Chigger Bites Vs. Bed Bug Bites: Telling Them Apart

You may notice groups of small raised bumps on your skin and suspect that you’ve been bitten by a bug. Two culprits may be bed bugs and chiggers. These two bugs are parasites, living off the blood of people or animals.

Their bites may look similar, but bed bugs and chiggers live in much different environments. Generally, bed bug and chigger bites are irritating and uncomfortable but not a risk to your overall health.

Bed bugs live near sleeping quarters. You may find evidence of bed bugs if you notice brown or red spots on your sheets. You may also smell something sweet and musty if bed bugs are nearby.

Chiggers group in clusters. When they attach to your body, they may feed off of it for several hours or days if you do not wash yourself or scratch them off. You may feel them on your skin and never see them because of their microscopic size.

Physical symptoms of bed bug bites:

• occur a few days or up to two weeks after the bites
• look like bites from other bugs like mosquitos and fleas
• are a bit raised, inflamed, and red in color
• itch
• appear in clusters or in a zig zag line
• show up most often on skin exposed during sleep

You may also find that bed bug bites cause:

• sleeping trouble
• anxiety
• skin irritation

Not everyone will have the same symptoms from bed bug bites. Some people are more sensitive to bed bug bites and their symptoms may be worse.

Physical symptoms of chigger bites:

• appear as small pimples that are raised and dark red
• cause itchy skin that gets itchier over time
• are grouped in clusters around areas of your body where you wear tight clothing, such as the elastic of underwear or around your sock line

You may notice chigger bites change while healing. The center of the bite may appear to have a cap that oozes if scratched.

Some people bitten by chiggers may react more strongly to the bites.

Bed bugs

You may not know that you’ve been bitten by bed bugs unless you actually see evidence of them where you’ve slept. You likely will not feel a bite from bed bugs because they release a substance that numbs your skin and keeps any blood from running out of the bite area.

Chiggers

Chigger bites can last for a range of time, depending on your exposure and how long they stay on you. If you have chiggers on you for a short amount of time, the symptoms may be mild and last only a few days. However, chiggers that stay on you for a longer length of time, such as while you sleep, may cause more severe symptoms for a few weeks.

Both bed bug and chigger bites appear as raised, red, inflamed spots on your skin.

Bed bug bites appear most frequently near areas of exposed skin and may appear in lines or in random clusters.

Chigger bites are grouped together in locations near tight-fitting clothing.

Both bed bug and chigger bites will go away with time. Treatments focus on calming symptoms so you can be more comfortable.

Home remedies

The first line of treatment for both bed bug and chigger bites is to avoid scratching them and leaving them alone as much as possible.

Make sure to wash the affected area with warm, soapy water if you suspect chigger bites. This will make sure no chiggers remain on your skin.

You can apply cool compresses to the bites, such as a cool washcloth or towel.

Medical treatment

There are many over-the-counter medication options to reduce bed bug and chigger bite symptoms.

Try pain-relieving medications like acetaminophen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to calm discomfort associated with the bites. NSAIDs also relieve inflammation.

Topical creams, ointments, and lotions may soothe the itch caused by bed bugs and chiggers. These include those containing steroids, like hydrocortisone.

An oral antihistamine may help control itching or swelling.

If the bite area becomes worse over time, it may be infected. Treating an infection may require antibiotics.

Call a doctor if you:

• have symptoms that get worse over time or do not heal after a few weeks
• develop symptoms like fever, body aches, or chills in addition to physical symptoms on your skin (a sign of an infection)
• experience an allergic reaction with more exaggerated symptoms like difficulty breathing or swollen areas of your body, especially of your throat

Medical emergency

Extreme allergic reactions may cause anaphylactic shock. Call 911 and go to the nearest emergency room.

Severe infections from a bite can also be serious so if you develop a high fever and other symptoms that make you concerned, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The best way to manage bed bugs and chiggers is to avoid bites in the first place.

Bed bugs

Bed bug removal requires fumigation. If you have bed bugs in your home, call a professional to kill the bugs, because they can live for several months between feedings.

