Bug Bites,

[JDoors]

So I get a bug bite on my arm. Normally a mosquito bite's a minor annoyance, a small bump, maybe a little itchy, and it's gone. This thing? A portion of my arm the size of my palm swells up, a red gross sore appears (I'll spare you the details), and it ITCHES like there's no tomorrow! Three days later the itching subsides (a bit) but the mark is still there. Unfortunately, whatever caused THAT one got me on the leg. Itchy, swelling, and, it's "hot." I put my hand over the swollen part and it feels warm to the touch.

What's getting me?!???!! Am I gonna hafta spend the whole Summer indoors?!!??

(Or, and I hope this isn't it, have I become allergic to whatever it is?)

Edit: New info at the end of the thread!

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Edited July 27, 2008 by JDoors

[isteve]

Sounds like poison ivy. You sure it's a bug bite?

[TheTerrorist_75]

You're in brown recluse spider territory. Are you sure it isn't a spider bite? If it is the best thing is to see a doctor.

[Pete_C]

You're in brown recluse spider territory. Are you sure it isn't a spider bite? If it is the best thing is to see a doctor.

I second that. Look at the bite, are there two sets of punctures, fang marks so to speak?

Nasty little buggers they are. I had one last year but it was not that bad. The OL got bitten once when she hung a pair of jeans outside to dry (so much for eco friendly laundry in Texas after that) and put them on fresh off the line the next morning . Got bitten six times and it was not pleasant.

[irregularjoe]

Sounds like an allergic reaction to me.

I've been bitten by a tiny ant and ended up in the emergency room with anaphylactic shock.

It happened while I was at a clients house (mobile home actually). I had to look under the crawl space for a water leak. I didn't go under the house, just took the access panel off and peered in. My hands were on the dirt ground and I guess that's when it happened.

I didn't feel a thing. But maybe 15 minutes later, I was back in the house and started to feel really strange. I asked to use their bathroom and noticed in the mirror that my face was swelling. Went back out and they also noticed that something was wrong. I sat down at the kitchen table. The next thing I remember there were about 10 paramedics examaning me. Apparently I passed out and the clients called 911. On the trip to the ER I literally thought I was dying. It was scary. My BP was 60/40 and pulse around 200. The paramedics gave me two epinephine injections. That's what saved me.

I had the same thing happen with a wasp bite. Now I have to carry an EPI Pen with me at all times.

Kind of a pain in the a$$, but it beats death as the alternative.

As you get older you definately can develop severe allergies to things that were just a nuisance before.

Edited June 9, 2008 by irregularjoe

[jcl]

Sounds like an allergic reaction to me.

*nod* It sounds like the reaction I used to have to mosquito bites.

Edited June 9, 2008 by jcl

[JDoors]

Sounds like an allergic reaction to me.

*nod* It sounds like the reaction I used to have to mosquito bites.

That's my "gut" reaction, that it's just a nasty mosquito bite (though that's never happened before, that I remember). It is just a single spot that turned red and, umm, oozes a little, uh-hem (probably from absent-minded scratching before I realized just how bad it was). The one on my arm only itches a little now and isn't red or swollen any more, my leg has a sore area, again the size of my palm, but is no longer "warm" to the touch and doesn't and never did itch much. Both have a red spot similar to an acne scar.

I'm guessin' just a mosquito or mosquito-like bite because both occured during normal outdoor activities, biking and fertilizing the lawn. In other words, I was just riding the bike on a trail or walking through the yard, not manipulating anything that might have hidden a spider (or ants). During both activies there were a LOT of bugs flying around, actually, it was quite an annoyance.

I used to worry about having an allergic reaction to bug bites since I rarely got bit, and never by anything really nasty. Then a few years ago a yellow jacket got me and ... nothing happened from it (it was less bothersome than these are).

At any rate, they're healing. Guess I oughta break out the bug spray this year. I blame global warming!

[irregularjoe]

"I blame global warming!"

It's only a matter of time when the alligators start to swarm up to coastal South Dakota.

[JDoors]

"I blame global warming!"

It's only a matter of time when the alligators start to swarm up to coastal South Dakota.

OK, I'm REALLY gonna take global warming seriously if we wind up with, say, those horrific palmetto bugs up North. <shudder>

Or scorpions, or ...

