Unidentified Bug Bites

tangomonster · 06-05-2008, 01:15 PM

I'm not sure that is what biting me. But something is----indoors! I get quite a few bites when I'm inside, with the windows closed. I have no idea what it could be, but they itch and swell. I"M MAD AS H*LL AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! Since I don't know if that last statement is making any insects tremble in fear, I need to take action. I'm ready to engage in chemical warfare!

Does anyone have any suggestions for good bug repellants? I need something that is effective but not greasy since I just may be using it indoors....

Rich_in_Tampa · 06-05-2008, 01:20 PM

Bedbugs?

Or, if the little welts have a red center, think fleas.

shoe · 06-05-2008, 01:21 PM

Please don't take this the wrong way-could it be fleas?

**Sarah in SC** · 06-05-2008, 01:27 PM

Might be redbugs, aka chiggers, that you got outside and are showing up after the fact.

**REWahoo** · 06-05-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC

Might be redbugs, aka chiggers, that you got outside and are showing up after the fact.

If you spent anytime in ~~Texas~~ grass & weeds, the little b@stards will show up 12-24 hours later. They like to attack where skin is tender (behind knees, and other nether regions) and can drive you insane!!!!

**Sarah in SC** · 06-05-2008, 01:52 PM

Preaching to the choir, RE! Yeah, I've worn me some redbug step-ins before!

BOBOT · 06-09-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

If you spent anytime in ~~Texas~~ grass & weeds, the little b@stards will show up 12-24 hours later. They like to attack where skin is tender (behind knees, and other nether regions) and can drive you insane!!!!

REW, I share your view of these loathsome beasts. I dread the advent of late spring/early summer, when they seem to be the worst. Already I have several bites in the tenderest areas, despite precautions taken. Last year 2 bites became seriously infected, requiring a course of antibiotics; the welts took months to disappear.

FWIW, from my trusty Barnes: Invertebrate Zoology:

Larvae of the of Trombicula are the familiar chiggers, or redbugs. The six-legged larva emerges from an egg, which has been deposited on the soil. .... In attacking, the host's skin is bitten and the young mite feeds on the dermal tissue, which is broken down by the external action of proteolytic enzymes. Feeding takes place for up to ten days or more; then the larva drops off. ..... Although chiggers can cause severe dermatitis, they are of much greater medical importance as vectors for pathogens, such as Asian scrub typhus..... The intense itching that results from the bite of a chigger is caused by the mite's oral secretions and not, as commonly supposed, simply by the presence of the mite. Scratching quickly removes the mite, but the irritation remains for several days (no sh**). The application of fingernail polish to "kill" the mite is therefore of little use as a cure.

I respect & revere nature & am tolerant of most of her creatures .. but I really, really hate chiggers.

HFWR · 06-09-2008, 10:29 AM

Saber-toothed crotch crickets...

**Sarah in SC** · 06-09-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HFWR

Saber-toothed crotch crickets...

Amen! what a great description of the little b@st@rds!

JPatrick · 06-09-2008, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo

If you spent anytime in ~~Texas~~ grass & weeds, the little b@stards will show up 12-24 hours later. They like to attack where skin is tender (behind knees, and other nether regions) and can drive you insane!!!!

Gosh!! Texas sure doesn't sound like a good place to live

**REWahoo** · 06-09-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPatrick

Gosh!! Texas sure doesn't sound like a good place to live

An Ozarkian with highly developed perceptive skills. Amazing.

Nords · 06-09-2008, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangomonster

I'm ready to engage in chemical warfare!

Tango, it's been nearly 96 hours since your last post to this thread. You really need to check in with a status report before ~~Dr. Strangelove~~ REWahoo feels compelled to get out his flamethrower and initiate chigger-eradication procedures in your neighborhood...

TromboneAl · 06-09-2008, 03:26 PM

Flea Bites:

Chigger Bites:

Bed Bug Bites:

Do NOT click here (shows shark bite).

**Sarah in SC** · 06-09-2008, 03:29 PM

T-Al, on behalf of all the folks who, like me, are still slaving away at our desk jobs, I just want to thank you for having the time to post those pictures (and the link to the mangled hand). Bravo! I snorted soda out of my nose!
YECH!

Notmuchlonger · 06-09-2008, 03:31 PM

Just realized what I wrote..bad bad bad

Rustward · 06-09-2008, 07:14 PM

It woulda been ok if you had omitted the fourth one...

packrat44 · 06-09-2008, 08:38 PM

Trombone,

You are bad!

But you get the point across very well.

tangomonster · 06-09-2008, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

Tango, it's been nearly 96 hours since your last post to this thread. You really need to check in with a status report before ~~Dr. Strangelove~~ REWahoo feels compelled to get out his flamethrower and initiate chigger-eradication procedures in your neighborhood...

