Insect Bites – ID Help
A large number of visitors that have contributed pictures of insect bites but are not sure exactly what bit them; if you have been bitten, but are not sure by what, then this page is for you.
If you have been bitten and would like help identifying the insect, please take photos and post them here for everyone to view. Without pictures of insect bites it is very hard to determine the insect.
If you have been bitten by a spider, but are not sure what type of spider, then please post your questions and photos on this spider bite page.
Please send photos of insect bites to jim@badspiderbites.com and I will make sure they get posted for everyone to see.
Of all the posts about bites on this site, the following tips seem to be repeated throughout, no matter what type of insect bite it may be.
* Do not pop the bite to get pus out.
* Do not wait to go to the doctor, a few days can do incredible damage!
* Capture the insect that bit you if possible.
Written by Jim on August 3rd, 2007 with
605 comments.
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I have a bite on my belly blow my navel and towards one side. Two days ago I thought it was a chigger bite because it itched and is where my jeans fit tightly. When I finally looked at it yesterday I was quite surprised. It is pink in the middle, about .6 inches across, with a white ring around that, about an inch in diameter. Radiating from the white ring are four bruised looking areas, about 3 inches from one edge to the other. Today it appears that there are 2 or 3 little punctures in my skin. (It is hard to see well because of where the bite is, and I am alone, so can’t get someone else to look right now.) The area does not hurt, the center just itches. More pictures of spider bites, please! I’ll call the emergency room. (Austin, Texas area.)
i have a bite on my back that I noticed about 4 days ago. The itch and redness is not going away. Oddly enough, about 4 days prior to my knowledge of a bite, I had a terrible headache and my backached in the same area of the now noticable bite,for two days. The bite is about 3″long and 1″deep. Afterlooking at the websight, I am sure I have a spider bite or two or three. My ribs on that same side have been sore as well. Yikes, maybe I should see a doctor. (Overland Park, KS)
Bitten early Feb. 2007, outside of left knee, wearing jeans, working in garage. Initial bite looked like fire ant bite, dime-sized white pustle with red ring around it. Never felt the bite, just itched like crazy. Bright red, burned,sore, dried, itched, peeled from inside out like a flower. Grew to the size of a silver dollar. Continued to burn, dry out, peel and itch.
It’s now 10 weeks, site is now about the size of a quarter. Used rubbing alcohol morning/night and Aquaphor to control itching. Experienced extreme weakness in my knees, fatigue and numbness in both hands.
Would love to see more pictures of initial bites to I.D. this.
I was doing some work at a garage in the country today and when I returned home this evening I noticed six sites on my back near my shoulder. Each site looked like a bruise in the center about 1/2 inch across and out around that bruise about 1 1/2 inches in diameter was a faint red ring around each bruise site. Can anyone tell me if these might be spider bites and what kind?
Thanks
Ted
I was bit on the knee and the back of my thigh. at first the bite looked like a ant bite so it just itched then it started to look like a pimple it started to trun red and the mucle around became hard an it had so much pain it got to were i could not move leg. My mother told me to burn a niddle and pirce the center or just remove the head and squezze the pus out of it. I then put some neosporin on it which help and now it gone. but still would like to see more pitcures of bites
hi there, 2 days ago i was bitten by somrthing i don’t know what but i suspect it was aspider it is on my right hip about the diameter of a soft ball it itches very badly it even feels hot to the touch. I hve been feeling vry diszzey and have had bad headaches i would like to see some pictures of more spider bites to compare my too if you can help mr please do. thanks sincerly
Woke up one morning with three small red spots on my head. the tree red spots turned into three scabs and then disappeared completely. However, I have been exhibiting pain for the last three months. Like to know if this could be a spider bite.
daughter and I were both bitten, her on the back and leg , .. me on the bum haha, but no this was super painful, red swollen the siMyze of a sand dollar I had 3 huge ones then 5 small ones. The small ones resembled fire ant bites the big ones take a day or two , then they are at the full size. You can feel a hard sac of pus wich usually starts coming out on day 5 or six. Its more pus than I have ever seen thick and yellow with blood.. My sister gave me neem and emu salve to put on it, and that night I put some on with a bandage, over night the swelling went down by half, so I will continue to use this on both my daughter and I . I hope to speed the healing process : )We think it might have been a jumping spider, since this morning one jumped on the counter in front of us, it was small kind of brownish yellow , def a baby…So there is more.They got us at night in our beds. Still trying to fing out for sure what it was ….
I was bitten by something on April 9th. I went to my doctor who thought it was ringworm. It didn’t respond to antifungal medication. I went to Quickcare who gave me oral antibiotics, an antibiotic cream and it didn’t get better.
My family got me into another doc who prescribed very strong antibiotics and steroid cream. It was better and just one day before the meds were done, I got so sick. I felt like my body was breaking in two, I hurt so bad. I didn’t take the last days worth and by then, the bite was looking good. It was just a faint round red spot, where before was an oozing angry red spot that got bigger.
Today, it is oozing again or at least with lesions and I ache but not as bad. I went to Quick care again and suggested perhaps Lymes Disease, maybe from a bite by a deer tick, but the doc in Q.C. said he is referring me to a dermatologist.
It sounds like that is a waste of time.
What do you think?
Awoke to find large, silver dollar size (now soft ball size) one/each thigh. Very red and hot. So far, no other symptoms; i.e., fatigue, etc. mentioned above. Took a Benadryl but did not help much. Today, tried a baking soda paste. Live in TX where it is quite “buggy”. Came here from CA, where I seldom saw a bug except small ants in the Fall.
I have a real aversion to bugs. Orkin tells us that we are the only family that has monthly spraying. I know that it is not environmentally correct, but …
Hello, i have a bite on my right hand that is red,dark area in middle of reddness. The red as spread up my arm to the elbow area. I noticed red area,I didnt feel anything bite me and dont know for sure if its a sprider. Im taking medication 4 times a day,no change at this time. The doctor advised if blackness notice report back. My hand and arm is very sore. I hope it goes away soon.
My son is on his way to the emergency room. Has a small pinhole bite on his thumb. No pain at first, swelled up, he pierced a puslike pimple and pus and blood oozed out. He now is having severe pain in his muscles up his arm and elbow. Can anyone relate to this. Thanks
Dealing with the one lady with the white ring around it, to me that sounds like it could be a nice size ring worm. My granddaughter had one on her thigh. We took her to the doctor and he confirmed that it was a ring worm.
As for myself, I was always getting bit by spiders because I work out in my yard. I am just trying to help when I say don’t wait around to see whats gone to happen with these spider bites. Get in and see your doctor as soon as you can.
Thank you for your time. Please don’t wait around!! Go be seen by your doctor.
I woke up 2 days ago to my right eye almost swollen shut. I just thought it was allergies but during the day it started to itch, burn and turn red. I went to the E.R. and they said it was conjunctivitis and gave me an antibiotic, however there were visible small dark bite marks in the center of my eye lid. Yesterday I went in to see the eye Dr. He said it was possibly an allergic reaction to a bite, He recommended ice compress and gave me a script for a allergy eyedrop. I am convinced its a spider bite.
Last Saturday morning I was working in my yard. After a while my leg began to itch and I looked to see if I had been bitten by a mosquito. All I saw was a blood spot. It continued to itch for most of the day. By Sunday morning, it was still itching and I noticed what I thought were two small punctures. Later that day, I noticed some fairly small blisters. By Sunday evening I had a blister the size of a small birds egg.
I went to Urgent Care, but was told they woldn’t do anything for it as it could possibly become infected. It was larger on Monday, so I went to my family doctor and was told the same thing. The blister is very yellow, with what appears to be something white floating in the serum. There is erythema around the bite, which appeared to be fairly warm on Sunday and Monday, but is cooler today. Anybody else had the same experience.