Still healing fine. Told a buddy about it and he said his kid got something identical to what I have and they brought him to the doctor (they're, umm, more willing to visit the doctor than I am -- don't WANT to use the term hypochondriac, but ... ). They had no explanation for what it was and treated it, "like a staph infection," whatever that means, I didn't inquire further. Probably an antibiotic prescription (the answer for everything nowadays).

[TheTerrorist_75]

It could turn into a staph infection which is quite dangerous. That's what happened to me with a small wound on my leg. The next thing I knew it turned into something like a large boil and burst. By the time I went to the hospital they had to carve hematomas out of my leg then informed me that the infection had attacked my liver and other organs. The next step ended up being my transplant. A friend of mine just died from an internal staph infection. The doctors thought he might have a respiratory infection and sent him home. He got worse and went to the hospital where they discovered the staph infection, but it was too late. It had severely attacked all of his internal organs.

Don't scratch the bite and go have it tested.

[irregularjoe]

It could turn into a staph infection which is quite dangerous. That's what happened to me with a small wound on my leg. The next thing I knew it turned into something like a large boil and burst. By the time I went to the hospital they had to carve hematomas out of my leg then informed me that the infection had attacked my liver and other organs. The next step ended up being my transplant. A friend of mine just died from an internal staph infection. The doctors thought he might have a respiratory infection and sent him home. He got worse and went to the hospital where they discovered the staph infection, but it was too late. It had severely attacked all of his internal organs.

Don't scratch the bite and go have it tested.

This sounds similar to MRSA bacteria. There was an article about it today in the local rag here.

[JDoors]

It could turn into a staph infection which is quite dangerous. That's what happened to me with a small wound on my leg. ...

I'll continue to keep an eye on it but it's going away on its own. If it did get worse rather then better at least I know just HOW bad it could get. Yikes.

[TheTerrorist_75]

It could turn into a staph infection which is quite dangerous. That's what happened to me with a small wound on my leg. ...

I'll continue to keep an eye on it but it's going away on its own. If it did get worse rather then better at least I know just HOW bad it could get. Yikes.

My wound appeared to heal nicely and then a few days later it was too late when the boil appeared over night and burst.

[JDoors]

My wound appeared to heal nicely and then a few days later it was too late when the boil appeared over night and burst.

It's like you're determined to scare me.

Just checked, nope, nothin' goin' on under the skin.

Since we're getting floods all over the MidWest it's gonna be a nasty bug-bite season for sure.

[Pete_C]

Re reading this thread since it was at the top reminded me of something I read last year .

Ever wondered why some people get eaten alive when they go outdoors but others rarely get bothered by mosquitoes?

Well, a study found that mosquitoes hate the smell and taste of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Further research showed that mosquitoes target people with low vitamin B levels, and avoid those who take a daily B vitamin supplement (25 - 50mg B1 minimum)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiamine

http://www.drgreene.com/21_38.html

http://www.bugpatch.net/articles.htm

They even make a B1 patch now.

I never had a problem, but mosquitoes loved my OL when we sat out on the Porch in the evening. I convinced her to take a daily B vitamin supplement and suddenly they don't bite her either.

Annecdotal at best, but worth checking out yourself. If it works for you; well it probably means you had an undetected B vitamin deficiency and should have been taking them all along. My OL said it gave her more energy.

[irregularjoe]

Re reading this thread since it was at the top reminded me of something I read last year .

Ever wondered why some people get eaten alive when they go outdoors but others rarely get bothered by mosquitoes?

Well, a study found that mosquitoes hate the smell and taste of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Further research showed that mosquitoes target people with low vitamin B levels, and avoid those who take a daily B vitamin supplement (25 - 50mg B1 minimum)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiamine

http://www.drgreene.com/21_38.html

http://www.bugpatch.net/articles.htm

They even make a B1 patch now.

I never had a problem, but mosquitoes loved my OL when we sat out on the Porch in the evening. I convinced her to take a daily B vitamin supplement and suddenly they don't bite her either.

Annecdotal at best, but worth checking out yourself. If it works for you; well it probably means you had an undetected B vitamin deficiency and should have been taking them all along. My OL said it gave her more energy.

Hmmmm....I ran out of vitamim B complex two weeks ago. Thanks for reminding me. I'm off to the heath food store tomorrow.

