else these bites could be!
To sum it all up:
-Potential bb bites 7 weeks apart
-No sign of bugs
Could they be hiding somewhere else or am I just being paranoid?? Thank you for ANY answers!