Bedbugs do not live in your mattress... they f-e-e-d there... or anywhere you are. Bedbugs can live behind a picture frame on a wall, the underside of a dresser drawer, a place that is hidden and dark. Any small black "peppery" looking stuff on a mattress, bedding, couch cushions, etc. is the feces of these bugs... not the bugs themselves. In World War 2, the men used to use Kerosene to get rid of the bed bugs. They would rub this on themselves before bed, and use it to wipe down their bunks. You might want to give this a try... wiping down ALL of the items in your house, taking all items off the walls, wiping your entire bed frame, all picture frames, etc. It sounds to me like bed bugs too... and it seems they do not have to travel far for a meal... all of your exposed skin is what is being bitten... that is a clue too.