# What's biting me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416 "2013-10-28T04:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/1 "2013-10-28T04:17:58Z")
For the past several months, every few days, I notice a new itchy red mark that looks like an insect bite somewhere on my body. It gets maybe 1/3" at most and is slightly raised and very itchy, with irregular edges and no center point. It starts out skin color, then pale pink, then over the next day or two itches less and turns dark red/purple, then fades quickly. I can’t figure this out. It’s never more than one bite at a time. It always happens when I’m in bed. It’s never happened on my face, but anywhere else is fair game. Today’s is in a joint that’s usually not open to the air, so I have no idea how whatever got me got there. Sometimes the bites are where clothes are and sometimes not. I just replaced my mattress and box spring, and there is no sign of bedbugs on the old ones, nor have I ever seen any sign of any sort of insect in my room regularly. I don’t see spiders either. I don’t have pets, so no fleas. What’s going on, and how do I stop it? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/2 "2013-10-28T04:23:53Z")
Several years ago I was having issues with staff infections, some of them would go into full blown boils. Maybe yours is not such a virulent strain?? If yours is the same as mine there is a quick test. Use a very hot wash cloth as hot as you can stand it and just cover the red mark, rotate the wash cloth a 15 sec or so for a couple of minutes. Thsi would stop mine instantly and it would go back to normal. If it has no effect you have something else going on. ---
**Author:** ![EdwardLost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/3 "2013-10-28T04:28:29Z")
How do you know they are bites, and not some kind of rash? ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/4 "2013-10-28T04:39:09Z")
I don’t, but they look and act like other insect bites I’ve had. A tiny repeated spot rash seems a little odd. I am not allergic to anything, nor am I otherwise ill. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/5 "2013-10-28T06:16:16Z")
> [@HennaDancer](#): > > For the past several months, every few days, I notice a new itchy red mark that looks like an insect bite somewhere on my body. It gets maybe 1/3" at most and is slightly raised and very itchy, with irregular edges and no center point. It starts out skin color, then pale pink, then over the next day or two itches less and turns dark red/purple, then fades quickly. Its clearly , obviously , an insect that sucks blood and so puts an anti-coagulant in. Its bed bugs , no ifs or buts, based on that description. ( I am not a doctor, but the lump and then turning red… thats one long lasting anti-coagulant the insect injected !) You ruled out bed bugs ONLY because you cannot find them in your bed. These bed bugs are evolving … maybe he climbs up from the floor. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/6 "2013-10-28T14:48:23Z")
Bed bugs hid when not feeding and are very often hard to find. They may be in cracks such as between the wall and baseboard. They can also be in places like between books or inside furniture. Fleas usually stay on the body and leave dirt which is really excreted blood. Flea crap, if you will. Given your description, I’d really worry about bed bugs. ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/7 "2013-10-28T14:52:58Z")
But would I only have the one bite at a time? Can I have just one bug? Wouldn’t I see some evidence- dropping stains, etc? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/8 "2013-10-28T16:51:26Z")
It’s possible to have fleas bites, even if you don’t have pets. We used to occasionally bring fleas in from the neighbor’s outdoor cats. They die off quickly after biting you, so you don’t see them around. ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/9 "2013-10-28T17:13:23Z")
I don’t have friends with outdoor pets, so I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/10 "2013-10-28T18:12:53Z")
It sounds more like hives to me. Google up some images and see if they resemble what you see, and read about them as well. ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/11 "2013-10-28T18:25:05Z")
Hives looks more patchy and larger, with a skin color area in the center of each red area. I just have this one little thing at a time. That’s another reason why I think bedbugs may not be the answer- all the pics of bedbug bites are multiples, and I only ever have a single. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/12 "2013-10-28T18:26:54Z")
[Atopic dermatitis (eczema)](http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/eczema/DS00986/DSECTION=symptoms) > [@](#): > > Signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (eczema) include: > Red to brownish-gray colored patches > Itching, which may be severe, especially at night > Small, raised bumps, which may leak fluid and crust over when scratched > Thickened, cracked or scaly skin > Raw, sensitive skin from scratching ---
**Author:** ![CastleAnthrax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/13 "2013-10-28T18:36:03Z")
It’s not eczema, or anything systemic or lasting. Just the one little area, no more than 1/2" across. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/14 "2013-10-28T19:25:09Z")
Are you familiar with chiggers? If the bites are usually on your lower body (especially around your waistline, groin, back of your knee, etc) that may be a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/15 "2013-10-28T23:39:15Z")
I got bed bugs from a jacket I left on a chair. They started biting me when I was on a plane wearing the jacket. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-biting-me/672416/17 "2016-06-03T13:30:32Z")
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