Keep spaces where bed bugs may live clean. Cleaning regularly will help you spot signs of bed bugs.

If you are traveling and worried about bed bugs, consider sleeping in clothing that covers most of your skin. You can also use an insect repellant.

Chiggers

Limit your exposure to chiggers by avoiding contact with grasses and weeds. Do not sit directly on lawns, and make sure to keep your landscaping maintained. Overgrown yards can contribute to more chiggers.

Wear bug spray and dress in clothing that covers most of your body when you’re outside. This may include tucking your pants into your socks or wearing gloves tucked into long-sleeved shirts.

Both bed bugs and chiggers are tiny parasites that can cause uncomfortable pimple-like bumps on your skin. These bites may cause a few days of irritation, but they are generally not harmful in the long term. Try to avoid scratching the bites to reduce chances of infection, and use home remedies and over-the-counter medications to soothe symptoms.

Chigger Bites Vs. Bed Bug Bites: Telling Them Apart

You may notice groups of small raised bumps on your skin and suspect that you’ve been bitten by a bug. Two culprits may be bed bugs and chiggers. These two bugs are parasites, living off the blood of people or animals.

Their bites may look similar, but bed bugs and chiggers live in much different environments. Generally, bed bug and chigger bites are irritating and uncomfortable but not a risk to your overall health.

Bed bugs live near sleeping quarters. You may find evidence of bed bugs if you notice brown or red spots on your sheets. You may also smell something sweet and musty if bed bugs are nearby.

Chiggers group in clusters. When they attach to your body, they may feed off of it for several hours or days if you do not wash yourself or scratch them off. You may feel them on your skin and never see them because of their microscopic size.

Physical symptoms of bed bug bites:

• occur a few days or up to two weeks after the bites
• look like bites from other bugs like mosquitos and fleas
• are a bit raised, inflamed, and red in color
• itch
• appear in clusters or in a zig zag line
• show up most often on skin exposed during sleep

You may also find that bed bug bites cause:

• sleeping trouble
• anxiety
• skin irritation

Not everyone will have the same symptoms from bed bug bites. Some people are more sensitive to bed bug bites and their symptoms may be worse.

Physical symptoms of chigger bites:

• appear as small pimples that are raised and dark red
• cause itchy skin that gets itchier over time
• are grouped in clusters around areas of your body where you wear tight clothing, such as the elastic of underwear or around your sock line

You may notice chigger bites change while healing. The center of the bite may appear to have a cap that oozes if scratched.

Some people bitten by chiggers may react more strongly to the bites.

Bed bugs

You may not know that you’ve been bitten by bed bugs unless you actually see evidence of them where you’ve slept. You likely will not feel a bite from bed bugs because they release a substance that numbs your skin and keeps any blood from running out of the bite area.

Chiggers

Chigger bites can last for a range of time, depending on your exposure and how long they stay on you. If you have chiggers on you for a short amount of time, the symptoms may be mild and last only a few days. However, chiggers that stay on you for a longer length of time, such as while you sleep, may cause more severe symptoms for a few weeks.

Both bed bug and chigger bites appear as raised, red, inflamed spots on your skin.

Bed bug bites appear most frequently near areas of exposed skin and may appear in lines or in random clusters.

Chigger bites are grouped together in locations near tight-fitting clothing.

Both bed bug and chigger bites will go away with time. Treatments focus on calming symptoms so you can be more comfortable.

Home remedies

The first line of treatment for both bed bug and chigger bites is to avoid scratching them and leaving them alone as much as possible.

Make sure to wash the affected area with warm, soapy water if you suspect chigger bites. This will make sure no chiggers remain on your skin.

You can apply cool compresses to the bites, such as a cool washcloth or towel.

Medical treatment

There are many over-the-counter medication options to reduce bed bug and chigger bite symptoms.

Try pain-relieving medications like acetaminophen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to calm discomfort associated with the bites. NSAIDs also relieve inflammation.

Topical creams, ointments, and lotions may soothe the itch caused by bed bugs and chiggers. These include those containing steroids, like hydrocortisone.

An oral antihistamine may help control itching or swelling.

