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Original poster

What is biting me?

80 replies

gingajewel · 03/03/2019 19:43

For the past two weeks myself, my dh and my eldest dd have been covered in bites, all over our legs and dd’s chest and tummy. They are raised white lumps with an obvious red tiny mark in the middle and are itching us so much!
I have googled and googled and can’t find an exact match! Just for some background, I live in a city no where near the countryside and both children were outside a lot last week when the weather was nice!
The itching is driving us all crazy!

OP posts:
wigglypiggly · 03/03/2019 20:19

If you lie on the floor, chair, sofa or bed then the fleas could get on your body.

Original poster
gingajewel · 03/03/2019 20:21

No headlce both dd’s had there haircut yesterday!
I am wandering if it’s fleas but the pharmacist said they didn’t look like flea bites.

OP posts:
Original poster
gingajewel · 03/03/2019 20:24

Does anybody know anything about Chigger bites?

OP posts:

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Skin conditions
DerbyRacer · 03/03/2019 20:29

Are they very itchy?

DerbyRacer · 03/03/2019 20:30

Have you examined your mattresses for signs of bed bugs?

INeedNewShoes · 03/03/2019 20:33

Is it just me or is there a bug of some description visible on the sock in the photo?

Original poster
gingajewel · 03/03/2019 20:41

They are really itchy, and I’ve checked the bed for bed bugs and no sign.
Your right that does look like a bug of some kind on oh sock, but can’t see anything now 😰
If they are fleas please can someone tell me how u start to get rid of them?

OP posts:
Elephantina · 03/03/2019 20:42

I had a nasty incident with bedbugs a year ago, they looked nothing like that. The bites will be in rows and tend to be on the upper body, arms and trunk - I don't think I had any on my legs or ankles.

I must say that looks like fleas. Flea eggs lay dormant and hatch at the first whiff of carbon dioxide and warmth from a potential host - so maybe a visitor who had flea eggs on their belongings, or a second hand sofa, rug, mat etc? I've had a couple of flea experiences - the first from a used sofa, the second from a house that had been empty for months, but the previous tenant had had a cat. There was carpet upstairs and the minute we moved in, the little feckers were everywhere within a few days. I even had to treat the garden!!!

wigglypiggly · 03/03/2019 20:42

fleas need room spray, hot wash clothes, towels and bedlinen, the vets might have something you can use.

wigglypiggly · 03/03/2019 20:45

www.rentokil.co.uk/fleas/top-8-flea-home-remedies/

JaneEyre07 · 03/03/2019 20:46

We've had flea bites when the cat has had them but they weren't anything like that size.

I'd have said mosquito bites from that size.

I'd get some Indorex flea spray for the house to be on the safe side though, and hoover all the house especially your beds really thoroughly.

Elephantina · 03/03/2019 20:48

Cross posted ginga.

I'm trying to remember. I think I sprayed all the soft furnishings and carpets with flea killer, right into the nooks and crannies, to kill the adult fleas (so they stop laying eggs). Then you have to treat all the new ones which are hatching - I did that with diatomaceous earth, cheap as chips from ebay. Chuck it everywhere...dont worry about your furniture, it'll hoover up, it's just dusty but it lacerates the fleas outer "case" (I want to say exoskeleton but that might be bollocks) and they slowly dehydrate and die. Eventually the hatching eggs and larvae will die off and you'll have ended the life cycle. Don't forget the corners of your garden, they can survive out there too.

Worked for us and we had a neighbour with 27 bloody cats.

wombatsears · 03/03/2019 20:50

As PP said, they aren’t bed bug bites which are in neat rows.

AgnesNaismith · 03/03/2019 20:54

This could be carpet beetle larvae hairs, humans are allergic to them and they are currently hatching due to the hot weather.

The beetles are tiny and black/brown and the larvae look like tiny little hairy bugs, they shed the hair when they have laid 1000s of eggs and make their way to a window ledge. They eat natural fibres and can often be found climbing walls.....google them, they are getting much more common in this country and come from gardens.

AgnesNaismith · 03/03/2019 20:54

By hot weather I mean unseasonably warm.

DerbyRacer · 03/03/2019 20:54

I was in your situation years ago. Pharmacist and doctor were no help. I did not have a lot of bites but every two weeks I would have a couple on me. They were big and itchy and did look a bit similar to the big one in your photo.

Eventually I found out my neighbour had an infestation and one or some of the bugs must have come through to me. I lived in a flat. They were bed bugs. There is no way you will know for sure what is biting you until you find one of the bugs. It is a horrible situation for you.

I hope it is not bed bugs or fleas. Hopefully some other explanation.

AgnesNaismith · 03/03/2019 20:55

They can live in clothes, particularly dark corners of handbags, jeans, jumpers and cotton.

BlueFox101 · 03/03/2019 20:57

In my experience flea bites don't tend to be that big! Not sure what it is though maybe go to GP?

Original poster
gingajewel · 03/03/2019 21:01

Thankyou all for your help, I really do appreciate it!
We have just re examined the bed and there is nothing at all on there, so I’m hoping it isn’t that!
To the pop who gave me tips how to get rid of fleas, thankyou. My sister has a dog and she has been round so it could well have transferred like that I suppose! Oh are worse than mine, so he is going to the doctors tomorrow and at least then we can treat whatever it is!

OP posts:
Original poster
gingajewel · 03/03/2019 21:03

Terrible pic but I have managed to zoom in on the pic of my oh, any guesses anyone

What is biting me?
OP posts:
Elephantina · 03/03/2019 21:04

Interesting, yes they are kinda big for flea bites but I guess it depends how you react to them - mozzy bites look like that on my DH, he's really allergic.

Good shout from Agnes though, carpet beetle hairs...

Send DH to GP, a fiver says they look it up on Google while he's there. That what they did with my bedbug bites. Grin

Elephantina · 03/03/2019 21:05

That's a bit big for a flea I think?? Hard to tell!

Oldraver · 03/03/2019 21:07

My sister has a dog and she has been round so it could well have transferred like that I suppose

That isnt 'we haven't had any animals in the house' though

Baconislife · 03/03/2019 21:07

This is a picture of bed bug bites

Oldraver · 03/03/2019 21:07

Oh and squash the bug on wet paper towel. With fleas the blood will come out

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