Bugs which bite

Mites are small arthropods with eight legs, more closely related to spiders than insects. Several mite species can be found in homes and offices. Some are associated with stored foods, such as grain, cheese, and flour mites. These are most commonly found in food storage areas with high humidities. Others, like bird and rodent mites, are found in buildings with bird or rodent infestations see factsheet. Bird and rodent mites, like the northern fowl mite, house mouse mite, and tropical rat mite, are among the most common culprits in difficult-to-diagnose arthropod infestations.

These mites live in bird and rodent nests. Although these mites occasionally bite humans, they do not feed, nor can they successfully survive or reproduce, without their natural hosts. The most effective method for eliminating such mite infestations is to control and remove any rodents e. This is best accomplished with the help of a professional pest control company familiar with control of these pests. Once the hosts of these mites are eliminated, insecticidal sprays can be used by a professional pest control operator to reduce any residual mite populations.

Only two kinds of mites actually live and feed in human skin: the scabies mite and the hair follicle mite. Of the two, only the scabies mite commonly causes bites or itching. Scabies must be diagnosed by a physician, usually via scrapings from the skin. Treatment consists of various prescription medicated creams and ointments. Hair follicle mites are harmless, though may be associated in some individuals with a type of acne.

Follicle mites can be found in the skin of most adult humans. Dust mites are found in homes nearly everywhere but do not bite or feed on people. Dust mites feed on human and pet dander, especially where it accumulates in beds and upholstered furniture. When dust mite numbers in a home are high, tiny, airborne fragments of the mites and their feces become part of the house dust hence the name. Some people develop allergies to the dust mite proteins in house dust.

Reducing indoor humidity, maintaining clean air filters and vacuuming furniture regularly with a HEPA-filtered vacuum can help reduce dust mite allergens in homes. When all attempts to identify a biting arthropod fails, or when a description of the affliction fails to fit the criteria of any known parasitic arthropod, there must be an alternative explanation.

A variety of environmental factors, for example, can produce the false perception of insect bites. Medical conditions including anemia, diabetes, liver disease, lupus, uremia, hyperthyroidism, lymphoma, and others can cause perceptions of parasitosis, dermatitis or hives.

In addition, certain medications can cause unusual skin sensations and itching. Changes in medication can cause a variety of novel side effects that mimic parasitosis. Prolonged exposure to solvents, such as those used in cosmetology, furniture refinishing, painting or other hobby uses, may result in neurological damage, liver and kidney damage and dermatitis symptoms.

Enzyme-based detergents, fabric softeners, soaps, creams, makeup, deodorants, perfumes and other toiletries may have ingredients that can cause skin sensations or skin reactions that can be mistaken for insect bites. House plants, cold water vaporizers, humidifiers, and dirty air vents can be sources of airborne mold spores, mildews, and bacteria that could cause skin reactions.

High indoor humidity combined with dust and dander accumulations in furniture can support populations of house dust mites.

Allergies due to pollen, molds and mildews and cockroach infestations can cause skin sensations and reactions that can be mistaken for insect bites. Also, weather with lower humidity, such as during the winter months, can increase static electricity in a home or office environment. Read more about horsefly bites. Bite Appearance: Bites in pubic hair, armpit, or eyebrow.

Bluish-grey skin reactions sores and a small red bump. Bite Symptoms: Itching that often gets worse at night. Tiny white eggs called nits may be found in hair. Notes: Itching may start soon after getting bitten or it may not start for up to weeks after contact. Read more about lice bites , including head lice and body lice. Call Residential Commercial. Bed Bug Bite Bed Bugs Bite Appearance: Red welts small, flat or raised , swelling, red rash, or bites can appear in tight lines of multiple, small, red marks.

Sting Symptoms: Burning, stinging sensation. Fleas Flea Bite Bite Appearance: Red spots surrounded by reddened halos, often found on legs and feet.

Bite Symptoms: Very itchy. Bite Symptoms: Painful bites, soreness, and itchiness. Tiny white eggs called nits may be found in hair Notes: Itching may start soon after getting bitten or it may not start for up to weeks after contact. Connect with Us Our customer care team is available for you 24 hours a day.