If the bite area becomes worse over time, it may be infected. Treating an infection may require antibiotics.

Call a doctor if you:

• have symptoms that get worse over time or do not heal after a few weeks
• develop symptoms like fever, body aches, or chills in addition to physical symptoms on your skin (a sign of an infection)
• experience an allergic reaction with more exaggerated symptoms like difficulty breathing or swollen areas of your body, especially of your throat

Medical emergency

Extreme allergic reactions may cause anaphylactic shock. Call 911 and go to the nearest emergency room.

Severe infections from a bite can also be serious so if you develop a high fever and other symptoms that make you concerned, seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The best way to manage bed bugs and chiggers is to avoid bites in the first place.

Bed bugs

Bed bug removal requires fumigation. If you have bed bugs in your home, call a professional to kill the bugs, because they can live for several months between feedings.

Keep spaces where bed bugs may live clean. Cleaning regularly will help you spot signs of bed bugs.

If you are traveling and worried about bed bugs, consider sleeping in clothing that covers most of your skin. You can also use an insect repellant.

Chiggers

Limit your exposure to chiggers by avoiding contact with grasses and weeds. Do not sit directly on lawns, and make sure to keep your landscaping maintained. Overgrown yards can contribute to more chiggers.

Wear bug spray and dress in clothing that covers most of your body when you’re outside. This may include tucking your pants into your socks or wearing gloves tucked into long-sleeved shirts.

Both bed bugs and chiggers are tiny parasites that can cause uncomfortable pimple-like bumps on your skin. These bites may cause a few days of irritation, but they are generally not harmful in the long term. Try to avoid scratching the bites to reduce chances of infection, and use home remedies and over-the-counter medications to soothe symptoms.

MEMO FOR PARENTS “Caution! DANGEROUS INSECTS!”

PARENT’S REFERENCE “Caution! DANGEROUS INSECTS!”

Fresh air and warm sun are very good for children, but the world around us is full of dangers. One of these dangers is insect bites.

General information

Insects are called living organisms from the order of arthropods, they inhabit almost all continents. Of all the living creatures on our planet, insects are the most numerous.

There is no person who has never experienced an insect bite in his life. The consequences of a bite depend primarily on the type of insect and, secondly, on the individual characteristics of the organism. For some children, the bite of the most common mosquito can be deadly.

The reaction of the human body is caused not by the fact of piercing the skin, but by the substances that insects inject during the bite. The purpose of bites can be both defensive and food (bloodsucking).

Which insects can be dangerous?

The main danger for adults and children is the bites of hymenoptera insects: bees, wasps, bumblebees, hornets, red ants. These insects sting exclusively in self-defense. During a bite, poison enters the human body, consisting of active proteins and other components, which are often strong allergens. The body responds to the introduction of these substances with redness, pain and swelling of the tissues. According to statistics, four times more people die from bee and wasp stings than from snake bites.

Different insects attack in different ways. So, wasps and bees sting with a sting, while the latter die, since the sting, together with the stinging apparatus, remains in the wound. Ants inject poison by biting with their jaws, and they can bite as many times as they like. When bitten by bloodsucking (mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, bedbugs), a person experiences discomfort. But at the same time, some of them are also carriers of dangerous infections.

Mosquito bite first aid

The sting of a mosquito in itself is not dangerous to the human body. However, the mosquito is a carrier of various diseases. Human blood is food for this insect. After a mosquito bite, along with the poison, a substance enters the human body that does not allow blood to clot, which in turn allows the mosquito to eat without any obstacles. As a result of a small allergic reaction, a blister and redness may appear at the site of the bite.

What to do after a bite?

1. Make a strong solution of baking soda and periodically treat the itchy area.

2. Lubricate bites with alcohol tincture of calendula, boric alcohol, tomato juice.

3. Make a cold lotion.

4. For multiple bites, take an antihistamine.

5. An antihistamine, fenistil or fukortsin (they relieve itching and even eliminate nettle burns) should definitely be kept in a first-aid kit or in the country.