While I would appreciate REWahoo's efforts, I guess they would be futile since---according to Al's photos---they seem to be flea bites.

And yes, I do have a pet. A totally indoor cat. I'm quite sure he doesn't have fleas. There are neighbor's dogs who live close by and who I come into contact with, but their owners insist they don't have fleas. So it's still a mystery....but I have the rest of my FIREd life to determine the cause/solution.

Thanks everyone!

Bimmerbill · 06-11-2008, 06:49 PM

I despise chiggers with a passion... them little buggers ate me up last time I was playing army down in Ft. Bragg, NC. I think I still have scars.

**Khan** · 06-11-2008, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tangomonster

While I would appreciate REWahoo's efforts, I guess they would be futile since---according to Al's photos---they seem to be flea bites.

And yes, I do have a pet. A totally indoor cat. I'm quite sure he doesn't have fleas. There are neighbor's dogs who live close by and who I come into contact with, but their owners insist they don't have fleas. So it's still a mystery....but I have the rest of my FIREd life to determine the cause/solution.

Thanks everyone!

You (the human) can bring fleas into the house. It only takes one to hop onto your foot somewhere.

Been there, done that, don't want a t-shirt.

06-05-2008, 01:15 PM	#1
tangomonster Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 570	Unidentified Bug Bites I'm not sure that is what biting me. But something is----indoors! I get quite a few bites when I'm inside, with the windows closed. I have no idea what it could be, but they itch and swell. I"M MAD AS H*LL AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! Since I don't know if that last statement is making any insects tremble in fear, I need to take action. I'm ready to engage in chemical warfare! Does anyone have any suggestions for good bug repellants? I need something that is effective but not greasy since I just may be using it indoors.... __________________ A wise woman should have money in her head, but not in her heart---Jonathan Swift

06-05-2008, 01:20 PM	#2
Rich_in_Tampa Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Tampa Posts: 5,889	Bedbugs? Or, if the little welts have a red center, think fleas. __________________ Rich Tampa, FL (10% retired) As if you didn't know..If the above message happens to contain medical content, it's NOT intended as advice, and may not be accurate, applicable or sufficient. Don't rely on it for any medical purpose whatsoever. Consult your own doctor for all medical advice.

06-05-2008, 01:27 PM	#4
Sarah in SC Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,734	Might be redbugs, aka chiggers, that you got outside and are showing up after the fact. __________________ "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." - Mark Twain DINKS, 37 and 45, plan for his ER at 50, mine few yrs later.

06-05-2008, 01:52 PM	#6
Sarah in SC Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,734	Preaching to the choir, RE! Yeah, I've worn me some redbug step-ins before! __________________ "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." - Mark Twain DINKS, 37 and 45, plan for his ER at 50, mine few yrs later.

06-09-2008, 10:29 AM	#8
HFWR Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: May 2005 Location: DFW Posts: 5,440	Saber-toothed crotch crickets... __________________ Have Fun When Retired Never mind the furthermore, the plea is self defense...

06-05-2008, 01:21 PM	#3
shoe Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 153	Please don't take this the wrong way-could it be fleas?

06-09-2008, 03:26 PM	#13
TromboneAl Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 4,171	Flea Bites: Chigger Bites: Bed Bug Bites: Do NOT click here (shows shark bite). __________________ - Al -- Always serious, never joking. No, wait. Never serious... Always... I forget.

06-09-2008, 03:29 PM	#14
Sarah in SC Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Charleston, SC Posts: 2,734	T-Al, on behalf of all the folks who, like me, are still slaving away at our desk jobs, I just want to thank you for having the time to post those pictures (and the link to the mangled hand). Bravo! I snorted soda out of my nose! YECH! __________________ "Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." - Mark Twain DINKS, 37 and 45, plan for his ER at 50, mine few yrs later.

06-09-2008, 03:31 PM	#15
Notmuchlonger Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,021	Just realized what I wrote..bad bad bad __________________ Call the troops out in a hurry. This is what we've waited for. This is it boys, this is war. Last edited by Notmuchlonger; 06-09-2008 at 07:48 PM.. Reason: bleh

06-09-2008, 07:14 PM	#16
Rustward Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 158	It woulda been ok if you had omitted the fourth one...

06-09-2008, 08:38 PM	#17
packrat44 Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 542	Trombone, You are bad! But you get the point across very well. __________________ Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

06-11-2008, 06:49 PM	#19
Bimmerbill Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 574	I despise chiggers with a passion... them little buggers ate me up last time I was playing army down in Ft. Bragg, NC. I think I still have scars.