I live in Eugene, Oregon and have very fast black spider (hundreds) scurrying in my flower beds which have old bark dust and I see them going into cracks in the ground. Also have spiders in the same area that are light brown with a white rear end in the flower beds.
Thanks.
I have the same exact bite as the lady from middle Tennesee (Terry) and I was bitten June 23rd. I now have a pimple like cyst and it is rimmed with a 1″ red circle. It itches and burns. Can you tell me if I should see a physician?
My wife and son were recently biten by somthing as they took their naps the other day. My son who is 4 1/2 was bitten on the back 3 times all close together. My wife was bitten on her waist 2 times. Looks almost like a bed bug bite only not as large of a welt.
We live in central Ohio and this happened in an air conditioned bedroom. Can anyone tell us what is doing this ?
Thanks,
Dennis E.
I work around lot of boxes and coffee and recently I have been feeling sick and dizzy and then I notice several bites on my behind area only because it became very sore. Now there are knots and they hurt so bad.
I been trying to doctor them myself using alochol, campho-phenique but nothing is working. I am still feeling sick and not sure if it’s spider bites or not, but I’m going to the doctor in the morning and I will be gladly to tell you what they say.
I’m in a lot of pain!
I didn’t descibe the knots (bumps) and they are red, hard and very sore to the touch. These bites are the size of a dime and located right next to each other. I tried to bust one but it made it worst and more sore. I then put hot water on the bite and it made it feel a tad bit better, but just for a minute and then the pain was back.
I would like to see more pics of bites by different spiders because it will make it much easier to know if you were bitten by one or not.
Please make this easier because I am affraid my doctor will just say it’s an insect bite and give antibotics without regard to the type of spider bite. So we can prevent our family from getting bitten if we can by what we learn about spiders bites.
Thanks!
Hey there,
Ok- I just moved into a new apartment, not too shabby of a place but SUPER bright which attracts all kinds of bugs, most notably spiders. I woke up two days ago with a monster zit, at least that’s what I thought it was. It REALLY hurt, but zits can do that… I work at a hospital doing research, and really started to notice that something wasn’t right….
First, when I lean my head to the left (the side of the bite), it throbs and pulses, resulting in extreme pain.
My first notion–get the venom or whatever it is out… but it didn’t work. There is a hard knot within the lump.
The tissue has started to necrose. When I washed my makeup off today it started to bleed, and bleed, and bleed and would not stop… I forced more blood out, hoping to wick the infection… it didn’t stop.
I finally used intense pressure.
I am not sure what bit me… or what it is…
I don’t want to go see a doctor because I work with them and if it was a zit I would NEVER hear the end of it…
What to do?
I noticed a dime size red spot on my buttock 4-5 days ago. On the second day, there were 6 tiny pus postules that appeared. The red spot has not grown any larger and it doesn’t itch.
Today there are 3 little pus postules–not 6 any longer—and they are a little bigger but not much. I’ve had no symptoms of which I’m aware.
Is this a spider bite?
I reside in southeastern Tennessee and was bitten yesterday at work while talking in the parking lot with friends. I thought it was a sweat bee (?) sting. It was extremely painful at the time of the bite/sting and I was jumping and yelling very lady-like epithets. Within 10 minutes the area (tendon on the back of the knee) was swelling and getting red.
I met my husband for lunch and by the time lunch was finished my leg was stiffening horribly and in intense pain. I thought I was having an allergic reaction to a bee, which I have never had, but I was told as you get older you may become allergic… I took benadryl and propped up the leg, but it continued to get progressively worse.
A friend mentioned a spider bite. (We are both avid gardeners) and I used your handy-dandy web-site to confirm. The bite-site was identical to the diagram that you have and by this point the swelling had gone all the way to my ankle (which became a cankle!).
My husband took me to the emergency room and the Dr. said it was indeed reacting like a brown recluse spider. I got a hormone shot, more benadryl and pain reliever. Today, the redness is for the most part gone, but I have a dark purple blotch about 3-4 inches across my calf, I am still in pain but I feel much better having done something about it.
All you have to do is look at one of the recluse wounds to know that you don’t want that to happen to you!
For all of you that have written saying you think you have a bite, what are you waiting for? GO, GO, GO!
I got bit by something in the woods. The center looks like a blister and it has a red ring around it. Does any spider outher than a Recluse give this kind of reaction?
My wife slept on a sleeping bag from the attic in Wisconsin and got bit on her leg. She felt bad cramps all through her leg throughout the day, no swelling noticed, fifty-cent piece black/blue mark around the bite, large fang holes present in the center of the black/blue that were red around each one. No discharge from the holes or blisters. In about a week the marks disappeared. Any ideas????
Hi, this is for Deanna
It sounds like you may have been bitten by a tick which are all over the Midwest and the U.S. in general. You may need one or several courses of antibiotics to rid your body of the infection — it can cause severe fatigue, headaches, arthritis-like symptoms, heart/lung weakness and the list goes on. There is some good information (and also some pictures) online about Lyme Disease, you may need to find a Doctor that specializes in it to rid yourself of this. Also, there are other nasty infections that you can get from ticks that may also need to be treated, since you could have these at the same time.
Hey! I like the site! I just woke up and i noticed my left thumb nuckle had a swollen little bite on it, it had two white spots (fang marks i think) so i squeezed it and clear stuff has been coming out. on the same hand there is the same bite on the other side (on my palm area but still on my thumb nuckle). It hurts and there are two distinct fang marks in each. They hurt. Someone please write to me on this and let me know what you think it is Thanks!
On 7/9 noticed several bites on my thigh and back of knee. Two had bullseye look but others were hard and itchy. The next day I noticed one with bullseye was starting to get very itchy, hard and redness was spreading in a circular pattern. By 7/10 the other bullseye bite was behaving the same.
I went to the doctor where I was told I was probably having allergic reaction to spider or tick bite (although I never found evidence of tick) and to treat area with icepack, antibiotic ointment and anti-itch ointment (itching was much worse than mosquito bite). Today, the swelling and redness are beginning to dissipate and itching is not quite as bad.
I have an order for a blood test for Lyme Disease but advised to wait 4 weeks before having it done as it usually takes a while for Lyme antibodies to build up. I work in the garden every day and our area is wooded and frequented by deer. My next door neighbor has had Lyme Disease twice in past 7 years.
I would advise anyone with anything that behaves worse than usual mosquito bite to get checked at a medical clinic or doctor’s office.
I was blackcap picking (wild black berries in Michigan) when I returned home later n the evening covered in notes and scratches. The next morning I awoke to a large swollen red hard spot on my lower left leg. It appeared to have a bite in the center of it (a large spot)
A day or two later it began to ooze a clear liquid which lasted almost a week, as it oozed a rash appeared around the area, then other spots around my legs appeared mainly on my feet and legs, a spot behind my right knee that looks like a burn. All are itchey the original spot especially and the skin lookes wrinkly and dry.
The doctor gave me hydrocordizone cream and said it was probably a spider bite that was aweek after it happened. Now its been two weeks and I am still extremely itchy. Although it seems to be getting better it is still itchy and painful.
What Could It be??????
Please help I am desperate for answers!!!!!!!
I have bite on my leg and went to the emergency room and they said they don’t know what it is. It started out looking like a masquito bite but feeling like a splinter in the back of my leg. The next day it was a little bit bigger and felt like I had a thumb tack sticking into my leg. The following day, it was about the size of a lemon, and felt like someone had a small screwdriver and was digging it into my leg.
Today, I can hardly walk and it is about the size of as baseball. The bite is DRIVING ME CRAZY. I am on antibiotics and pain pills seems like they are not helping.
IT HURTS!
I recently had 8 bites around my knee. I was wearing long pants. Each appeared as two small pustules. Here is a photograph of 5 of the bites taken about 2 days after they first appeared.
Are these spider bites? I assumed they were because they did not itch as a mosquito bite would, and the two little pustules are all about 2 mm apart. Fortunately they do not seem to be getting necrotic.