Traditional methods for mosquito bites

1. Treat with sour cream or kefir.

2. Apply a bird cherry or plantain leaf to the bite site.

3. Lubricate the affected area with Star Balm.

Stings of wasps, bees and bumblebees

As already mentioned, stinging insects bite in self-defense. In this case, wasps can sting many times. In bees and bumblebees, the sting is covered with notches that slow it down in the body. Together with the sting, the stinging apparatus also escapes from the body of the insect. Poison is sprayed out of it for another 3-5 minutes, so the sting should be immediately removed from the wound. At the site of the bite, the body turns red, swells, hurts and becomes hot. With individual sensitivity to bee venom, body temperature may rise, nausea, headache, coordination may be disturbed, and lethargy and fever may appear. In especially severe cases, even one bite is enough to start an asthma attack and even anaphylactic shock.

What to do after a bite?

1.First of all, if the sting is left at the bite site, it must be removed. For this, tweezers are best suited, but you can also use improvised means, having previously disinfected them with alcohol or vodka.

2. Then cold should be applied to the bite site, you can make a lotion with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (light lilac).

3. Take an antihistamine. For example “Zirtek”, “Suprastin”, “Fenistil”, or “Claritin”. See instructions for dosage and age restrictions.

Single stings usually go away in 2-3 days. With multiple bites, if the child is stung in the mouth or throat (which is fraught with swelling of the larynx and suffocation), as well as with the appearance of general toxic symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

Folk remedies for bee, wasp, and bumblebee stings

1. Chew and stick a plantain leaf on the affected area.

2. Tie a crushed dandelion leaf to the bite site.

3. Attach parsley leaves to the affected area. This will eliminate pain and swelling. 4. Cut a raw onion and attach it with a cut to the bite. Leave overnight.

Home bug bites

Small, wingless insects called bugs originated from parasites that live in the nests of birds and bats. Tiny bugs readily move through voids in walls, pipes and elevator shafts. Their small size allows them to hide in the tiniest of crevices. Bed bugs are commonly found in bedding and sleeping areas. Bed bugs prefer warm, humid climates and may not be very active during the winter months.

It is not uncommon for a bedbug bite to be mistaken for a mosquito bite or even an allergy. Bedbugs like to settle in hard-to-reach corners: in cracks, under skirting boards, in cracks in furniture, behind paintings and wallpaper. During the day they can be found only if you look carefully. Bed bugs prefer to dine at night when their prey is easily accessible. Salivary proteins get on the skin when they bite you and cause an allergic reaction. The bug bite is absolutely painless, as it injects an anesthetic into the wound. Sometimes a bug, in order to drink blood, pierces the body in several places, because it can not immediately find a close vessel. Bed bugs carry diseases such as tuberculosis, plague, anthrax, and smallpox.

What to do?

If bedbugs are found, there are only two options to get rid of them: move to another dwelling for a while or call pest control specialists. You can process the apartment yourself. But for this you need to get a protective suit and a respirator, gloves and a spray device. Absolutely all objects, walls and floors must be treated with a solution. That is, all surfaces and cracks. Approximately 100 ml of solution is used per square meter of upholstered furniture and carpets and half as much for floors, walls, wooden unupholstered furniture. If you process the room in parts, then cunning bugs will simply move to surfaces that have not yet been processed. Therefore, processing should be carried out immediately and everywhere. Be sure to immediately process the door jambs, ventilation ducts. After disinfection, all windows should be opened and left for ventilation. During processing, pets, plants and, of course, people should be removed. After airing it is necessary to wipe with a wet cloth all the places that you touch. Sometimes not all bedbugs die immediately, the drug acts in a week or even a month, it all depends on which drug is chosen.

Domestic flea bites

Fleas are parasites that feed on the blood of their hosts. The reason for close contact between people and fleas is pets, cats and dogs.

How to identify a flea bite

Flea bites are often confused with allergic reactions, bed bugs and spider bites. However, a thorough inspection of the bite is the first step to identifying the culprit. Careful inspection will indicate a puncture in the center of the bite. This will help you distinguish between flea bites and ant and tick bites, as their bites leave two holes in the skin. The presence of punctures also helps distinguish a bite from an allergic reaction.

