Mumsnet Talk

Something is biting DD2. It's horrid - her legs are covered in bites, she has two on her face and one on her back and they are nasty and red and driving her mad. But what is biting her???

We have 2 cats and I usually Frontline them every month / 6 weeks but I think I did miss last month as I can't see the tick I usually put on the calendar when I've done it. We got more Frontline over the weekend and did them so they should be good again.
We also went to our local park for the fireworks on 5 Nov and they had mowed the grass to make pathways. So perhaps something nibbled her there - the first bites appeared the Sunday of that weekend.

DD2 is the only one being bitten, the rest of us are absolutely clear. Is it possible that the cats had fleas but they are only biting DD2? The cats don't sleep on her bed, DD1 is around them as much as DD2 and around the sofa etc where the cats do sit. But then DD2 has always had sensitive skin. I'm lathering her in calomine lotion, have vaccuumed her bed and changed the bedding in case that helps.

Any ideas from anyone in the know? I've just spent my whole lunch hour googling "flea bites" and "bed bugs" and any other nasties and have got myself thoroughly worried!!

Could it be a mosquito?there has been loads in the uk this year compared to normal, I had a few in my house and didn't realise and they were biting me but not DD or DP, I must have tasted nice!mainly over night when I was still, and I came up in huge horrible red lumps where they bit!

We had a horrendous flea problem over the summer and only dd1 was being bitten, the rest of us were fine.

Feed her some garlic and see if that helps. I was told (by a vet) that fleas bite everyone but not everyone reacts to the bites. I'm not sure if that's true or not.

When I was a teenager I used to get horrendous fleabites on my legs, and no one else in the family was ever bitten.

If you are frontlining regularly and doing everything else right, it probably isn't fleas but some other biting insect.

If it's from the fireworks night all the bites will be about the same age. Do any of them look fresher?

IME different insects prefer different people. Fleas and mosquitos go for me but ticks leave me alone.

Me and DP have same blood type, fleas bite me to bits but leave him untouched (or appear to, he never gets any visible bites). I am not sure why this is. They don't touch my DD either.

Thanks all - it is good to hear that some people have had selective fleas as well!
Actually took her to the GP this morning as some of the bites are looking dreadful, she says not infected but we have hydrocortisone cream just in case. And got some spray for the house. And vaccuumed very vigorously over the weekend.

I don't think it is mozzies, the bites are round with a centre bit that has now turned to a scab on most. But they are getting a red "halo" that is spreading around the skin from each bite. There were a few new bites after firework night, but the vast majority from that weekend.

We do have allotments at the end of our garden, and our new neighbours cat has decided to gatecrash our house every so often, so perhaps he is the fleabag....

yes, it's possible, and it's always blardy ME!
Salt kills the larvae at some key stage, sprinkle one day & vaccuum up the next.

Everyone gets bitten not everyone is allergic to the bites, your poor DD is allergic hence the swelling and itching. If she can take antihistamine it will help. I would suggest getting a really good household treatment like Acclaim or indorex to help with the problem.