One of my friends was bitten by something and we dont know what it is. He says, the bite is swollen, turning black, and he’s veins are bulging. There’s also throbbing and it hurts a little and there was a big brown stinger like thing sticking out and it was curved. ans about a guarter inch long. Please give me feed back on what this maybe!
Possible spider bite? Anyone have any ideas? Or
treatment? If so, please post!
On Tuesday (7/17) afternoon I had an itchy spot on my hip that I thought nothing of. I didn’t see much there, thought perhaps it was a tiny mosquito or other bug bite. I also had swollen glands on my neck – when I turned my head sideways I could feel a lump – but chalked it up to allergies, which have been bad this week.
By Wednesday (7/18) night the itchy spot was no longer itchy but was hurting painfully enough that leaning or pressing on it was very uncomfortable. It had a little bit of what looked like a bluish bruise. I also had an allergic reaction to a medicine I noticed around 10 pm that night.
I had been put on it about a week prior and the doctor told me to watch for a rash and told me that particular medication is known ‘in rare cases’ to cause Stevens-Johnson syndrome (’a painful red or purplish rash that spreads and blisters, eventually causing the top layer of your skin to die and shed…) that can lead to toxic epidermal necrolysis (a life-threatening, and usually drug-induced, dermatological condition. It is characterized by the detachment of the top layer of skin, (epidermis) from the lowers layer of the skin (dermis) all over the body.’) and if I get the rash to see a doctor immediately.
The medicine’s website said, ‘It is not possible to predict whether a mild rash will develop into a more serious reaction. Therefore, if you experience a skin rash, hives, fever, swollen lymph glands, painful sores in the mouth or around the eyes, or swelling of lips or tongue, tell a doctor immediately, since these symptoms may be the first signs of a serious reaction.‘ At 10:00 p.m. I only had hives, but by 11:00 p.m. I had a sunburn-like rash which also had small white spots from about my waist to my knees, plus I also had the swollen glands, so I went to the ER. They gave me a shot of Benadryl for the itching, which helped (but also put me promptly to sleep). I mentioned that spot was hurting but they didn’t pay attention to it.
Thursday morning (7/19) – The redness on my trunk and legs was gone and the painful spot just looked like a blue bruise, but by Thursday afternoon the area of redness around it had enlarged and there were a few places that looked like the skin was breaking down some and there was one section that looked like a flattish blister which then later wept a little bit. The sunburn-looking rash and hives were also back. I went to my family doctor, who said that she doesn’t think I have the SJS (thank you, God!) and that spot looks like an insect, probably spider, bite, and that I was having a separate issue with the allergic reaction to the medicine. She gave me a shot of a steroid (decadron), which took away the hives and redness.
Friday morning (7/20) – The glands are no longer swollen (I am so happy – I hate that feeling when I turn my head) – and the area of redness is still larger and there are more areas that are blistered and pus-filled. You can still sort of see the bruised-looking area in the center. I will not pop the blisters – it still hurts a lot – I can’t even sleep on that side. I am just keeping gauze on it. I have included the pictures below.
Friday evening (7/20) – During the day at work it oozed some and I had to change the gauze. The areas that were blistered this morning are sort of raw and there are new blisters. The blue/gray color below is expanding.
I’ve looked at a lot of websites and this looks like a brown recluse spider bite, and there’s nothing I can do about it, and all that blue/gray skin is going to die. It makes me sick to think about it.
“Central blistering with a surrounding gray to purple discoloration at the bite site may appear. The site is surrounded by a ring of blanched skin that in turn is surrounded by a large area of redness, producing the “red, white, and blue” sign typical of a brown recluse spider bite.” – acponline.org/bioterro/anthrax/brownrec_spid.htm
“Blisters frequently appear at the bite site, accompanied by severe pain and pronounced swelling. A common expression is the formation of a reddish blister, surrounded by a bluish area, with a narrow whitish separation between the red and blue, giving a “bull’s-eye” pattern. By 12 to 24 hours, it is usually apparent if a Loxosceles wound is going to become necrotic because it turns purple in color; if necrotic symptoms do not express by 48 to 96 hours, then they will not develop. If the skin turns purple, it will then turn black as cells die. Eventually the necrotic core falls away, leaving a deep pit that gradually fills with scar tissue.” creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/spiders/brown_recluse_spider.htm
“Most bites are uneventful. A minority develop the dermonecrosis that has made the spider famous. In these cases, a bluish sinking patch with ragged edges and a surrounding redness appears within 24 to 72 hours, says William V. Stoecker, MD. He described clinical aspects at an arachnidism symposium that Vetter organized as part of June’s American Arachnological Society meeting. This is the “red, white and blue sign.” Bruising may spread along lymphatics, or with gravity. Often there is a central blister.” ama-assn.org/amednews/site/free/hlsa0805.htm
Saturday (7/21) It is still very painful… I can’t wear jeans because it rubs. I forgot to take a picture today. lol
Sunday (7/22) Today is the worst pain so far. I did nothing much but lay on the couch all day because moving around makes it hurt worse. I did get up to make dinner and had to lay back down immediately afterwards. My glands are a tiny bit swollen again – just enough that I can feel them when I turn my head.
Monday (7/23) – It still hurts today, but not like it did yesterday, thank God! The surrounding redness seems to be expanding, and the gray area is getting darker. Blisters keep forming, popping, and re-forming.
I went back to the doctor this morning and she put me on Prednisone (steroid) for 5 days and gave me a painkiller called Ultram. She said it “looks good” for a brown recluse bite but of course to me it looks HORRIBLE. She said there is no secondary infection and that the redness is just part of the reaction to the spider venom. There’s nothing I can do further, just keep it clean and covered, and leave it open to the air a few hours a day. She wants to see it again in a week.
And here is a picture of the Brown Recluse Spider Bite with a penny for size comparison.
Below are photos of my sons insect bite from 4 days ago and today. It looks a lot like the ones posted on this spider bite page. The doctor put him on 2 antibiotics and a topical cream, plus he cleans the area 3 times daily and puts on a bandage.
My son was bitten during a birthday party outside on Saturday, and this photo was taken 4 days later, and I have my fingers in the photo to show the scale. The redness on his leg was about 2-3″ in diameter, and very tender. The inside where the bite was is looking darker than in the beginning. Originally it looked like a huge pimple, now the infected area is starting to blacken and crust up. I hope it starts to ooze so that the bacteria comes out of the site and not into the system.
We do not know what type insect bite it was exactly, but the boys were playing outside in the bushes and he does not remember getting bitten. We have had a lot of bites so we think this was a spider and not another insect
because it has gotten worse over time, and not better. Here are the pictures of the insect bites.
The doctor is worried about the flesh eating disease (which is prevalent in some hospitals, so she gave him TWO antibiotics). He is now on 2 antibiotic pills and bactroban on the skin. The doctor does not want the infection to spread.
I will let you know how it looks in a few days. We are thankful it is not worse.
We thank the Lord for HIS blessings and medical care.
I live in Ashville, Alabama and Sunday July 15th I was outside working in the yard later took a shower that evening and felt some discomfort on the back of my thigh. I didn’t really think much of it just thought that an ant or some insect bit me so just blew it off and put neosporin on a band-aid and went to sleep.
The next day I had to do some running around and just kept a band-aid on the area. By that afternoon the insect bite was red and irritated so I had my sister look at it for me. I have looked on several web sites and didn’t find much information, some say go to the doctor while others say it will take care of itself.
Well its been 6 days total since the bite and it is getting worse, now then hole is getting bigger and the area around it is really sore. My sister-in-law had some kind of a bite last year and her doc. said to put meat tenderizer on the area well I did that last night (I’m about ready to try anything) and this morning I can’t really walk on it. If you have any advice please let me know!
Here is a picture of the insect bite.
