I Keep Getting Bitten by Unknown Bugs

emeraldgreen on 28/10/2019 - 19:24

These past 2 months I started to be bitten by some unknown bugs and I'm getting devastated.

Symptoms:
Every day I get one (exactly one) new bite on either my arm or leg. The itchiness comes and goes but most of the time these bites are not itchy. I tried to google up the bite marks but they don't match anything on the internet, it's definitely not bed bug. The bite marks are far away from flea bites but I'm uncertain if it's flea.

Causes:
The source of the bug is unclear. It started after I came back from a trip to Kenya but at the same time, my housemate's cat started to go into my room occasionally and jumped on my bed twice. But then I just moved into this place in July and summer is coming so it can also be the bug starting to reproduce in spring (???)

Treatments (attempts):
I already used a flea bomb in my room, vacuumed the carpet, dry cleaned my blankets, washed and sundried my bed sheets and pillow, vacuumed and sprayed insect repellent onto the mattress. I even replaced everything on my bed except my (expensive and newly bought) mattress and my foam pillow. There wasn't any trace of a bug anywhere (no poo, no blood stain).

Other information:
I was away for 2 weeks in early Oct and I stopped getting bitten but once I'm home, I became their meal again. My boyfriend who stayed overnight twice didn't get bitten at all.

What else can I do to stop this madness? This is driving me insane not knowing what it is.

tl;dr I keep getting bitten by some bugs, don't know what it is, tried multiple ways to get rid of the bug but failed. Need advice.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • crentist on 28/10/2019 - 19:50
    +3

    pics? been to doc?
    could be an allergy?

  • Changskies on 28/10/2019 - 19:56
    +1

    Hey, maybe it's an allergy. So when I found stray cats in a box ages ago, I thought it was flea bites since it was getting itchy, red with no definite bite marks. Did exactly what you did - turns out I have a severe cat saliva / hair allergy and was getting rashes! Take anti histamines, vaccuum the shit out of your room, put through washes on allergy cycle (60 degrees celcius I recall), see how it goes.

  • wizzy on 28/10/2019 - 20:02
    +9

    I had a similar problem many years ago when we moved into a new house. I kept getting one or two bites on my legs every day. My husband had nothing.

    The previous owners had a cat and I was pretty sure the bites were from fleas. I sprayed, vacuumed and cleaned everything, but it didn't stop the problem. Eventually my husband spoke to a vet who told him that fleas lay eggs in carpets. When you walk on the carpet, the heat from your body causes the eggs to hatch and the fleas jump onto you and bite you. According to the vet, flea spray and vacuuming doesn't kill the eggs in carpet - you have to wash the carpet with water.

    Once I had the carpet steam cleaned the problem was eliminated.

    My husband was most likely getting bitten the whole time too, but he was not reacting to the bites and therefore not noticing them. I was the only one getting redness and itching.

    • WT on 29/10/2019 - 08:56
      +2

      you can also use borax on carpets as a home remedy. Sprinkle it on and leave it for 3-7 days then vac it up.

      The way it works is the borax absorbs the moisture from the eggs killing them

      Once done ask your room mate to flea treat (search which ones work) and bath the cat and either keep it 100% indoors or 100% outdoors or the problem will come back since they will pick up fleas from grass.

      worked for us

      • try2bhelpful on 29/10/2019 - 14:56

        You don't need to bath the cat, you just need the drops behind the back of the neck. However, I would like to see the video if you do decide to bath the cat.

        • WT on 31/10/2019 - 11:25

          we used to bath her a fair bit (weekly) until we sorted out the flea cycle, now she gets one maybe once a season.

          There is a trick to it, you have to use a shower with a door, sliding is best. Use a bucket and cup for poring water. Bath tubs and sinks are the best way to get clawed. A shower traps them and they are left with meowing.

          • try2bhelpful on 31/10/2019 - 11:51

            @WT: It is MUCH easier to just use the drops behind the back of the neck.

            • wizzy on 31/10/2019 - 12:06

              @try2bhelpful: Yes the drops are much easier. I find that I don't even have to use them once per month. I give them to our cat once every few months and she never gets fleas.

              When I was a kid my mum used to give the cat a bath (flea drops didn't exist - or at least they weren't easy to get or were too expensive or something). I remember it being an awful experience for everyone.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/10/2019 - 20:12
    +1

    Tsetse fly larvae.

  • Sammy2000 on 28/10/2019 - 20:19
    +1

    Has the cat been treated for fleas?

    • try2bhelpful on 28/10/2019 - 20:46
      +1

      The drops on the back of the neck work well for treating fleas on animals.

      • gooddealmate on 28/10/2019 - 21:07
        +5

        Or if you haven't got the cat anymore, just drip a few behind your own neck.

        • try2bhelpful on 29/10/2019 - 14:57

          I see a comedianne talking about his at one point. She felt guilty about putting flea collars on the cat because she was the one that went out so they were probably getting them from her.

  • Ghost47 on 28/10/2019 - 20:27
    +5

    Could be fleas I reckon.

    Easy test is to leave a plate of water on the floor with some drops of detergent in it. Place a lamp right over it overnight. The fleas will jump to the light, land in the plate and drown.