Symptoms

– within half an hour of the bite, the skin swells at the site of the flea bite;

– the bite is red and very itchy. You can observe a rash on the skin around the affected area;

– within a day or two, the bite site may turn into a boil or small sore;

– rash may grow, but it takes a long time, small bumps of bites may bleed;

– secondary infection may result from itching and scratching of the affected area;

– in some cases, people may have a very severe reaction to the sting, symptoms include chest pain, severe swelling, difficulty breathing, hives, and so on;

– Flea bites can be found around the waist, neck, ankles, underarms and in the crook of the elbows and knees.

Treatment

Pet owners are very familiar with fleas. However, this does not mean that people without pets are protected from parasite bites. All people are affected to some extent by flea bites. Here are some solutions to help you relieve the symptoms of a bite: 1. First of all, you must resist the urge to scratch the bite. Flea bites are extremely itchy, and scratching them increases the risk of infection.

2. Once you have determined that it is a flea bite, wash the affected area under cold water and mild soap. Then pat the area dry. This solution will help reduce the risk of infection. Avoid hot water as it causes itching.

3. Ice should be applied to the affected area to reduce swelling.

4. If itching is severe, you could take an oral antihistamine. It will help reduce the allergic reaction the body sets off in response to the bite. 5 You may be able to detect and remove adult fleas from your dog or cat’s coat. These parasites multiply at an amazing rate. Spraying your surroundings with a spray can help you get rid of fleas in no time.

Tick bite

Ticks are small arachnids. They are very small in size and are usually difficult to see until they suck on blood. But then it’s already too late. Getting on the human body, the tick does not immediately dig into his skin, but crawls for a long time, looking for the most tender places (where the skin is thin). Most often, it digs into the groin, armpits, neck, collarbones, abdomen and back. Its bite is completely insensitive, because the saliva of the tick contains an anesthetic.

Unlike mosquitoes, which immediately fly away after sucking blood, ticks stick for three to four days. From drunk blood, ticks swell greatly, increasing in size by three to four times, and only then fall off.

Symptoms of an encephalitic tick bite

The bite is usually recognized by a black dot on the skin – this is the belly of the sucking insect. A white spot is often located around it, and rashes appear along its edges.

A few days (from 5 to 25) after being bitten by an encephalitic tick, a person’s body temperature rises to 38-39degrees, a headache makes itself felt, muscle pain appears at the site of the bite. Often, all this happens against the background of increased sweating, stool disorders, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, pain in the eyes. If you find yourself with all these symptoms, you should urgently consult a doctor and take the antibiotic injections prescribed by him.

What to do if he sucked?

1. Do not drip any oils or alcohols on the tick. In such a situation, the insect will try to defend itself by injecting more poison into the body.

2. Take the insect with tweezers (in extreme cases, fingers) and unscrew it like a screw. This method gives a 100% result. Just don’t pull it, just twist it.

3. After removing the insect, you need to carefully examine the wound – if the proboscis of the insect has remained in it. Then treat with alcohol.

4. Give the victim an antihistamine.

5. If the region is unfavorable for encephalitis, it is advisable to immediately contact the clinic after the bite.

Why are domestic ants dangerous for humans?

Red ants are the most common type of ants, and it is almost impossible to avoid contact with them, and as a rule, no amount of home decoration will help to get rid of them completely.

Ants safely settle in any heated room, and safely feed on everything they have – both dead insects and leftover food will do. At the same time, the ant family has several million individuals, of which there are more than two thousand females. Ants of all kinds are very prolific, while their females live quite a long time. Ants usually settle under baseboards and in crevices, but they can also settle in a much more unusual place that they find convenient: there are cases when an ant’s nest was found in a tea box, in a photo album or in a laptop.

In addition to red ants, parasitic infections are spread by six more species: soddy, black garden and pale garden ants live in the soil, but during the mating season their winged individuals fly into windows, the odorous woodworm ant and the shiny woodworm ant live in dry branches, stumps , wooden walls, and the yellow odorous ant settles in the cellars, where it has the opportunity to come into contact with food. And they can all carry salmonellosis, dysentery and typhoid, except for helminth eggs. In search of food, ants spoil food, exposing people to serious danger.

