whitestavern Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 (edited) I live in the northeast. A couple of weeks ago I took my dog for a walk. Went on trails through woods and long grass. The following day I had itchy bumps in groups on my ankles, butt and lower back. I also had a few lone bumps in a couple of places on my arms and legs. They were the size of pimples-maybe a tiny bit bigger/and were insanely itchy. Definitely not mosquito bites nor poison ivy. I did a google search to try to determine what they were. Chiggers and bed bugs looked like possibilities. Now I have a clean bed and dh has no bites but we did check the bed carefully and found nothing. I didn’t think chiggers were up this far north but my search indicates it’s a possibility. Problem is, this was over two weeks ago and I still have them. They don’t itch much and most look like they’re getting smaller and/or fading but they are there. And I can’t be sure but it’s possible I may have a new one here or there. So for those familiar with chiggers: does this sound like them? Can they be found this far north? Can their bites last 2+ weeks? Any other ideas of what I could be dealing with? TIA for any help! Edited September 6 by whitestavern Added details Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 The location on the body seems like it could be chiggers. Itchiness can definitely last 2 weeks with them. And the fact you’re getting new bites/bumps this much later can also point to chiggers. (Scratching the bites can cause the chiggers to relocate to a new spot and burrow in there). But I’ve always been in the southern part of the country, so I have no idea if they’re in your location! I hope your itching goes away soon. A bleach bath can help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Sounds exactly like chiggers. Start at legs, wander up until they hit the panty elastic. Or if you get into tall vegetation, you can have them on your torso. Usuallya whole bunch, there'snever just a single chigger. Chiggers bites are notorious for lasting several weeks. My DH and DD are very allergic and develop fluid filled blisters. Nasty bugs. The worst. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 1 hour ago, mmasc said: . (Scratching the bites can cause the chiggers to relocate to a new spot and burrow in there). This is inaccurate. Chiggers do not burrow into the skin. yes, the bites can last 2 weeks. You have my sympathy, op, chiggers are miserable and that what it sounds like you’ve gotten into. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachGal Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Sounds very much like chiggers, especially the intense itching. When I get bitten, I sleep with calamine lotion and other anti-itch creams on my nightstand because the itching will wake me up. Takes weeks to go away but days 2-3 are usually the worst. Then, I’ll have light purple spots for 1-2 months where they bit. This year many places will also have more oak leaf itch mites because of the cicadas. I find their bites to be less itchy though. Thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 For chiggers, my husband gets relief by using water as hot as you can stand to shower (hold the shower head over area). Sorry--they are nasty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Chiggers almost definitely. I feel ya, my friend, because I recently got them too and they are maddeningly itchy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie32 Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Definitely sounds like chiggers! They are miserable! As a PP said, really hot showers can help along with an anti itch lotion. We prefer Benadryl cream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 8 hours ago, fairfarmhand said: This is inaccurate. Chiggers do not burrow into the skin. yes, the bites can last 2 weeks. You have my sympathy, op, chiggers are miserable and that what it sounds like you’ve gotten into. I’d have to disagree here. My dh and I can both see chiggers, and we’ve “dug out” many of them. Yes, they get under the skin once it is inflamed. Digging a hole (in your skin) is pretty much the definition of burrow. And that’s what chiggers do—they dig a hole in your skin and inject it with irritating junk. (And no, I don’t think you can put clear finger nail polish on them and smother them.) But yeah, if I have to did something *out* of my skin with a needle, then I’m going with burrows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 1 hour ago, mmasc said: I’d have to disagree here. My dh and I can both see chiggers, and we’ve “dug out” many of them. Yes, they get under the skin once it is inflamed. Digging a hole (in your skin) is pretty much the definition of burrow. And that’s what chiggers do—they dig a hole in your skin and inject it with irritating junk. (And no, I don’t think you can put clear finger nail polish on them and smother them.) But yeah, if I have to did something *out* of my skin with a needle, then I’m going with burrows. I was reading about chiggers after this thread yesterday and I read that they aren’t actually capable of digging themselves under the skin, but that because they are so tiny, when a bite swells, it can envelop the chigger so that it seems to have burrowed down into the skin. Awful little buggers either way! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted September 6 Author Share Posted September 6 Thank you, all. Definitely sounds like chiggers. They are horrible! Not sure I could ever live down south lol. I can’t believe the bites can last so long. And while they aren’t still really itchy, if I put on socks and shoes or rub a bite by mistake they do start to itch again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachGal Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 Spring is usually the worst time for chiggers because they are super hangry. I get probably over 100 bites each spring. Not kidding. They are terrible little monsters. They look like itty bitty red spiders. I'm just grateful that they don't spread disease. Deet does nothing to protect me. Nothing at all. Even wearing socks over my pants does not help much because they just scamper up to my waist or bra area and bite me there. It only takes them about 15" to move from the ankle to the waist. What I have found to help prevent bites is to snuggly wrap very sticky tape sticky side out around my ankles over my socks that are tucked over my pants. Then, I make sure my shirt is tucked in. When I'm done working outside, I immediately take a bath or shower or wipe myself down with a wet cloth to dislodge them in case they are there. Their bites are drawn out because they have to spend some time dissolving skin cells. My clothes go into a plastic bag that is tied until I can wash them. I am thinking that naked gardening could be protective or maybe wearing a very loose muumuu. Maybe I will try the muumuu approach this spring and see how it goes. Here is more information about chiggers in case you're wondering: https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef630 Chiggers are parasites that feed on digested skin cells. They are the immature larval stage of a predatory mite. When chiggers are on their host, they will insert a tube-like mouthpart into the skin. Then, they will pump in their “saliva” which will dissolve the nearby skin cells. After this, they will slurp up the resulting skin slurry. This can happen over the course of 2-4 days. It is important to note that chiggers are external parasites. The mite doesn’t burrow into the skin. The effects of chigger feeding are much more noticeable than the chigger itself. Bites are usually located in areas with thinner skin, or an area being constricted by clothing. Common bite sites are the ankles, behind knees, the groin area, the waistband area, in armpits, and around bra lines. The effects of being bitten may not appear for 12-24 hours after exposure to the chiggers. The area bitten can be inflamed and hardened, with a reddish hue. The center may have a red dot and be sunken, they could be red and slightly raised, they may also develop a large pustule that can pop like a blister. Different individuals may react differently to bites from parasites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 As a different possibility…fleas, especially if you were walking where people frequently take dogs. Some people are sensitive and some people are more likely to be targeted. You can be the only mammal in the whole house suffering even if another mammal brought them in—sometimes people don’t even know there are fleas in their yard or their home until the “right” unlucky person walks into it and gets attacked. Flea bites are small and can itch on and off super intensely for weeks. Signed, the human flea detector Keeping the area cool helps. I also like the campho phenique bug bite stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted September 6 Share Posted September 6 What we found very helpful against chiggers is to wash feet and legs and rub them down with a rough towel immediately after coming inside from gardening. The chiggers don't latch on immediately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamonlyone Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 It could be oak mites, although the location of the bites doesn't sound quite right. I had never heard of them, and they weren't in my state until 2004, but the bites are smaller than chigger bites and the itch and spots last longer. I am not a fan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popmom Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 (edited) Chiggers are pretty miserable. I think Xyzal or Zyrtec (if you tolerate it) plus topical cortisone is the best you can do. Wait…there’s a product called ChiggerX that’s good. Walmart carries a generic version that’s called Chigger Relief, I think. It’s basically a topical anesthetic. I got chiggers in May this year in Florida on the Gulf coast. They are sneaky in that you don’t know you have them until hours later. Then it’s too late. We took the dogs to the beach at Fort Desoto Park (Pinellas County), and I’m pretty sure we got them in the picnic area near the dog friendly beach. Heads up to anyone thinking of visiting there. But yeah…look for ChiggerEx. Edited September 7 by popmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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