Up to 30, cases of Lyme disease are reported each year in the United States. You may also have fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint aches, as well as irregular heart rhythms. But 20 to 30 percent of people who get infected never develop a rash. Symptoms such as swollen or painful joints, memory loss , or other autoimmune responses that mimic those of other diseases may present themselves when Lyme disease is in its advanced stages.

A diagnosis may remain elusive because many doctors will not initially equate these nonspecific symptoms with Lyme disease. Rocky Mountain spotted fever from a tick bite is rare, with about 2, cases per year in the United States. It causes a fever, a headache, muscle aches, and a skin rash. The rash of pinpoint red spots begins on the ankles and wrists after a few days of fever, but later the rash spreads to the rest of the body; in some people, a rash never develops. Although this infection can be severe — and even fatal — it is preventable and can be successfully treated with prompt medical care, according to the CDC.

Another type of tick to avoid is the lone star tick. It can transmit several viruses, the CDC notes. Symptoms of flea bites may begin within hours after you're bitten, and the bites tend to appear in groups of three or four. You may notice itching, hives, and swelling around an injury or sore, or a rash of small, red bumps that may or may not bleed. Flea bites are most common on your ankles and legs, but may also appear in your armpits, around your waist, and in the bends of your knees and elbows.

A flea-bite rash turns white when you press on it and tends to get larger or spread over time. Scratching the rash can lead to a skin infection, according to the NIH National Library of Medicine , and may need medical attention. In extremely rare cases, fleas are infected with the bacteria that causes plague.

The disease can spread from wild rodents to pets and people. Over the past 10 years, as few as 1 and as many as 17 cases of plague were reported in the United States, according to the CDC , most in the rural West. Symptoms of plague include swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, and chills that appear from one to six days after the bite.

Beestings cause a sharp pain that may continue for a few minutes, then fade to a dull, aching feeling. The area may still feel sore to the touch a few days later. A red skin bump with white around it may appear around the site of the sting, and the area may itch and feel hot to the touch. If you've been stung by a bee before, your body may also have an immune response to the venom in the sting, resulting in swelling where the sting occurred or in an entire area of your body, including your throat and lungs.

If you have this type of allergic response, called anaphylaxis , it is a medical emergency that needs treatment immediately. Symptoms of a severe allergy to a beesting include hives, swelling, trouble breathing, dizziness, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, and even cardiac arrest. Lice bites are tiny red spots on the shoulders, neck, and scalp from small parasitic insects that can live on your clothes or in your bedding.

Some people may develop a larger, uncomfortable skin rash from lice bites. Continual scratching of the itchy spots could lead to an infection, marked by symptoms including swollen lymph nodes and tender, red skin. An infected lice bite may also ooze and crust over; it will need to be treated by a doctor, but lice are not known to carry other diseases. Ant bites and stings are typically painful and cause red skin bumps.

Some types of ants, like fire ants, are venomous, and their bites can cause a severe allergic reaction. Fire ants bite first to hold on and then sting, giving a sharp pain and a burning sensation.

If you're bitten by fire ants , you may see white, fluid-filled pustules or blisters pictured a day or two after the sting. These last three to eight days and may cause scars. The bumps may also be itchy and red, and you may have swelling around the site.

It's important not to scratch or break open the blisters because they can become infected, notes the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Carpenter ant bites are also painful because they spray formic acid into the bite, which causes a burning feeling. Mites do not usually spread disease, but their bites can irritate the skin and cause intense itching. Itch mites usually feed on insects but will bite other animals, including people.

The bites usually go unnoticed until itchy, red marks develop that may look like a skin rash. Chiggers are a form of mite that inject their saliva so that they can liquefy and eat skin.

In response to a chigger bite , the skin around the bite hardens. The surrounding skin becomes irritated and inflamed pictured , and an itchy red welt develops. Mites also cause the condition called scabies , which is contagious from person to person, notes the CDC.

Female scabies mites burrow into the skin to lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae come to the skin's surface. They begin to molt and then burrow back into the skin to feed.