Thanks,
In need of help,
Samantha
My son was bitten at a youth gathering and this is what his bite looks like. Dr’s are baffled. We have since found 3 other youth leaders that have exact same symptoms and bites. Any ideas?
The pictures are
1) a couple of days into the bite
2) about a week after the bite
3) about 10 days after the bite
–Melanie K.
South Jordan, UT
Update: 07/22/07
This actually ended up being tularemia. There were 6 people from the same camp that tested positive for it. So, it was a bite, but with a little more behind it. My son has been in the hospital twice and is now receiving iv treatments of gentamyacin 3 times a day. After 3 weeks of being sick, he is starting to perk up a bit.
Melanie
I put fresh pulp from my aliva plant as soon as I relize that I have a bit. It stops the itching and some times the swelling. I got a insect bite that looked like 2 small donuts. Within 24 hours they had become one. I dont have a picture of the insect bite, but within two days it is all red around the outside and white over the rest. I have been keeping it bite clean and coverd. This morning the bandaid had blood on it. I am from Gibsonton, Florida.
The insect bite photos have helped me quit a bit. I now know that what I thought was bug bite is actley more like a spider bite. No matter how much I clean they seem to be back the next couple of days.
It started off looking like just a mosquito bite, so I figured that was what it was. Its now grown into what seems like a large hard lump…its on my upper leg/thigh area. It seems to be continuing to grow / swell. It’s very painful noticable that there’s some kind of infection inside of it
I’ve begin taking hot baths in hopes to “open it up” and get more of the infection out. I’ve been told by others that it sounds like a spider bite, and though I’ve never had one, that was my initial thought as well after the swelling and pain began.
Any help or ideas on what exactly what type of bite it is and how to make it better =) I can barely sit down =(
I’m not sure what insect bit me but it itches real bad and won’t heal. I’ve been putting hydrocortisone cream on it, or benadryl stuff and neosporin, but it’s still bad, it keeps getting bigger.
Below are pictures of the bite at day 6.
Please help, what should I do?
My insect bite closely resembles some of the already posted comments but I have different symptoms. I live in Texas!!!
I was in the garage and I sat down in a chair for aproximately 2 minutes, and when I stood up I felt a pin prick sensation on the back of my right thigh. My immediate reaction was to scratch I felt something foreign so it was brushed off. About 2 hours later the area was red but no swelling.
I woke up today and the area is really swollen and red. I have been experiencing muscle twitching in my left eyelid and both of my calf muscles get really tight when I bend my leg or change positions. In the center, of the area of my bite, there is two small dots. Also i have not been able to sleep it is now 6 a.m. in the morning. I took a hour nap but I didn’t sleep peacefully, when I awoke I was experiencing painful swallowing tha subsided in a couple of hours.
Benadryhl stopped the itching. Also last night my tongue felt swollen but I thought it was from my tongue ring which i have had for about a year so i ruled out that theory. I also experience minor to severe headaches since the insect encounter.
Just to go back over all of my symptoms:
*) swollen area
*) local fever in area
*) itching
*) headaches
*) eye twitching
*) muscle tightening in calf
*) restlessness
*) painful swallowing
*) un able to concentrate
*) oral swelling
Any suggestions?
I was bitten by something in the night, I awoke Saturday morning, the 21st of July. I am pretty sensitive to mosquito bites so at first I thought I was bitten while out side the night before. But they haven’t faded or seem like they are going away, I was going to call the doctor but I found this web site so I thought I would get your opinion first.
They want me to itch them, but when I touch them they are sensitive and since they are on my back; I have included a photo of the bug bite below.
I live in the Salt Lake area. If anyone has any information about these bites, please let me know.
Update 7/26/07:
Today the bite marks have gone down, I have been swabbing them with alcohol to reduce moisture and hopefully dry them out. I am hoping the skin doesn’t turn brown, black, blue or any range of color. Thank you for your help.
I have something on my upper thigh that sounds very similar to the last comment by Crystal Roper. I don’t have a camera so can’t send picture, but it’s a hard red area about the size of a quarter with two small wounds at its center, which are leaking some blood and pus.
Around the the whole red area is a larger circle of pale red of about 2-3 inch diameter. It hurts considerably under pressure and sometimes just hurts without any pressure. It’s painful to walk on that leg. I have no other obvious sysmptoms, but am getting a little concerned as it’s been about 4 days no with no change. Have been putting antibiotic cream on and bandaids to keep it protected.
Thanks for this service. It will certainly make me feel more easy to at least know what it is even if there’s nothing I can do.
Hello I need to know please what’s wrong with me I have this big bite on my shoulders they look horrible I’ve been having this for almost two months now it seems like it grows and grows more I’m also getting it all around and it looks like a swollen worm.
It looks red and swollen please help it look like a ingrown hair or pimple but is not it has a deep hole inside and around it has redness and is swollen please help tell me what bit me please. Also I need to know what to put on my house so they stop biting please. Thanks!!!
Hillary C – I have the same thing – looks just like yours. Yesterday morning they were on my neck. This morning on my stomach and legs. I’ve stripped the bed and washed everything, vacuumed the mattress. I thought it might be spiders or mites. They itch and scratching makes them more sensitive and expansive. More came out during the day. If you find out what it is please post.
It has been 10 days and my sons spider bite from Florida looks much much better…he has been on 2 oral antibiotics and one topical.
The photos I sent in do not look as bad as some of the ones you have but in reality, I think my son looked pretty bad the day we took him to the doctor….and she must have agreed since she put him on meds.
Ughh…now I wish I knew where that spider or bug was living…he was in the backyard playing with other boys, but that is SCARY.
This is a great website.
My grandson was bitten by something tonight, and we don’t know how to treat it. Our chiropractor recognized the bite as that from a rocky mountain spider! It bit more than once, my daughter gave the little guy benedryl and put neosporin on it last night before he went to sleep. Here is the picture, it is a littly blurry but you can see the swelled areas.
Thank you for your reply, your website is AWESOME!
I am so frustrated trying to figure out what is biting my son! For the past
month he has been waking up with bites resembling red welts. He is covered in them. There are approximately 20 on him now. I took him to the doctor and she ruled out fleas. She said that whatever is doing it is causing a severe reaction in him (one morning a bite near his eye caused his eye to swell shut). Please help! Someone told me bed bugs, but the mattress is only a year old.
Roz, are you sure the bite is from a Rocky Mountain Spider? The red bites in the photograph look a lot like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, often referred to as Rocky Mountain Spider Fever. In short, it is from being bitten by an infected tic.
The Rocky Mountain national park has a few hazards, one being the Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This is usually spread through the bite of an infected tick. It is less frequent than Colorado Tick Fever (which has symptoms that include malaise and high fever); however, Rocky Montain spotted fever is fatal in 15-20 percent of cases that go untreated! You can expect high fever, malaise, headache, chills and muscle pain which can last for two to three weeks after a 14 day incubation period.
About 50 percent of these cases develop a rash of red spots starting on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet.
Hillary C and Mary,
I have woke up with the same thing, patches on my neck and head. The welts are not going away and affecting my neck muscles. have you had any luck treating them?
Elizabeth,
Can you take some pictures and send them in? It may help others identify the type of bite your son is getting.
Regardless, I hope a solution is found soon!
Best regards,
Jim.
Hillary, ELizabeth, and others:
Bed bugs are popping up more frequently in places…if there was any kind of infestation before, simply getting a new mattress may not solve the problem.
Identifying bed bugs can get a little tricky, because typically they only come out at night and are small and thin enough to hide well. But they leave little clues. First, the bites tend to be in a row, sometimes a cluster. When I had them, the mark was a lot like a mosquito bite, but the itch was more intense. If you look around your pillow and sheets, you may be able to see little blood droplets (they’ll be dry and brown), and you may also find little streaks that kind of look like splattered mascara. Also, there may be a sickenly sweet smell in the room. I remembered it to smell like raspberry, but TOO sweet-smelling.
