Being eaten alive.

[green_pea]

For the past hmm, well for the entirety of this year really, I've been getting bitten every day without fail. I only seem to get bitten on the legs though and was wondering if anyone else was getting the same thing?

There are a couple of possibilities of what this might be:

1) When we moved in (Oct 2010) there were thousands of tiny black midgie-like flies living in the light fittings (the people who had the house before us were proper scumbags and our landlords are just crap), however I only got one bite from October to January. These evil things have successfully killed all the squash/melon I've started off as seedlings inside (they laid their larvae in the soil and I guess the larvae ate the roots). But then, with regards to biting, why would they only bite me on the legs when there's a whole scrumptious body they could feast on (they can fly after all).

2) Second possible culprit is horse fly, out the back of the garden is a horse field, so it's possible. But then there have been days I haven't been out there and I've still been bitten. Plus I neurotically check my legs for any beasties now and they're pretty noticeable, haven't seen any.

3) Last culprit is something from my flatmates cupboard ecosystem, last time I went in there I found a load of teeny tiny things which looked like mites. Not entirely sure what they were but I found one had made it into the bathroom yesterday .

The weird bit is I'm the only one who is getting eaten, bed bugs love G, so if we had them he would have been the first to get bitten. They're really horrible bites, either swollen and dark like a bruise or a massive hole in the skin! We don't have animals, so probably not fleas . I've tried horrible bug repellent stuff but they just munched my thighs instead up to where the stuff was sprayed on.

I could post a picture of my legs if that would help?

[green_pea]

Oh my god, should really preview before submitting I meant the bites, it wasn't meant to sound suggestive!

[kit-e-kate]

Hi, sounds horrible! Someone told me once that vitamin B12( i think?) will help repel bitng monsters, so eat plenty of marmite! And i think that bites round you ankles and feet indicate fleas for sure, so it depend where on your legs they are. I reckon that if the previous occupants had pets, any fleas from them could still be on the go. I'd napalm the whole place if i were you!

[green_pea]

They don't seem to like ankles and feet, most of the bites are on the sides of my shins all the way up to the knee.

[boboff]

Umm, it's fleas.

My wife gets it allot, they leave me alone, but it is i would say 100% fleas.

Somewhere you are sitting they are there.

If you have pets then get some spot on or similar and vacuum the cracks in your sofa.

Anti Histamines do help reduce the swelling.

It's a bit emabarrasing with my wife as she can come away from friends with bites! They are oblivious!

Hope it gets better soon.

[Sydney]

We used to have a lot of fleas, they were in the carpets when we moved house! They can live in carpet and fabrics for ages.

You could try getting one of those pyrethrum sprays, we have one thats on a timer, so it goes off regularly. It keeps away fleas and lots of other nasties too.

[Green Aura]

If they are flea bites, and they certainly sound like they could be, I'd bomb the place! With a flea bomb of course

Not nice but they work in a very short space of time, will completely fumigate the whole room (including your black fly infestation) and, assuming you've no pets bringing them back in, will clean it up a treat. The problem with sprays and powders is it's so easy to miss a patch and they breed so quickly you'll soon have the same problem.

Just make sure you remove every living thing, animal and plant based.

[pelmetman]

It's probably fleas. Did the previous people have pets? I suspect as the weather has warmed up the eggs that the fleas lay at the edge of the carpets/skirtings have hatched.

Some years ago the MIL was away on holiday and her cat was at the cattery, we called in for some reason and as soon as I walked in wearing shorts I was smothered in fleas .....................We backed out quickly and did a trip to the shops and bought several cans of spray and sprayed all the carpets especially the edges. Cured the problem

MIL was mortified when we told her

Dave

[Millymollymandy]

If it was fleas, they'd be biting you all over. I've had plenty of flea attacks and they don't care what part of your body they go for, the telltale signs of them are 2-3 bites close to each other.

I have no idea what insect it could be only going for your legs. In the meantime put Jungle Formula all over your body and then get one of those insect bomb things, the kind where you have to leave the house for 4 hours!

[boboff]

But if you have on trousers or shorts or a skirt or what ever and they are on the floor, then you will more often than not get bitten where described with fleas. Or if you lie down then around your belly and on your arms. What Pea describes is exactly what my wife gets when she is in contact with fleas. She really does come up badly as well.

[green_pea]

guess the consensus is fleas then. I read somewhere (though for the life of me cannot find the article now) that chiggers (mite larvae) feed on thin skin such as shins, and are more likely to eat females as they're tastier/more delicate skinned. The pictures do look a lot like what I found in the cupboard. Can you see fleas?
Where do we get the ''bomb''? The house is going to be unoccupied for two months soon, would the fleas starve off or is that wishful thinking?

[Mrs Moustoir]

I sometimes get bitten by horseflies and those bites swell up really badly with a large-ish crater in the middle. Had one on my top lip last year and briefly had a real trout pout without cosmetic surgery. Normally you can hear them buzzing in for a snack and they have mouthparts like a hyperdermic needle! It is usually just one or two bites though as you can feel the little b*ggers tucking in.

Harvest mites/chiggers (or aoutats as they are known in France) do leave a trial of bites and as MMM will agree, they burn like hell! My daughter got severely bitten on her legs a few years ago after walking through a recently cut maize field. Nothing would take away the itch and she had to have a course of antihistamines from the doctor.

If you suspect fleas, look out for flea "dirt" or poo - little specs of reddy-brown dust stuff on pets/where pets sleep or even on your sheets. Bung some on a tissue and if it dissolves as a rusty red stain - you have fleas. Vacating the house won't help as flea eggs won't hatch until there is a food source...they lurk in furnishings and carpets.

I'm scratching now just thinking about this!!!!!! And how have I accumulated such a knowledge of itchy bitie things?

[boboff]

Pea I would start with the Vacuum, as you have no Pets, then just really vacuum well, move sofa's, rugs, any furniture you can and get the hose out and go round all the edges, wash cushion covers etc, and wipe down your skirting boards etc. Wash All bedding, turn mattress, vacuum base and mattress, hose all the gaps, move bed and clean under it. You might as well clean out flat mates cupboard while your at it, bin any open packets.

It won't get rid of the fleas but it'll keep your mind of the itching!!! ( thats a joke, it will help)

[green_pea]

I'm onto it (..will washing at high temperature make them die?)

[boboff]

I really don't think it will matter, if I am honest. Just do your best, it's not 100% but it may help.....oh and I am sure your house is lovely and clean anyway, it's just I only move the sofa and bed to vacuum when I decorate!!!!