What's biting me?

Fruball

VoucherMan wrote: »

Thanks for comments / suggestions.

In reply-


While I agree there may still be eggs that I've missed I'm hoping that treating the house with Acclaim together with regular Frontline treatment will stop them making a comeback.
As for the bites, the fleas tended to hop onto my legs most of the time. I used to catch them & drown them. The current attacks aren't really in flea territory.


Never had many mozzies around here. Plus the bite patterns seem too regular.



I'll keep it in mind but I'd want to identify the creatures first.


Some of the articles I've read claim the bedbugs often have 3 bites 'breakfast, lunch & dinner'


I like spiders but these bites are usually over an inch apart. If there's a spider with fangs that big in the house then I'm moving out .:eek:


I did take the pillows out of the case for a look. They're as clean as the rest of the bed. There's likely to be a few resident dust mites, but nowhere for bedbugs to hide.


No garden just a small yard. Can't think of anything that would bite though.


I think the fang spacing may be about right but the bites are towards the back of my neck, nowhere near the jugular.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

That was my thought when I read Meritaten's reply!!! Spider bites do leave 2 marks but an inch apart :eek:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=giant+spider&view=detail&id=A990B68AB82B79E9BECCA4D6F435BB4660A09F3E

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

If the guttering outside your bedroom window is blocked with leaves, that would provide a convenient place for mozzies, as does a water butt, bit of standing water in somebody's recycling bin, etc.

And if you sleep on your side or front, the back of your neck is the first place they'll find.


Other than that, could the cats be standing on you or clawing at you for [strike]food[/strike] attention overnight? I sleep through mine trying their luck.

I'd comb through the cats just on the offchance, standing them/pinning them down on a white pillowcase to see if there are any dots of flea crap. One of mine never appears to have any illegal aliens onboard, even when I know full well they are hitching a ride on the puffball somewhere because the other two have dropped a couple.

LameWolf

On the offchance that it is female mozzies....

I used to get eaten alive by mozzies, then a friend (a fellow lupus patient) told me she's found that eating Marmite keeps them at bay - apparently, it makes you taste unpleasant to mozzies. I now have a spoonful of Marmite every morning, and have been blessedly bite-free this year.:T

Of course, this is no use if you hate Marmite.......:cool:

I hope you identify the culprit soon.:o

Pink.

Nobody on an internet forum can tell you what's biting you. Why not go and see your GP who will not only be able to identify the bites but also be able to tell you how to treat them.

Pink

Justamum

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

If the guttering outside your bedroom window is blocked with leaves, that would provide a convenient place for mozzies, as does a water butt, bit of standing water in somebody's recycling bin, etc.

They are the tiny wriggly things you can see in the water. I think it surprises people that we get mozzies in this country. I must say that I didn't know that we did until a few years ago! I don't think they'll be breeding at this time of year though will they?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Justamum wrote: »

They are the tiny wriggly things you can see in the water. I think it surprises people that we get mozzies in this country. I must say that I didn't know that we did until a few years ago! I don't think they'll be breeding at this time of year though will they?

Yes, yes they are. And yes, yes they can be - due to all the warm wet weather that we've seen throughout September, for a start.

VoucherMan

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Any chance of a photo of said bites?

It looks worse than it is. If I weren't so pale skinned it may not even show. The flash on the camera makes it stand out more. On the right is one that I scratched. Tape measure (inches) gives an idea of size.

Justamum wrote: »

Re mozzie bites,Someone I worked with told me it was because I had sweet blood - I was drinking at least one 2 litre bottle of fizzy drink every day

I don't drink much fizzy pop but have a very sweet tooth and there's little chance of me giving it up so hopefully not mozzies

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

as does a water butt,

Other than that, could the cats be standing on you or clawing at you for [strike]food[/strike] attention overnight? I sleep through mine trying their luck.

I'd comb through the cats just on the offchance, standing them/pinning them down on a white pillowcase to see if there are any dots of flea crap.

Had a look in the water butt. It looks clean but I decided to empty it anyway. I'll not be needing it for the next few months

No chance of interference from the cats at night. I keep the bedroom door shut so I don't have to listen to them racing up & down the stairs. They do tend to open the door in the morning when they think it's time for me to get up though.

As for combing the cats there's no problem as they both love being combed. Only difficulty is that while I'm combing one, the other wants in on the action. I have some old white sheets covering most of their sleeping areas. Makes it much easier to spot anything coming off the cats.

LameWolf wrote: »

eating Marmite keeps them at bay

Of course, this is no use if you hate Marmite.......:cool:

If that's true then it's definitely not mozzies.

I like to keep a few jars in case of emergency:)

Pink. wrote: »

Nobody on an internet forum can tell you what's biting you.

Why not go and see your GP who will not only be able to identify the bites but also be able to tell you how to treat them.

Possibly not but there may have been others with similar symptoms who could offer suggestions

As for the GP I'd be reluctant to visit. The bites are not painful or even irritating. If I didn't scratch them they'd clear up in a day or two. I may be wrong but I would not expect the local GP to be able to identify all bites anyway.
I'm more concerned with removing the cause than with treating the symptoms. If it gets bad I may have to call a pest controller but for now I'll keep on with DIY prevention. Just waiting for the can of insect killer to arrive to give it a try.

meritaten

The OP stated that 'the bites come in pairs about an inch apart - I 'assumed' the pairs were close together but there was at least an inch between bite marks! Like everyone else.........a spider with fangs that far apart would have me running screaming from the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol - teach me to read more carefully!

Just seen the pic - those are NOT bedbug bites! I dunno what else they could be - I would just want rid of whatever was biting!

babyshoes

If you suspect mosquitos, a good way to stop them breeding is to remove any small bits of standing water (even tiny areas like inside old tyres, puddles etc), or if you can't remove it easily (such as a water tank), then put a thin film of veg oil on top so the larvae can't breathe. Just make sure it spreads out over the whole surface.

From the photo I'd say they could be mosquito bites if you don't react badly to them - I tend to get a swollen, itchy area from them. Citronella candles are supposed to repel them.