goldberry Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 First, we live in Colorado at high altitude. As far as I know, there are no chiggers in our area, and few fleas or mosquitoes. We were cleaning the yard on Saturday. Mostly lots of pine needles. DD was wearing shorts, I was wearing capris. Saturday night, DD found several bites on her lower legs only. Very itchy. They were red with darker red centers, but swelled up when she scratched them kind of like mosquito bites. DH and I both did not get any bites of any kind, in spite of us all working in the same area. We thought no big deal... but new bites keep appearing every day! This is Wednesday and her legs are covered, she had FIVE new bites this morning. Googling has not helped. They do not look like scabies at all. Chiggers, even if we had them, usually go to covered and warm areas. (I am familiar with chiggers, used to live in the south.) Bed bugs we would see in the bed after all this time, and don't think they would be confined just to her lower legs. We checked her bed and did not see anything in the bed. We are going to wash all the bedding and the mass of clothes on the floor of her room. :glare: Any other suggestions? If it is something under the skin, is there something we can do to kill it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I don't know, but one of mine has allergic reactions to bug bites. So one or two little bites sometimes results in tons and tons of swelling and hives. It's pretty freaky looking. You could try a Zyrtec or Benadryl to see if it does anything. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) Sometimes mosquito bites take a while to show up on me. I was in the yard on Sunday night, and I noticed a couple of bites that evening, but the majority appeared overnight. I noticed them shaving my legs on Monday morning. They weren't super itchy until last night. I'm allergic to them at a certain point. (As in, if I get too many bites, my entire person swells and I need steroids.) That does sound like an extra long delay though. I agree with Sparkly re: trying some Zyrtec. Do you think it's possible the bites are causing a hive-like reaction? ETA: Poison oak? Edited May 25, 2016 by zoobie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 ETA: Poison oak? Pictures seem to look blistery, not like her bites. Also, would that still keep showing up after 4 days? I will have her start taking Zyrtec today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Is she allergic to pine? Maybe the pine needles poked her and her skin is reacting badly? I'm allergic to pine, and I know, for instance, that handling pine cones makes me very itchy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Could it be flea bites? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Do you have those pines with the really stiff needles? When those poke me, I sometimes get an ichy welt, especially if it happens when I am sweaty and sunscreeny. Heat rash? How is her tummy? Heat rash usually shows up there first in us. Sun poisoning? My sister gets this the first big dose of sun in the spring. (Then she goes on to tan deeply despite sunscreen and have no trouble with sun at all.) Reaction to a new sunscreen? The strandard answer to strange bites in my family is "spider bite". Especially if it is bites in a row. Especially if the show up in the morning. I'd change her bedding just in case. : ) Nan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 She did say specifically the pine needles were poking her legs. But days later could she still be having a reaction? We definitely are changing bedding and doing a full clean, vacuuming, etc in the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Could it be flea bites? I thought possibly, because they look like flea bites on the internet. But we've seen nothing in her room, and would they stay on just her lower legs? Also, we have two kitties and they are not scratching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Sounds like what we used to call "sand fleas" (not sure if they are different from dog/cat fleas or not). They live in the dirt and when you go outside, they'll jump on your feet and lower legs and bite tar out of you. Awful things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I know you said you're familiar with chiggers, but that was my very first thought with your description. Extremely itchy (way more than mosquito), itch lasts longer, and then new itchy spots are all red flags to me for chigger bites. Was she wearing socks? Also, not a lot of people know this (I didn't until I married DH and he told me!), but you can actually see chiggers with the naked eye and a strong flashlight. It will look like a very orange dot. If found, I can actually remove it with my fingernail or sometimes a needle. All of my children actually let me because removing it is way less miserable in the long run. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I thought possibly, because they look like flea bites on the internet. But we've seen nothing in her room, and would they stay on just her lower legs? Also, we have two kitties and they are not scratching. It's been years but, iirc, not every being reacts to flea bites. We had a run in with fleas and only DD and I reacted. We checked the cats and found flea dirt in their fur. I can't remember the best place to check on the cat...maybe their scruff? We only had bites on our lower legs but assumed it was because the cats slept by our feet. Hope you figure out the mystery! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 I just checked them again, and now they are in fact getting blistery and oozy. Still we checked the yard, and no poison oak or ivy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Chicken pox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I just checked them again, and now they are in fact getting blistery and oozy. Still we checked the yard, and no poison oak or ivy. With this info, I'm taking back my earlier chigger idea. That's a tricky one! Hope your DD gets relief soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Chicken pox? Isolated to lower legs. Plus vaccinated. Weird, huh? I think I'm leaning toward pine needle allergy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenneinCA Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 How is she feeling? I ask because many years ago I got bit by something and my legs got very very itchy to the point I couldn't sleep and was totally miserable. I went to a doctor and we figured out that I had gotten bit by black flies and that I was allergic to them. I ended up in big doses of antihistamines and steroids to knock the mega reaction I was having. After about three days I was a much happier person and I felt much better. I hope your daughter is not as itchy as I was. If she is that itchy, then the antihistamines and steroids really helped me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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