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My husband and I enjoyed a little time in the woods in North Florida last weekend. When we were out, we didn’t see any insects flying around and felt nothing biting us.
However, starting the next morning, we started noticing really itchy bites scattered everywhere on our bodies. I have a few everywhere except on my scalp, my palms and the soles of my feet. I have bites in places that were completely covers by clothing and parts that were not covered by clothing. I have them where my flesh is tender and juicy and where it is tough and unappealing. I even have one on my eyelid and one really close to the sole of my foot (on the side where the skin is tough, but is still not the sole, and by the way was completely covered by my socks and sneakers. I have one right smack in the middle of my forehead, on my arms, underarms, stomach, back, crotch, legs, etc. Two days later, bites are still emerging and itching like crazy.
What the heck bit us? Any ideas?
Again, we didn’t notice anything out in the field.
We know about the tick risk and had applied insect repellent before the beginning of the outing. I noticed precisely one tick on me during the outing and brushed it off. Later that day when taking a shower and then looking obsessively, I found two ticks — one large lone star tick and one much smaller deer tick. My husband didn’t find any ticks. I got the ticks removed and got prophylactic antibiotics.
Could all the rest of these bites be tick bites from ticks that we somehow didn’t see although we obsessively searched for them? Also, I didn’t think ticks bites were that itchy?
I would think chiggers, but chigger bites are usually concentrated in one area and not scattered at random everywhere.
Mosquitoes are usually all too obvious and we didn’t notice any insects ….
No, we didn’t stay in a hotel overnight. Just a day trip.
I’m actually not sure how to upload photos, but I can describe them. They are small, mostly 5mm or less, red, slightly raised with one spot in the center.
Some seem to be in clusters, but there are also singletons scattered randomly
Take a picture on your phone. Check on focus and sharpness.
Go to https://postimages.org/, upload that picture there. Copy a link that says:
Hotlink for forums.
Post that link here.
Also check on the second link I posted above.(post#2)
Could be fleas?
Outdoors, fleas prefer moist, shady, cool places. They especially like shrubs, leaves, and trees...
I don't know the official name (and I don't feel like looking it up), but it sounds like it may be what we in Florida call no-see-ums.
I was thinking "no-see-ums" also, but those like to attack the head causing bumps on your scalp.
I'm thinking now that chiggers are the most likely culprit. If a person looks closely with a magnifying glass, they can see a little red center (the chigger) in a chigger bite.
The home remedy I've used for chigger bites is to cover the bite with clear fingernail polish. This smothers the chigger and it dies... thereby stopping the itch.
No, we didn’t stay in a hotel overnight. Just a day trip.
I’m actually not sure how to upload photos, but I can describe them. They are small, mostly 5mm or less, red, slightly raised with one spot in the center.
Some seem to be in clusters, but there are also singletons scattered randomly
I'm wondering if it's not bug bites at all, but poison ivy, sumac...etc.
I'm wondering if it's not bug bites at all, but poison ivy, sumac...etc.
Yeah, given that they used bug spray and they didn't notice anything...that's what I'm thinking. Especially considering it got in places that bugs normally don't get to. Some plant matter that's irritating got to them and their sweat and whatnot "transported" the lovely venom or whatever.
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