The actual bugs are very thin and move quickly. Look at our section on Bed Bugs.
Hope you can figure out what’s biting you. Not knowing is always an unsettling feeling…
I get these bites all the time during the day, when I am wearing clothing, when I have long pants on and also when I don’t. Just sitting on the couch I will get them. They ITCH like crazy–the kinda itch you feel when a mosquito bites.
It is almost exclusively on my Knees and feet. I NEVER have seen an insect or even any small bug on me or in my bed. I bought a brand new pair of jeans yesterday, wore them, it was fine. Then I folded them, put them on top of my dresser and then this morning I put them on, and while I was in the car I started ITCHING!! and when I pulled my pants off this is the same thing I have been getting for about a year now.
It happens every few days and they usually will go away withing a few hours. Sometimes little tiny red bumps and then splotchy red skin. I have very sensitive skin too.
I used to get this at my old apartment too–when I moved I tried washing everything and cleaning before i came to my new place, but I still get these bites.
PLEASE Help me figure this out!! What is it and what should I do to get rid of it? Here is a picture of the insect bite.
I have the same problem, every few days I wake up with the same bites all over my arms and neck….I don’t know what to do about it, but I sure am tired of it!
Chrissie and Yvette;
Your symptoms could be one of several different things:
1. flea bite allergy
2. contact dermatitis from touching certain dyes in clothing
3. soap or detergent allergy
4. food allergy
5. it could also be a form of eczema or psoriasis
I would see a dermatologist for this.
Jason:
I had something similar to that 10 years ago. I had a rash around red marks, joint pain and stiffness and later hives. It turned out to be an allergic reaction to a kissing bug bite. Taking an antihistamine for a few weeks helped ease the symptoms until my body quit reacting to the bug’s saliva.
This is a comment on candy’s bite input # 8 from july 25th 2007.
Hi Candy, I was out at a barbecue in Hutto, TX and walked into a series of webs in the dark. Well later that night after I had gotten home I was very tired, (chalked it up to the late night), then i started getting very nauseous (chalked it up to spicy food), then my left calf muscle went into spasms and cramps, (chalked it up to a long week in the heat working squating up and down), my throat started to swell as if i had a sore throat, (chalked it up to the cat that was there to which i was allergic to). All these symptoms started occurring in hourly increments.
My attention came to the bite when my leg started itching badly. I scratched of course and felt sever pain in my leg similar to a tetnus shot on top of being frogged..ouch. Anyway at that point I freaked out, i have been bitten by several spiders and never had more than an itchy bump. I inspected the bite and noticed it had two puncture marks resembling a spider bite and started to bruise in a strange pattern that ran horizontal to the bite rather than the typical cirular pattern.
I went to the ER and had developed high blood pressure and fever accompanied by profuse sweating and chills. The doctor had no idea what to do since it was very rare and so early on in the stage of the bite to decide what i may have been bitten by. My guess is a black widow, most of the symptoms were there except for stomach cramps.
After 4 days the swelling went away and the majority of the pain and symptoms. All that remains is the red puncture marks and the strange bruise. The top of the skin is a bit shiny and scaley but hasnt formed a blister or or ulcer so I think its ok to rule out brown recluse for now until my symptoms change. My doctor perscribed a topical oinment that contained a steroid to help with inflammation, an antibiotic, and a generic oral inflammation and pain combo pill, similar to alleve. He stated not to use the prescriptions unless worsened otherwise to soak the wound 3x’s a day and keep clean and dry in sterile guaze with hydrocortisone and neosporin. To take alleve for the swelling and pain.
So is this pretty similar to your bite. ive read quite a bit, but i didnt see a pic of the bite or any detail to how it appeared. I have been looking all over the net for black widow bites to see if they have a destinct look but have found none. Only brown recluses and hobo spider bites appear. I would send a pic, but cant seem to get good lighting so it just appears a red blur.
I currently have a large puplish bruise that has been there for over three weeks(8/10/07) todays date. Two days ago a white pustule type appearance showed up in the center of the bruise colored wound, and today there is a small red center. I have been putting chigger bite medication on it for the past 2 days.
There is no itching or irratation, but it is a very ugly color and large. Could this be a chigger bite? I live in the woods in East Texas and have more than my share of bugs. In my home alone over the past year have killed 23 scorpians in my house. I am concerned because is has been there for over a month and I know there are probably recluse spiders out there too. Even though I have my house exterminated every 3 months, the bugs still come.
I do use the sticky traps under my bedside table (where I found a scorpion still alive , but stuck) and also had one crawling up my wall in my den 2 weeks ago. I murdered them both then called my exterminator, but I am plagued by this would I have that shows no signs of getting better.
Any information would be of help, please post.
Thank you, Karen Roberts (it is located on my inner left thigh, right above my knee)
Hi, I didn’t see what bit me. My arm felt like it was burning, a few minutes later it started getting a red rash, which seems to be growing. It is still burning. The red area is about 1 inch by 1 1/2 inches. There is a small white are in the middle where the bite happened.
I hope someone can help! I am in Sacramento, CA
Thanks! Sheri
I JUST WOKE UP WITH A BIG PUFFY EYE! it looks like i got hit by something its so big (under my eye) . I’m guessing its a spider bite…what should i do? Put ice on it? Go to the doctor? I was also planning to go for a run this mourning but didnt know if that would put presure on it and make it bigger???? LET ME KNOW ASAP!
Michelle #25,
Can you send us some pictures of the area that was bitten? It may help everyone figure out what exactly bit you!
You should go into the doctor ASAP – don’t play around. It may be nothing, but better safe than sorry. What if the bite area gets infected and damages your eye?
Good Luck!
Hi,
I am writing for my boyfriend who is the owner of this sad leg of which I have included 3 pictures below.
We hope that someone can help identify this wound which we think is a spider bite.
One odd thing is that around the 4th of July he experienced practically the same looking “bite” in the exact same place but on the other leg. Because of this I’m not positive that it is a spider bite, but for lack of more definite information I will continue to use that term. He does not want to go the doctor or emergency room (for one reason because he does not have insurance and for another he is like many men and simply does not see the need). He keeps the area very clean with hydrogen peroxide and “doctor’s” it with Neosporin.
Although, last night I got him to let me dab it with rubbing alcohol. I think he is over using the hydrogen peroxide.
This is Friday and he first noticed it on Tuesday night. It causes him extreme muscle pain. I know this because he can hardly get out of the bed, limping into the bathroom. The pain is mostly though when he first gets up, after he is walking the pain is less intense. He says that when he gets up it is like the muscle is being squeezed. The bite oozes pus and other gook, it is swollen and very hot to the touch. When he mashed the pus out, the skin held the finger impressions for a long time. I have asked him not to mash it because I am afraid he is mashing the pus or poison back into his system. However, after he gets up from sitting position the pus will ooze out on it’s own. We are “doctoring” it mainly with hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin. Although, last night I got him to let me dab it with rubbing alcohol. I think he is over using the hydrogen peroxide. He is also now using an ice pack and the ice cubes leave an impression on the skin like the fingers did whehe was mashing it.
There is no nausea or other problems that were mentioned on the various web sites that I looked at. However, he is saying he is extremely thirsty, like he cannot get enough water. I’m not sure if this is connected since we are having the hottest day on record here in SC. It was 107 degrees today and although that only matches the previous record and has occurred 7 other times in recorded history, it hasn’t been in this century.
Regarding the previous bite, he doctored that one also with massive amounts of hydrogen peroxide and Neosporin. He also cut that one open with a razor blade. That one was very firm and hard to the touch and did not ooze any pus or other gook. It took about a month but it has healed pretty well. The first one also cause a lot of pain and limping.
I really wanted him to go to the doctor today, but he would not. I read there is a staff infection that mimics some of the symptoms of a spider bite. I also saw some pictures where people had their fingers amputated because of similar issues and have conveyed this information to him as well.
