What has bitten me?

[CrazyHorse]

I'm in the UK, so it's nothing exotic. It happened during the night. There are about 10-15 bites altogether.

Googling suggests fleas or bed bugs.

Where are the bites? Do you have pets?

Bed bugs would be my vote if there on exposed skin not covered by night wear

That's the top of my back - some bits are in my body, one is in my knee.

Yes I have cats, so fleas are the most likely culprit, but they were treated with advantage drops last weekend.

I was hoping there was some other biting insect which would have buzzed off, but I'm clutching at straws.

But I don't think it could be bedbugs, because where would they have come from? None of us has slept anywhere other than at home since last summer.

But I don't think it could be bedbugs, because where would they have come from? None of us has slept anywhere other than at home since last summer.

I would say fleas. Have you had a careful look in the cats fur?

Looks like fleas, my feral cat brings them home all the time. We live semi rural and he spends all day chasing wild rabbits etc.

Sudacream is my saviour, indorex spray and flea smoke bombs (you can get them cheep on Amazon) are really effective.

We have to change flea treatment every few months as the buggers become immune.

I am very sensitive to bites so feel your pain

Ps the smoke bombs will also kill bed bugs and ants etc

Have you been outside? There will be biting insects about there too. Fleas tend to bite the leg area

These definitely look like bed bug bites.
My family got them. We hadn't travelled anywhere. I still to this day don't know where they came from.
Check the seams of the beds or the bases/slats. Bed bugs secrete a black looking substance and leave black looking ink dots. You'll need pet control to fumigate your house if it is them. I had all my beds sprayed by rentokill and then again 2 week later and that was the end of it. Also check sofas

Harvest mites?

www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/prevent-treat-chigger-bites#1

Mosquitoes?

Fleas will bite wherever they can get to and you’ll often get a cluster of them-that’s what your photo looks like to me.

My dh leg was covered like this the other night. No chance of bed bugs and we don't have pets but was very warm and all windows were open. Mosquitos 🦟 I would say

I'd wager fleas or mosquitoes. Fleas are the most likely of you have cats but there are bloody millions of mosquitoes about at the moment I got saveged by the buggers today and suspect my arms and neck will look similar to your back tomorrow.

Fleas tend to get you around the ankles - i.e. jumping distance from the floor, I also got some on my arms, but nowhere else.

I'd say bedbugs.

Whichever it is, time to think about cyclical hoovering and tons of indorex.

Fleas tend to get you around the ankles

Yes, but if there’s an exposed bit of you at night-like the OP-they’ll jump to there instead.

Fleas. They tend to bite in clusters like that. The ankle theory only works if you're standing up, they'll go for whichever bit is closest.

I can't find the cats atm to examine them closely- the last time I was bitten my mosquitoes was in Gemany 30 years ago, and I had scars for about 10 years.

Would it be really bad to give them flea collars / another type of flea drops on top of Advantage?

If you accidentally trap a spider under the bed clothes this happens. I hate it. If it's got 2 pricks on each bite it's a spider. If it's one prick could also be a mosquito or midge was trapped in there. You'll know if it's an infestation because it will keep happening, as a one off it's not bed bugs or fleas.

The puncture wound looks like an incisor shape - like a blade? I’m thinking horsefly, but they don’t look big enough.

I think the "puncture wounds" look like that because I scratched it and broken the skin.

Spiders don't bother me, so I'm cool if it is a spider, and I did have to evict one the evening before I was bitten- according to Google it was a bitter, but surely he wouldn't have left a friend behind to bite me?

The fleas probably aren't on the cats if they were treated, it could be that flea eggs have hatched in the carpet/back of the sofa/your pillow, wherever your feline overlords have been sleeping.

The fleas have left the cat after the treatment and are looking to feed off anything available....I.e. you. Which is why you have to treat the house when you treat the cats. (Or they are juvenile fleas just hatched...can't go on the cat as you treated it.)