What to do?

You can get rid of uninvited guests with the help of chemicals – pastes, pencils, traps, baits, you can also water the nests with boiling water or, on the contrary, cool them sharply. Try to get rid of unnecessary things in time and make repairs as often as possible. This will reduce the chance of having such dangerous neighbors.

Who is biting?

Latest news

What insect bites are the most dangerous? Ticks can carry dangerous diseases, and bees and mosquitoes can cause allergies. What if you were bitten by a flea or a bedbug? How to distinguish insects by bites and what to do?

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To repel mosquitoes, keep in mind that they don’t like clove, basil, eucalyptus, and anise scents. Swelling after a bite is removed with a soothing ointment.

Mosquito bite

The consequences of this bite are well understood by many – a dense, swollen, slightly reddened bump that itches a lot and constantly reminds of itself. This is nothing more than an allergic reaction to mosquito proteins that have entered our bloodstream. Usually several bites appear at once, since mosquitoes rarely fly one at a time, and even one, taking advantage of your inattention, will definitely suck several times. To relieve swelling and itching after a mosquito bite, you can anoint the area with a soothing ointment.

Tick bite

The tick feeds on blood for several days. Once on the body, he makes his way to vulnerable places with the thinnest skin – in the groin, armpits, neck, behind the ears or on the scalp. Typical signs of a bite: a red, round spot about 1 cm in diameter, oval in shape and with uneven outlines, a black dot in the center, swelling and burning at the site of the bite for 7 days. It is important to remove the tick in the first 48 hours (then the risk of contracting dangerous infections is much less), it is important to entrust this to professionals, and the culprit must be submitted for research.

Flea bite

Many people think in vain that fleas are the inhabitants of brothels and shelters. Each dermatologist can tell many cases when quite respectable people living in good conditions were attacked by these small bloodsuckers. Neighbors, children, pets – this is an incomplete list of those who can bring fleas into the house. Flea bites are small red bumps that appear in groups of 3-4 and are accompanied by severe itching. To get rid of unpleasant symptoms, you need to wash the bite area with soapy water and spread with zinc cream or other ointment that relieves itching.

Bed bug bite

Bed bug infestations occasionally occur in our time, but, as practice shows, travelers, in a hotel or private apartments are most likely to encounter them. Bedbug bites are multiple, but still not as many as after a flea attack, they are larger in size, have blurred boundaries, and allergy sufferers may experience severe redness, swelling and itching.

Bee or wasp sting

The venom of these insects is not dangerous to humans, but is extremely painful. At the site of the bite, there is pronounced redness, swelling, and the local temperature of the skin rises. The only real danger is the development of an allergic reaction to the components of the poison, which can result in severe local edema, systemic Quincke’s edema, in which the passage of air through the respiratory tract is disturbed, and even deadly anaphylactic shock. After a bee sting, the sting may or may not remain on the skin, but the wasp always takes the sting with it. At the same time, the bee sting is able to secrete poison for a few more minutes, so it is important to remove it as quickly as possible with tweezers. Treat the bite site with an antiseptic, it would be useful to take an antihistamine tablet.

Ant sting

Here you can meet completely different ants – from small “garden” to large “forest”. But the most inconspicuous baby bites quite painfully. By injecting acid under the skin, the offender causes a strong burning sensation, reminiscent of a nettle burn. The consequences are also similar – a dense white seal appears at the site of the bite, around which reddening of the skin appears. To get rid of discomfort, you can anoint the bite site with hydrocortisone ointment.

4 types of reactions to bites

• Lungs – urticaria, itching, malaise.
• Moderate – shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness, vomiting join.
• Severe – in addition there are choking, swallowing disorders, wheezing, fear of death.
• Shock – loss of consciousness, drop in blood pressure, dysfunction of organs.
• The cause of swelling and itching at the bite site is tissue infiltration with lymphocytes and eosinophils.

• Health
• Insect Bites
• Insects

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