To not know what is biting me?!

[LeavesAFallin]

On random occasions I seem to get insect bites on me a bit like mosquito bites. We do have a cat but she's always flea treated, doesn't come upstairs anyway and isn't constantly scratching.

I have them on my neck, knee and feet today but only ever me who gets them! I used to get them from work too (office job)

Any ideas? We do have a relatively clean house so it's not like we're breeding all sorts of nasties

I’ve had the same thing this week. 4 bites on my knee/calf and one on my stomach. Cat has been flea treated and is not scratching. The bites are round and quite hard- a bit like mozzie bites on me too. Are mosquitos still active at the moment? I suppose it’s still quite warm and I’m sure I’ve heard one recently.

Not a nice thought, but bed bugs?

I don’t think it’s bed bugs. I checked the bed yesterday and no sign of them. Or at least I hope it’s not or I’ll have to use a flamethrower on the bed.

Gross update- I was hanging the washing outside and saw a bloody flea hopping around my duvet cover! There’s no way it can survive a 60 degree wash so I suspect there may be a bunch of them living in the garden near the washing line. Mystery now solved as to why only I’ve been bitten-I’m the only one who goes near the washing line, and I got bitten on days when I’ve been hanging the washing.

It is definitely fleas, and I have just dealt with this nightmare. We have 5 cats, they are always treated every month and they all get bathed once a month. Several weeks ago, they ALL suddenly had fleas and I almost lost my mind. Being indoor cats, we have no idea how this infestation happened but it did. It seems we have completely eradicated the problem, but it was quite a shock. My home is pretty much always spotless, so I was more than a little upset.

It might be hives and not bites at all.

Are you anywhere near a farm or stable? I've been bitten to bits by stable flies - they look like normal flies but arent. And they are defo biting me cos they leave spots of blood then the bites become very itchy I'm demented

What flea treatment do you use on your cat?

If it's Frontline, then yes, probably fleas. It stopped working on my cat after months without a problem (same time of year too) and we had to switch to a more effective brand.

Mosquitos are still in season, I squished two last night. Aaargh.

Your cat will scratch only if she's allergic to fleas. Flea treatment kills the fleas once they're on the cat and biting them. So you can get fleas that have hitched a lift on the cat and jumped off, or fleas that have hatched from the eggs left by last year's fleas.

My cat was regularly treated, combing showed no sign of flea dirt, and I could have sworn he was free of fleas. But he died a couple of weeks back, and when I went to his cold body for a last cuddle, about 8 fleas transferred themselves to me.

And I'm the only one in this family who gets affected by flea bites.

I got really worried recently about this.

Had bites over a while on ankle, wrist and back. Then I found a mosquito. killed the fucker and no more bites. I was ready to burn the bed thinking it was bed bugs

Are they itchy and small?

Cat is definitely flea free- in my hysteria yesterday I took him to the vet to be checked. She combed him over a white kitchen towel and checked the black dots were not flea dust by putting water on them- apparently they turn red if they’re flea dust. He then got stronghold plussed- he was given stronghold last month so is in date-and he was at another vet earlier in the week for jabs.

MarcieBluebell I’ve heard a suspicious mosquito esque noise a couple of times recently. The bites are itchy, hard and are similar to mosquito bites on me. I just freaked out when I saw that horrid flea. I wish it’d just turn cold so all these horrid insects can go away!

Sounds like fleas. The eggs can drop off and lie around for years? Definitely for months then you switch on central heating, they hatch, flea bonanza. Might be worth getting the house sprayed.

You need an insect repellant - spray yourself and you won't get bitten

And when you defies the cat - do it outside and not in the house

I always get bitten by mosquitoes at this time of year. (Can always remember as it’s my wedding anniversary and I had a massive sodding bite on my arm on wedding day). Like a PP I squashed two massive ones this week. But then I am still sleeping with the windows open and live by water.

I see you've got a spot on for the cat now but we went for the program jab after a recurrent infestation last year despite regular frontline/various other spot on dosing. Not sure if it was the little feckers licking it off each other or because they're in and out the whole time and it was washing off or simply resistance, but it was miserable.

The program jab lasts for 6 months and effectively puts any fleas they pick up from outside on the pill, so you might have A flea on them, but it can't breed so no infestation and the flea will just die naturally, or you can just do as we do and give them a dose of flea tablets regularly which actively kill any fleas that bite them - so no eggs from the program and no adults from the tablets. Not had a flea since, and it's very convenient only needing to bring them in every six months.

I know there are vet prescription spot ons which are meant to work, but just in case the hassle and the ££ is too much thought I'd suggest an alternative!

Oh and for the house, get Indorex spray, it's the business!

pandarific

The fleas on in the garden not the house or the cat

I had the same issue, went on for ages. Had the whole house flea-treated, didn’t help. Turned out the little buggers were in the floor-mats of our car!!

Oops! Indorex in the garden then?