Over the last three days I’ve developed this rash on my legs–they look like mosquito bites, but mosquitoes aren’t in season yet up around here. There are three bites clustered in a triangle shape just above the back of my right knee, two on my (ahem) backside, one on my lower back, and two around my ankle.
We’ve ruled out bedbugs (a: bedbugs are large and nasty, and their bites are usually smaller, and b: we always wash and disinfect everything very thoroughly in the house [Mum and I both have a phobia of crawly things in our beds]). It could be shingles, but I’m not sure–mostly I think it might be an allergic reaction to something.
The bites are large (about dime-sized) and red, and they don’t tingle or get sore–they just itch really, really badly.
IANAD ---- but can you inspect the “bite” site closely. REALLY closely? In order to tell if a single pointy sting/bite (as in like a mosquito-like mouth part) or if there are two entry points per bite (as in a spider mandible, etc).
Darn it, I don’t recall the specifics, but last year around these parts there was a rash of rashes (pun intended) from insects so small they were able to fly in to homes between the mesh of most window screens.
For the itch, try making a paste out of meat tenderizer (unsalted) and water. Use any brand of tenderizer (unsalted) that says it has papaya enzyme or “papain” in it. Apply paste to bite sites.
If it is an insect bite and not an allergic reaction to something, that should help.
If it doesn’t clear up, or if it gets worse , please see a med professional.
My kids occasionally get flea bites even though we have no furry pets at all. They are from the neighborhood free-roaming cats hitchhike in on their socks. If they get into the bedclothes you can end up with bites anywhere. They seem to die off after a few days.
I’m not sure about your case though. The fleabites we had tended to be very itchy and often in clusters, but they were small.
I had very similar bites occur all of a sudden last summer, and it turned out to be an assassin bug who’d got into the house and was feasting on me at night. I too had mosquito-like bites, usually 3 or 4 grouped in the same area. I found the bug, killed it, bites stopped. I found my bites were extremely itchy, lasted 3 weeks or more, and when scratched would leak a bit of clear fluid from the center. Does this sound like your bites?
I hear you, cher3, we’ve got a lot of roaming animals (badgers, raccoons, cats, etc.) up here in our neighbourhood. But these bites are big–dime-sized, or thereabouts.
vetbridge! gasp What’s sarcoptes? Google pause Oh, ew…
AFG, the bites seem to be fading and there’s no fluid from the center whatsoever. Guess it’s not the same thing.