We would appreciate any information that you can provide and we do understand that this is not a substitute for “seeking medical attention.”
Thank you!
I am not sure what type of bite this is and it is odd that it happened on the other leg as well.
I too had a problem with my leg and it was like memory foam; you could touch it and the imprint from the touch would not leave right away (it was very warm as well). I went to the doctor and they said I was lucky I came in when I did! I had an infection and after a prisciption of very heavy antibioticts, everything went back to normal – except for the scar.
The point is, he should see a doctor – from what I understand, some ER’s will negotiate price if you don’t have medial insurance. I know that is not fair, and they claim they don’t do that, but chances are you’ll find that after the visit, they work with you.
I am basing this on a friend of mine who doesn’t have insurance and went into the ER for his heart (everything was fine). The bill came out to be $6,000 but they were willing to cut that in half if he paid within 60 days. In the end, he ended up paying nothing! The sate covered it for him.
If you have more information, please post so that others may learn from this.
Thanks!
Bellow is a picture of what I think is a bite on my 4 yr old son. He woke up crying Wed 12:30AM and by the morning it looked like a pimple.
By that night, we squeezed it and lots of stringy pus came out. Yesterday
(Fri) he bled through his bandaid and soaked several tissues. Today he was
crying of pain and it opened to a small hole and blood and pus were coming
out.
Now it is scabbed, as you can see, but the ring around it is darker red with a lighter pink around that.
Can anyone help me identify this insect bite?
Thank you!
Hello,
I’m not sure this is a spider bite, but I thought I’d include the picture of the insect bite below to see if anyone could identify it.
There is a raised mosquito bite-like bump in the middle and a red ring about the size of a silver dollar around it. It was initially itchy and has now entirely faded. Any ideas? Could this be from a spider? or a deer tick?
The bite could have happened this week in southern New Jersey, or though it is unlikely, last week in southern Arizona.
Thanks in advance,
Maizelle
UPDATE: 8/14/07
Update: I went to the doctor and though she really couldn’t be certain, (the rash has all but disappeared) she diagnosed it as a tick bite based on the photo and the New Jersey visit. Since tests don’t determine the presence of Lyme Disease until 4-6 weeks after the bite, she just prescribed a preemptive antibiotic.
Hillary C, Mary and others,
We have bites that look the same as your pic, that occur any time of day, all upper body, head, neck, arms and especially back. They start small, often in multiples and grouped, basically much like mosquito bites, but swell fairly rapidly into large raised welts that itch alot. No bruising or discolorations other then redness, possibly small punctures at the center of each wound
We live in the Chicago area, and both garden and keep up our yards… mowing grass, trimming bushes, etc. Alcohol stopped the itching for a time, Loratadine seems to help also, hot compress reduced the swelling, Benadryl cream seems to help some, changing sheets daily, showering (HOT) twice daily and yet, more continue to appear. Each location seems to take about 2 weeks to heal.
Would appreciate any input or commentary because we are becoming VERY freaked out people.
Sara: That looks like the classic “bull’s-eye” bite associated with Lyme disease. My sister got Lyme disease several years ago in Southern California- it DOES exist west of the Rockies! Have you noticed any ticks on yourself in the past few weeks? It takes some time after the initial bite for the bulls-eye to show up.
Go in and get tested for Lyme. If it’s caught and treated early, you probably won’t have any permanent damage, but if you wait, all sorts of nasty things can happen to your nervous system. Better safe than sorry!
Lindsay, Lyme disease was my first thought, too. Though from what I’ve read a Lyme disease rash wouldn’t fade as quickly (less than a week) and doesn’t usually itch. Also, there appears to be 2 punctures in the middle, which would be odd for a tick bite. I will report back when I know for sure. Thanks.
My friend noticed an insect bite on his leg the other day at work which was was normal at first, like a mosquito bite or ant bite and about thumb sized. Today, about three days later, after a fair amount of scratching, the swelling has gone down, and at the initial bite wound has turned dark, almost black.
Now, an palm sized area surrounding it is covered with small purple bruise like marks. Is this something he should get checked out? Does anyone have any idea what might have bit him?
I’m sorry I don’t have any photos at this time.
Hillary C, Mary, Dave and Suzie,
I’m getting insect bites on upper back, back of arm and have one on my collarbone. Very similar to what all of you are describing. I have vacuumed everything in my living room because it seems to happen when I am on the couch in the evenings or if I fall asleep on the couch. I always have throw blankets on the couch and wash them every week. I washed them the other evening in super hot water, but woke up with a new bite.
So far my fiance has not been bitten, that he knows of. We also live in the Chicago area. I also told my message therapist and he said that he has seen several of his clients who have similar bites. I started going over all of the things that it could be, including my cats (but they never go outside). We also camp a lot and we were beginning to think I brought back something in my clothing, but I always take the clothes and put them in the wash as soon as we return home. Unwashed camping clothes and gear stay out in the garage until we are ready to wash. After reading about your insect bites I am beginning to think it’s a local thing.
My next step is to check the bedroom for bed bugs – the thought is making me sick!
Any clues yet with your bites yet?
This showed-up about three days ago. Did not see any insect. Not itchy, slight burning sensation. Photo of insect bite is below.
Yes, the thought of bed bugs makes us very freaky people too… HOWEVER… There was a newscast on the itch mite (no kidding, they really refer to it as that) at the Chicago Tribune.
The Itch Mite is suspected In rash of bites and in the clip above, they cover all the local trouble this is causing. Bottom line… looks like no big deal, just don’t scratch, and do wear insect repellent with DEET. Health Department is still trying to confirm exact insect type, but they believe it is the itch mite!
NICE FIND Dave and Suzie – I am sure this will help our readers! Thanks for posting it! Jim – BadSpiderBites.com
Hi, my son complained to me yesterday evening about a “burn” he has on the top of his foot, when I looked at it, it looked like a blister starting from his sandals. Today he said it hurt “really bad”, so I took a look at it again. It looks like a blister that has popped and started to scab in the center, but the area around it is raw and open.
I asked my fiancee to look at it because he is familiar with necrotic bites, as he has owned scorpions in the past. He said that we should get him into a doctor, or maybe even call poison control. He says it definately looks like a bite of some sort, and not a good one. He cannot identify what it is that bit him.
I have noticed around our house a lot of little spiders and I keep killing them, but still am finding them. We live next to a small wooded area, and my boys like to cut through to get to their friends houses a few blocks over. The spiders that I have seen in the house have the widow/recluse shape, but are too small to be sure, as it is difficult to see markings.
My son is 10 years old, and has not ever had bad reactions to bites such as mosquito, flea, chigger or bee stings. He does not have a fever, he has no nausea, sore throat, or any of the other symptoms that go with the bites above.
Unfortunately, I cannot take a picture because the battery is low on my camera, I will be taking him to the doctor tomorrow and will buy more batteries then too. I will take some pictures then and post them. I would like some feedback of any kind on this, and more when the pictures are added.
I will also add whatever I hear from the doctor.
I’m really not sure what bit my little girl! The doctor said that it could have been anything. Has anyone had this particular reaction to a bite before? She gets eaten up all the time and never has a reaction like this. Could it have been a spider of some kind? Picture is shown below.
Hi, I decided to go ahead and get the batteries for my camera, here is the photo, not really clear though. After getting out of the shower tonight, the scab is off, and it is starting to get a little red around the area. It definately has the “volcano” look to it to me. The picture os as follows..
(mosquito bite right below the actual bite, that he continuously scratched to show size comparison) – This is Day 2 or 3.
Dawn, I had a mosquito bite once under my eye, and it swelled really bad and looked alot like that. I would definitely have it looked at though.
