Insect bites overnight

[judeinsussex]

I am currently waking up to find about 8 - 10 new insect bites daily. They are red, painful and sometimes blister and weep. I've never experienced this before - not in such quantity anyway. I have a small dog and have checked her for fleas but she is clear of them. She always gets treated with Advocate every other month anyway, just in case. Please can anyone say what might be causing these and the best way to treat them and stop them. I've looked up bed bugs (horror of horrors!)but I don't seem to be able to see anything at all relating to them. I've not been overseas lately or brought anything new in to the house (by that I mean antique as I've read that older furniture could harbour them). I change the bedding on a very regular basis and everything else I can think of. Lulu (my little dog) has her own set of towels of course and has her own bedding (she's not allowed to sleep with me overnight). Please could someone suggest what is causing this awful invasion of my skin and what might be the cause, what I should do, and the best way to clear up the bites. I'm now thinking of rubbing myself with repellant each night. I live in the UK (not the tropics and not near any rivers) so find this sort of thing very unusual, unpleasant and very stressful. Its not even hot here yet so don't sit out in the garden during the evening where I know that I could attract mosies and the like. I do hope that someone may be able to help as I am getting desperate. Thank you.

Bed 🐜

shudder

do you feel them bite? Bed bugs are tiny little prickles when they bite.

Try this, lie down in bed in dark ( with radio on, can be long and boring) have one hand on light switch and one hand with piece of cellotape ready, wait for a tiny prickle.

Immediately turn light on, fling cover back and look at prickle area and cellotape on anything that moves

it there is a bed bug there, you are likely to catch it, they are very much slower than fleas.

Thank you for your reply. Its a good suggestion of staying awake to find out if I feel them bite or not and I will certainly give it a try. So far, I haven't noticed the actual bite - just the red, itchy and sometimes painful, mark the following day.

When was the last Advocate treatment? I think it only lasts a month and needs to be used per the directions for full coverage. If the dog gets fleas in the month off, they could easily cause an infestation in your home and be biting you too.

Otherwise mosquitos? I think I had one or two in my bedroom a couple of years ago that would feast on me for multiple nights in a row.

Hopefully not the dreaded bed bugs.

If you were getting that many bites per night for bed bugs you would see evidence of them too. Most notably blood spots on the sheets.

We experienced something similar at our old house but it was near water. About this time every year but to differing degrees. Pretty sure we had some sort of flying insect coming in through the windows but must have been small as we never spotted them.

Fly paper next to a light might be an option. For identification at least.

Her last treatment was about a week ago, after she had her bath. I have looked for fleas on her as she is groomed every other day (she's a long haired breed) so I think that I would have seen the fleas if there were any there. I've also washed the throws which I keep on the sofa as she joints me there in the evening when I watch TV. I've got a newly washed throw to go on there now so will strip the old one off. I can also start to use the Advocate monthly as you suggest, just to be sure.
I would rather fleas than bed bugs but cannot for one minute think how bed bugs would have got in here to the house!
Thank you.

Advocate only lasts four weeks so it may be time to re-treat your dog. You say she doesn't sleep with you but if she goes into the bedroom at other times she could be shedding fleas or their larvae.

It could also be mosquitoes or gnats, it's the time of year for those. You can help to keep them out by keeping your windows closed at dusk/night time.

Speak to your vet about changing treatment in case they are resistant to Advocate.
Youtube for videos on finding bed bugs

Where in the UK are you? Southern counties, London? Parts of London have a nasty mosquito problem (including tiger mozzies) and the season starts very early plus isn't confined to dusk.
Otherwise anti histamine for you will make it a bit more bearable

White sheets will make them Easier to spot.

Rentokil if all else fails. Fleas are v difficult to get rid of

Sleep somewhere different in the house tonight & see if 10 new bites appear.

I take about 12 hours to respond to midge bites, so it would seem like they came up overnight when they actually happened the day before.

Yes, fly paper next to a light seems a very good idea too and I will get some tomorrow.
Thank you for the suggestion.

I and a friend have just stripped back the bed and done a thorough search of everything and along the seams of the mattress etc.. There were no marks at all or evidence of bugs. I will search out a long sleeved top to wear in bed tonight and tomorrow will go to hardware shop to get some sticky fly paper. I will also look for my insect repellant.
Thank you for all the suggestions. I will report back.

I live in Southern Counties but thought that it was too early for mosquitoes? I seem to remember that when on holiday overseas they do tend to get me but never to this extent. I hadn't heard of the giant variety.

I think that the problem is now solved. This morning I went out into the garden (very early) and came face to face with a swarm of gnats, around my back door. They were very small so not possible to see them at night, when I always go out into the garden last thing to take my dog outside. If they landed on me at that time, then I wouldn't see them. I have purchased some heavy duty repellant and also the fly paper. I didn't know that gnats could cause such painful bites.
Thanks for all your helpful suggestions, but I think that problem now solved.

That's a relief and certainly preferable to an infestation!