[sultan_emerr]

Re reading this thread since it was at the top reminded me of something I read last year .

Ever wondered why some people get eaten alive when they go outdoors but others rarely get bothered by mosquitoes?

Well, a study found that mosquitoes hate the smell and taste of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Further research showed that mosquitoes target people with low vitamin B levels, and avoid those who take a daily B vitamin supplement (25 - 50mg B1 minimum)

.

Good tip. Thanks.

[JDoors]

... a study found that mosquitoes hate the smell and taste of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Further research showed that mosquitoes target people with low vitamin B levels, and avoid those who take a daily B vitamin supplement (25 - 50mg B1 minimum) ...

Well, whatever bit me didn't mind that I take vitamins!

I'd forgotten about the B₁ thing. In my experience; I have nearly always taken a multi-vitamin and don't get eaten alive, so there's that, but on the other hand they DO manage to find me (likely by the CO₂ I exhale), but they just buzz around me, usually over my head. One time while out fishing I had a cloud of them OVER my head, but I wasn't getting bit.

[Pete_C]

... a study found that mosquitoes hate the smell and taste of thiamine (Vitamin B1). Further research showed that mosquitoes target people with low vitamin B levels, and avoid those who take a daily B vitamin supplement (25 - 50mg B1 minimum) ...

Well, whatever bit me didn't mind that I take vitamins!

I'd forgotten about the B₁ thing. In my experience; I have nearly always taken a multi-vitamin and don't get eaten alive, so there's that, but on the other hand they DO manage to find me (likely by the CO₂ I exhale), but they just buzz around me, usually over my head. One time while out fishing I had a cloud of them OVER my head, but I wasn't getting bit.

Yeah; I notice that too. They buzz and annoy but do not bite.

[Pete_C]

I just went and tossed some old mango's in the kitchen garbage.

I thought better of it and went to grab them out to toss on the compost pile out back when I saw a Brown Recluse

Spider in the garbage can . No doubt in my mind what it was; I have seen and been bitten by them before.

http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/...ousspiders.html

http://www.brownreclusespider.biz/

Needless to say, I pulled the bag out of the can, tied it closed and put it out in the collection bin.

Hopefully it just came in on some piece of trash one of us picked up out front and tossed without thinking.

I hate to think they may be in the house. Gonna have to pull the fridge out and look under the stove real good .

[JDoors]

<shudder>

Never saw one that I recognized as such, though I think they're native to this area too (or am I thinking of Wolf Spiders?).

[irregularjoe]

Eeeck!!! I'd have to move out and have the exterminator move in for a month.

[Pete_C]

Eeeck!!! I'd have to move out and have the exterminator move in for a month.

Haven't used my tank sprayer in the house in years (not since the boys grew up and moved out). But of course this year I still haven't sprayed the yards since the one spot seems to be keeping the dogs flea free so far and I only had to spray the trees for webworms once (I use a pressure washer with a soap tank and put some detergent and insecticide concentrate in there and just blast up an over the trees letting it fall like rain; and hit any nests I see blasting through them with high pressure soapy insecticide. Works great).

How are these for some insect controllers

Thats a 2x4 on top of a 2x10 With glass sandwiched and another 2.4 on the inside) is standing on, so that is really a pretty good sized lizard there.

After some research I think it is a Southern Coal Skink or Southern Prairie Skink or some kind of Skink.

Got a bunch of Green Anole and Mediterranean Gecko too.

And then there is the one with a frill that gets up on its back legs and runs really fast.

Edited June 19, 2008 by Pete_C

[garmanma]

Back when I was working one of my jobs was to unload rail road tank cars. The vinyl acetate came from Houston. More than a few time we'd find Black Widows or Brown Recluse spiders under the dome. Years back, my leg swelled to 3 times it's size, got cellulites, and almost lost it from a supposedly spider bit. They never could say for sure

[irregularjoe]

Back when I was working one of my jobs was to unload rail road tank cars. The vinyl acetate came from Houston. More than a few time we'd find Black Widows or Brown Recluse spiders under the dome. Years back, my leg swelled to 3 times it's size, got cellulites, and almost lost it from a supposedly spider bit. They never could say for sure

Sounds like a Brown Recluse bite. The results can be hideous. My doctor told me that plastic surgery is sometimes required due the the damage they cause.