Hillary, Mary, Dave, Suzie & Others…I live in southern Utah and I’ve been getting what sounds like the same bites for the last three years. They always seem to come in the heat of summer (August) and I never, ever see anything. They are miserably itchy and last for over a week sometimes. I was pretty sure I was getting them from taking my dogs to the lake, but another woman at work gets the same bites.
Occasionally, they will bite in a little row like bedbugs, but we have pretty much ruled out bedbugs, and they pop up while I’m at work, also. They like my neck, especially, and also under my bracelet, wrists and arms…Once in awhile I’ll get one under my sports bra. Benadryl cream lessens the itch but only time totally takes away the bump and itch longterm.
Last year I sprayed the couch cushions, etc., with a pyrethrin-based flea/tick spray, cleaned and washed everything obsessively–it had no effect. Again, I don’t get these any other time of year, so I just assume I have an allergy to a summer type of mite. They make me miserable and creepy-crawly, though!
If anyone finds out what this is, I’d appreciate knowing.
I was bitten (or stung) by some type of insect while walking down the sidewalk last night about 8:00pm. I live in Alabama. I felt a stinging and brushed something off the inside of my thigh. The stinging was very intense, sharp, and painful – and continued for the next several hours.
When I got back inside to look at it, there was a purple hole about the size of a dull pencil lead with redness around it (about 3 inches in diameter). There was no swelling, and it was very sensitive to the touch, with aching that continued until I went to sleep.
Today, the insect bite it is still sore, but not as sensitive. The purple spot has dulled some in color, but has not diminished in size. I am at work and can’t take a picture, but it seems better today. I’d like to know what it was. It was not a bee – I stepped on one about a month ago, and this pain was completely different. It was a much sharper, stinging pain instead of like stepping on a nail.
UPDATE: 8/17/07 Today (2nd day), the redness is raised and has spread to about 7 inches in diameter. It no longer hurts, but is very itchy. I tried to take a picture, but it wraps around my upper thigh. It is also very hot to the touch (feverish).
Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.
I got bit by something. I was walking on a path, I felt something (it felt like something scratching, like the back of my sneaker was rubbing against the back of my ankle) I pulled the back of my sock up, but it kept scratching. When i got to my car I took my sock off and there was a gooy green thing there. I thought, “well, whatever it was I killed it.
The area became somewhat swollen and a circle about 1/16th of an inch or so seemed to be open. My husband put some of that after bite stuff on it. (of course it burned like everything). I put a bandaide on it and it seemed better.
Now, what I thought was a scab, really does not look like one. It is white around a dark brown thing. It does itch and sometimes burn a little. I am going to make a appointment with the doctor to see if he can tell me what may be happening. Anyway, it has been about 3 weeks since the bite.
I was bitten this morning and the bite looks almost like a smily face without the smile–two round circle side by side and a smaller circle right below in the middle of the two. Within 5 minutes is is itching and swollen. What insect bit me?
A quick comment for Dawn #39. That really looks like a blocked duct in her daughters eye. I would recomend taking her to an opthomologist. Sometimes a warm moist compress helps.
HI, i live in port charlotte, florida. I had some insect bite me while i was in bed during the day. I didn’t see what it was. Right away there was a bump and redness.
I just left it for a couple a days but it started getting a white head,so i tried to pop it. Bad idea. I know. And then i tried to put polys..on it and it got bigger. Then i had to go to the dr and he cut me open and now i’ve been getting it drained twice a day to get the pus out. Seems like my leg is forever pusing still with antibiotics and drainage.
The doctor says it’s getting better though. But i still don’t know what bit me? Can you help.
I woke up with a small itchy spot on the inside of my upper arm near my armpit the is some type of insect bite. I scratched the itch and over the course of the day it became swollen, red and inflamed. It had a tiny pinpoint size mark in the center. It remained extremely itchy, swollen, and painful for a few days before it faded away.
Yesterday, about a week-week and a half later, I was in class and my lower arm near my wrist itched but there was no mark, just a little itch. I scratched the place that itched and it became red and irritated. I left it alone even though it itched quite badly. In the late afternoon it was still very red and itchy. By night time it was swollen, painful, hot to the touch and when I push on the swollen area my entire arm hurts from shoulder to hand, and in my hand.
The red swollen area if the insect bite is a large 3 inch by 2 1/2 inch oval shape. I have resisted the urge to scratch it, but I have been using topical anti-inflammatorys to no avail. I have also been using sterile alcohol pads to cleanse the entire area. I have not been anywhere out of the ordinary, and assumed it was a mosquito bite as there are a lot of them around my home.
Any ideas of what type of insect might have bitten me would be very helpful.
Thanks.
To #31 & 35, Have you read about the itch mites? They have been reported in the Chicago area as mentioned in #37 by Dave and Suzie.
I am in Maryland but I have been getting bites recently that are similar.
I’m not sure what insect bit me but the small bite itched at first and daily becomes bigger. It now is over 2″ across, is a raised, hard area, it itches, burns, and now has tiny hive-looking bumps around the perimeter. I believe it started about 9 days ago.
The insect bite is below by buttocks on the upper part of the back of my leg. You can tell by the picture that the whole area is raised and has a hard subsurface. It is painful, itches and is warm to the touch. Because of the location I have to sit on it which is the worse pain.
I will see a doctor on Monday to determine what type of insect bit me but would like to know more about the bite and how to treat it.
Any information that would help in treatment would be gratefully appreciated!
I’m trying to identify what look like mini-vampire bites. (My digital camera’s broken & my camera phone didn’t take a clear picture.) I live in suburban Minneapolis, we have lots of trees around our yard, but I haven’t been in the woods at all. Two mornings ago I noticed on the inside of my forearm what looked like 2 flat, dark, blood blisters, approx. 1/4 – 1/8″ in diameter, right next to each other, and inside each “blister” are 2 very small “fang” marks, identically spaced within each blister. They kind of look like stingers. Today the blisters are mostly faded but I can still see the “stingers.” I have had NO pain or itching whatsoever, even when I scratched them to see if I would get a reaction; no headaches, muscle aches, or anything else unusual. Anyone have any ideas?
I’m not sure if this is a spider bite but I can’t seem to be able to get it to go away. I noticed a bump on my lower cheek about 2 weeks ago and didn’t think anything about it. I figured it was a mosquito bite, but i started to notice it getting bigger in size. It doesn’t itch, and it hurts only if I press on it. The top of the mound feels soft but I can feel a larger harder mound beneath. Does anyone have any idea what this could have come from and whether or not I need a doctor? Thanks so much!
The picture above is what it looks like today!
*UPDATE*- I went to see my doctor today (8/22/07) as nothing I tried was helping and it was becoming VERY painful and the bump felt hot. Boy am I glad I went, it appears something irritated the original bite and it turned into a staph infection. As soon as my doctor saw it he immediately numbed me up and cut it out.
There was a cyst underneath, don’t know how deep because I’m too grossed out to look at the wound. This could have been very bad and I was stupid not to go sooner.
Please everyone, even if you’re doctor-phobic like me, if you have something that won’t heal, or seems weird please go see your doctor!
For Lorraine #51 — My daughter had an insect bite last year under her arm that looked like yours and had the same symptoms. We never knew what it was from (docs weren’t sure either, but they weren’t overly concerned). I couldn’t resist popping it, actually I squeezed it from the base (Bad Mom!) and what came out looked like a white pencil eraser. It didn’t bleed, but it left a little crater that eventually healed over, leaving a small scar. Given that yours is on your face…do as I say and not as I do…don’t pop it! Call or see your doctor. Good luck!
To Hillary (#9),
May not be a bug bite at all: shingles can start out the same way as a cluster of red bumps. If you have multiple patches, they tend to be on one side of your body (may be on torso and/or face). May be tender at first if touched and after a few days the clusters begin to “burn” and can become very painful. New clusters may appear. If you’ve had chicken pox before, your body could still be carrying the virus that causes shingles. Check with a doctor.