    Had fleas ages ago, (profanity) worst.

    • emeraldgreen on 28/10/2019 - 21:36
      +2

      Thanks, I'll do the test tonight.

      • Ghost47 on 29/10/2019 - 19:41

        How did it go?

        • emeraldgreen on 29/10/2019 - 20:50
          +4

          Found one flea in the dish. Gonna treat the carpet this weekend.

          • Ghost47 on 30/10/2019 - 12:38

            @emeraldgreen: Good to see you figured out what's causing the bites, good luck with treating the carpet.

  • lubos on 28/10/2019 - 20:52
    +2

    Another suspect: Bird mites

    A friend of mine was going insane for several months from mysterious bites. The problem has been a bird nest on the roof which was close to her bedroom window.

  • Kaz0551 on 28/10/2019 - 20:52
    +1

    Asian? My wife and daughter are walking bug meals while they completely ignore me. Bugs love Asian blood.

    • capslock janitor on 30/10/2019 - 22:12
      +1

      We Asians also love eating bugs. Circle of life…

  • Eeples on 28/10/2019 - 21:12

    Does the cat go outside?

    • emeraldgreen on 28/10/2019 - 21:25

      Yes he goes outside. But he sleeps in bed with my housemate and she seems alright…

  • hawkeye on 28/10/2019 - 21:13
    -3

    Get rid of BF he'd be full of lice and immuned to it.
    Same deal renting motorbikes with helmet lice around inside the liner and fake grass holds lice

  • Eeples on 28/10/2019 - 21:14

    I suggest Permethrin cream for 24hrs. That stuff will kill anything.

    Also throw out all sheets and blankets and the whole bed. It is about time it needed a make-over anyways.

    • kmwa on 29/10/2019 - 13:09

      I occasionally get bites on the neck, arms and chest which appear overnight. I suspect it is kangaroo ticks which attach while I'm gardening or are brought into the house by the cats. When I get bitten, it seems to continue every night for a week or so.
      Now, when I get bitten in bed, I pull back the sheets in the morning and spray the bedding lightly with Brunnings Ready To Use Ant Kill (available at Bunnings). The active ingredient is permethrin. I find that this is very effective in preventing any more biting.
      Yes, it does say "Not to be used for any purpose or in any manner contrary to this label unless authorised" etc. so use it at your own risk.
      But a common use for permethrin is for soaking clothing and mosquito netting as an insecticide (at a higher price for the same active ingredient), so I think the risk is tolerable.
      Permethrin in high doses is toxic to cats. At this low dose, the cat would probably be quite safe, but it would be wise to keep it out of your bedroom anyway, and away from any treated bedding.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/10/2019 - 21:17

    My boyfriend who stayed overnight twice didn't get bitten at all.

    Mosquitoes? I was bitten so badly last summer - every night, for a week - whereas my husband escaped unscathed. We subsequently found out that rain water was pooling in the new gutter - it wasn't installed properly (no fall) so became a mozzie haven.

    Check whether there are any water sources near your bedroom, including leaking pipes.

  • ihbh on 28/10/2019 - 21:31

    Move in with your boyfriend?

  • emeraldgreen on 28/10/2019 - 21:47
    +2

    I really appreciate everyone's input. It's relieving knowing what actions to take now! Thanks heaps!!!

  • Oz em on 28/10/2019 - 22:05
    +1

    Bed bugs from travel?

    • modsec802 on 28/10/2019 - 22:27

      I was going to say bed bugs

  • white-rhino on 28/10/2019 - 22:18
    +2

    crabs

  • hawkeye on 28/10/2019 - 22:21
    -4

    Could be the start of HIV they say it comes from there and so many here have come. I'd go see a doctor at the best could be dengue fever

  • minksta on 28/10/2019 - 22:28

    Some of the other possibilities perhaps more likely but just to know it is possible also for the bed to be a thoroughfare for ants as they are often up against a wall where ants may be travelling. It happened to me a couple of years ago..

  • sim777 on 29/10/2019 - 01:14
    +1

    Can you try have a look at the cats skin around it's tail base/back (separate the hair and see if you can see any small black dirt-like pieces. If so - grab a white tissue and remove some of the black particles and drop a small bit of water on top. If the black pieces turn red then its flea poo and the most likely cause of your bites are secondary to fleas. Very easy to kill the fleas on the cat but over 90% of the flea population will be in the environment (ie. carpets, bedding, couch, bed ect). Flea eggs are deep in the carpet so make sure you vacuum thoroughly

  • Zachary on 29/10/2019 - 10:23

    Reminds me of my mysterious bite problems…they looked like two fang marks like as if I was bit by a very small snake (you know how snakes have those two hellish long teeth right?) in the exact same place every two days on my index finger… Found out it was some spiders that happen to have fed on me whilst I slept as I found them out and killed their asses. No more bite marks since, and hence I concluded it was so…

    EDIT: I should probably add I later found out they were breeding and there like a dozen more of those bastards….so I'll be expecting future bite marks to pursue for retribution of killing their parents and friends….

  • reactor-au on 29/10/2019 - 14:54

    Boy friend sounds suspect, could be vampire

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