New species of mosquito?

[sistersue]

I'm having a really bad time with mosquito bites for the last 2 or 3 weeks. I've lived in HPP for 25 years and mosquito bites have never bothered me before. These bites are creating huge welts on my arms and back. The itching is so intense that I'm causing them to bleed and they don't go away for at least a week. This has never happened to me before. Is anyone else having this problem?

[Obie]

Those are Little Fire Ant bites!!

[sistersue]

I'm pretty sure it's not fire ants because I've been attacked twice by fire ants (about 15 stings each attack) so I know what that feels like. Fire ant stings are very painful and itchy. These bites are not painful at all - just intense itching and large welts. My daughter thinks it's some kind of spider bites. I was just wondering if anyone else in HPP has had this problem. Whatever it is, I am not looking forward to a summer of it!

[Iju]

I had similar problem few weeks ago while cutting one of banana plant. It was on my chest and lasted about a week, using calamide calamine lotion helped.

Still don't know what bit me, but not mosquito. I'm also live in HPP.

ETA: corrected spelling.

[rbonplaza]

I had a bite about two weeks ago that was exactly as you described. The welt and itching lasted for more than a week, getting most intense after a shower. Just one bite and I'm fairly sure it was not a spider, though that was my first guess. Still no idea. No fire ants here in Orchidland yet.

[baygardener]

Yes, same kind of bites, figured out they were small black flies. Insect repellent doesn't work, nor does eucalyptus or lemon oil, vanilla, etc. etc. I don't feel them bite, but, man, the itch!

[missydog1]

Crab spiders bites are exactly like that. Exactly. They are super stealthy biters and you don't feel it.

The thing is, they aren't around in the summer. Also they have visible webs.
There are other biting spiders though. Jumping spiders for one. They run around off the web using a single strand. I saw one a few days ago. But supposedly their bites burn.

Most likely it is a spider bite if it is a long lasting intensely itchy welt but not painful.

Take oral Benadryl (at night). Ammonia, witch hazel, calamine are somewhat helpful and I've tried clay, but mostly it takes time.

The name of the crab spider is the Asian spiny backed spider, and I've been bitten y them many even hundreds of times, and it always sucks.

But you say this is something new, so that is puzzling.

[terracore]

I've found that the only thing that really helps is the max strength hydrocortisone.

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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Originally posted by terracore

I've found that the only thing that really helps is the max strength hydrocortisone.

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and tequila orally. Havent tried applying it to bite directly.

[coppercoin40]

We got bit up really bad in February when we walked into a piece of property for sale in HPP. I counted 50 bites just in one area of my knee. We never felt anything bite, there were a few bugs to swat at but not enough to think we were going to get bit to pieces!! large red welts and itch like crazy Aloe, nothing was giving relief finally I took a noni fruit which was not ripe but not green skin a light yellow skin, chopped it into a couple chunks and threw it in the blender with a couple good squirts of aloe and blended it to a frothy light paste consistency. We tried it right away - and oh what glorious immediate relief! I covered it and put it in the fridge where it kept usable for several weeks. The first day we tried it we used it every few hrs when the bites would start to bother us again. By the next morning the swelling was gone and no more itch! Noni was my best friend in Hawaii!!! I believe in noni