Hi,
I live in Chesapeake, VA in the Deep Creek area. My 14 months old kid has been bitten twice withing the last week. We try to make her sleep alone in bed, and whenever it happens, she ends up being bitten by something as shown in the pictures below.
The bed, as well as mattras, is brand new. Took her this morning to pediatrition – they don’t know what could bit her. The first insect bite picture is a fresh bite 1.5 inch in diameter (less than 12 hours). Red swollen skin is split open, like a small insicion, or cut. The second picture is of 1 week old wounds, I suspect, by the same pest.
Need help to ID what insect this is and where to look for it?
Thanks!
Hello Russ,
I am not sure what might be biting your daughter and it seems serious. Obviously there is some type of insect that is in that room and the goal (for me) would be to catch whatever it might be.
A few ideas might be to use tape around your daughter’s bed; insect tape can be found at your local hardware store in the lawn and garden section. If you snag a bed bug, spider or something else, at least you’ll know what you are dealing with.
If this doesn’t work, you can always use a bug bomb in the room – you would just need to find something that is not harmful to your child, wipe everything down after use, etc.
By the way, is the recent picture of the bite alone or did your daughter scrape it to make it look that way?
If you find anything, please add a comment and let everyone know!
Thanks – Jim.
Thanks for the ideas, Jim. I am going to use bug bomb and tape, like you advised. The bite wasn’t scretched, seems like it is not itchy, but painful for the baby. The skin swelled up and split open, I guess from pressure in tissue.
My 3-year-old son awoke about 1 week ago to this bite on his right shoulder. It looked just like a fang puncture with the radius of ¼” fang to fang. It started to itch & burn and he could not stop scratching, even in his sleep.
We called the pediatrician and they said if it opens & drains to bring him in. We put hydrocortisone on and gave him Benadryl. They seemed to help but we brought him to the doc a few days later. They prescribed Amoxicillin and said to keep an eye on it.
I put painters tape everywhere along the walls & baseboards in the hope of catching it but nothing so far. Can someone shed some light on what this might be? The picture below was taken about 4 days after insect bite.
I live in the Chicago area and know about the itch mite but the wound does not match the itch mites bite. Thanks in advance.
About 6 days ago I was walking in a clover field near the Massachusetts coast. I was wearing hiking boots, but wearing shorts. I suddenly felt an incredible sharp pain on the back of my upper thigh, and my first reaction was that someone had hit me with a pellet gun. The pain almost doubled me over, but subsided fairly quickly.
A friend who was near me could see a welt, but no blood. A few hours later at home, I was able to see for myself in the mirror, that I had not one, but two large bruises as in the pictures below.
There was some slight swelling, and considerable tenderness, just like a deep bruise. There was never any more aching, or pains. There was never any itching. The marks continued to enlarge a bit, and are now joined, changing colors as a bruise. What I now can feel, and photographed below, is a small point which is now like a tiny scab, in a centrally more clear area.
I have no idea what it is, but it appears from that that it is definitely a snake/spider/insect bite of some sort….Any ideas of what it might be in my region of the country??
Thanks…
Any ideas what this insect bite could be? I woke up and saw these bites on my upper thigh which are not painful unless I touch it. I could not find any dead bug in my bed so I have no clue what bit me, but I have included the picture below.
Thanks,
Brent
I live in southern california (carlsbad) in a ground floor apartment. When I was in the shower last thursday morning (Aug 23, 07) I noticed a small bump like an ingrown hair on my left inner thigh about halfway from my groin to my knee. I was suprised as I had never had an ingrown hair there before, and it was suprisingly painful as well.
The next day the insect bite developed into a light blister (almost like a superficial burn) and became very sensitive and warm around the area with blotchy redness in a 1 inch radius. I popped and got out some pus the next day as it had darkened, the sore had doubled in size, and the redness had spread around in a 2 inch radius. There is now also a quarter sized area that feels like a cyst underneath the skin directly under the sore. It looks exactly like melanie’s son’s bite (#4) and has caused soreness in the surrounding muscle to the point I have to fight the urge to limp from the pain tonight (25aug07).
I feel a light burning sensation from it that is more or less constant, but I have no fever and no enlarged lymph nodes. I am an extremely healthy (I get plenty of sleep, workout 5 times a week and eat healthy as well) 24 yr old male full time college student in between jobs and without medical insurance.
Should I get it checked out or wait another day to see if it improves? I am also allergic to bee stings (if that matters). I also have left over monocycline, clindamycin, and clarithromycin from past prescriptions. Any of those any good for this?
I was bitten about a week ago, or at least that is what I think happened – the first few days, it just felt wierd on the surface of my skin, slightly painful and slightly pleasant. Then 2 bite areas started to emerge, then after a few days, a rash of blisters broke out over the area.
I was out in the woods at a fire circle event and slept in a cabin area, so I’m thinking I was bitten by a spider, but not sure what it was. I live in the Western North Carolina area.
Here is a picture, would appreciate any help in identifying.
-JoAnn
10 days ago I came home from scouting a greenhouse operation. A normal day has me walking by 14 acres of benches in 20 different houses. As I drove home I felt some intense itching on my rear. I got home and found 2 sets of bite marks which I think were spider as there were 2 punctures each. They itch in the morning and at night but not during the day much. Cortizone helps but they are expanding and the centers are becoming purplish. There is no pain other than itching and no blistering.
Three days after the bite I did kill a spider in my vehicle without a thought. Now the bites are as pictured below, 10 days after.
The spider I killed had a putty colored abdomen and was at least 1/2 inch in diameter. Some pictures I’ve seen on line from memory of it before I clobbered it look like a brown recluse but other pictures aren’t close. I did find the mandibles and main body and put it under a microscrope and see 2 large pincers….. No other symptoms but expanding rash and itch. I work at a research agency so I may find an entomologist to look at the parts for me tomorrow….
thanks!
Tina
to Dawn with baby eye bite,
my sister when she was younger was hypersensitive to mosquito bites. She had one exactly like this one that even swelled her eye shut. We were camped in a very mosquitoey area and knew it was this that bit her.
tina
I am not sure what kind of bite or sting I have on my finger, but it has been about 6 days now since the incident and the sore has not gone away. I did not see whatever bit me, but was walking with my dog when a terrible stinging sensation hit my finger. I immediately noticed it was red and beginning to swell, and by the next day my whole hand was swollen and very painful.
I thought it was a sting from a wasp or hornet, but now I am not sure. The swelling has gone but the slightly sunken type sore remains. It still hurts some, itches a little, and I have been treating it with hydrogen peroxide, neosporin, and some benadryl ointment. I am wondering what it was and if wasp stings leave a sore like
this (slightly irregular in shape and sunken like.) I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but am wondering if there is anything else I can do. Do wasps leave sores at the site?
REF: #58.
I had a similar reaction to something that bit me on 22 August. The bruise is now about 5″ in diameter, and I am planning to go to the doctor tomorrow. I have no idea what it is. My husband thinks it is a spider bite — we have spiders in our family room, but there are no special markings on them. I felt a sharp pain in the
same area (!!!) while I was watching tv, and had the same bruising reaction, except a much larger spot than yours. The bruise has gotten bigger every day.
I recommend that you see your doctor as well.
Almost 48 hours ago I got what I think is a spider bite on my inner forearm. I did not see the insect. I felt a stinging and a light red area appeared with a small raised lesion. I rinsed it with cool water. An hour later it did not look worse but it still felt more stinging than it looked like it should. So I put ice pack on it off and on for an hour.
The stinging and slight itchy feeling are still there, disproportionate to how it looks (just light pink, flat area). But I noticed this am in the sunlight light streaks coming from the area towards my elbow, very faint but there. They are not red but lighter than my skin. And it is still tingling. The tingling feeling in the original area is about the same and it has not spread at all. I have not had any fever or systemic symptoms at all.
Please tell me what you think it might be and if I need to have a doctor assess it. Thank you! Stephanie