Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[sharron]

does anyone in their sixties and older attract little beetles that love their blood and you don't feel them biting until you start swelling and the bite feels like its on fire, then starts itching, itch usually last over a week? i guess its time for me to start wearing my "perfume" with at least 40 %deet (doctors orders) something just bit me on the hand and i smashed his or hers little head and the blood flew, mine, not it's , this started when i hit my sixies. sure would like to know what it is but so far can't find anything that looks like it on the internet. not your usual list of suspects

 

[chickadoodles]

No clue. Sorry.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

does anyone in their sixties and older attract little beetles that love their blood and you don't feel them biting until you start swelling and the bite feels like its on fire, then starts itching, itch usually last over a week? i guess its time for me to start wearing my "perfume" with at least 40 %deet (doctors orders) something just bit me on the hand and i smashed his or hers little head and the blood flew, mine, not it's , this started when i hit my sixies. sure would like to know what it is but so far can't find anything that looks like it on the internet. not your usual list of suspects

Sounds like maybe gnats? They do a number on me. I swell up big time, especially on my face.

 

[sharron]

Sounds like maybe gnats? They do a number on me. I swell up big time, especially on my face.

no, don't think its a gnat, i caught one that was on my arm last year with my nail(i have long nails)looked like a little brown beetle about the size of a flea, when i mashed him between fingers, he was full of my blood, caught another one and pull him in a little clear bottle and took him to my doctor, he can't find out what it is either but they do a job on me if i don't wear deet spray, last summer one flew up under my glasses and bit me before i could remove the glasses and grab him, started swelling instantly and naturally it was after hours for the doctor, when our son saw me when he got home from work , hes a cop, told his father that he better not let the cops see me or he would be arrested for abuse but you know what i'm talking about, the swelling and itching

 

[sharron]

on a happy note, went to the auction today, bought a few broccoli plant to go in the garden and also some fertile cochran bantam eggs(2 cents each!!!!) hoping to hatch some

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

no, don't think its a gnat, i caught one that was on my arm last year with my nail(i have long nails)looked like a little brown beetle about the size of a flea, when i mashed him between fingers, he was full of my blood, caught another one and pull him in a little clear bottle and took him to my doctor, he can't find out what it is either but they do a job on me if i don't wear deet spray, last summer one flew up under my glasses and bit me before i could remove the glasses and grab him, started swelling instantly and naturally it was after hours for the doctor, when our son saw me when he got home from work , hes a cop, told his father that he better not let the cops see me or he would be arrested for abuse but you know what i'm talking about, the swelling and itching

I itch for weeks from flea bites, those are the worse. I attract all the bugs too because I'm so sweet. I itch all summer long. I keep multiple tubes of hydrocortisone around my house, they help a bit. I have had my eye swollen shut from bites too.

 

[sharron]

I itch for weeks from flea bites, those are the worse. I attract all the bugs too because I'm so sweet. I itch all summer long. I keep multiple tubes of hydrocortisone around my house, they help a bit. I have had my eye swollen shut from bites too.

well, only the dang bugs think i'm sweet lol, i have hydrocortisone here too but when these things bite i usually have to go to dr williams and get a shot, if more than one gets me, i get so sick i could just give up the ghost

 

[lazy gardener]

Sharron, it's not your age, trust me! If you can catch one of those bugs, take it to your local county agricultural extension office. They should have an entymologist who can id the insect for you. If your doc can't help you, perhaps the local ER can id it for you. You can't be the only person being so affected by this insect. I am sensitive also. Here... it's black flies. They don't even have to bite me, all they have to do is crawl on my skin, and I welt up. I use deet every time I go out during black fly season.

A lot of beetles will bite if they are trapped. I once had a wire worm that I was carrying to the chicken pen. That thing latched onto me, and gave me a good hard nip!!!

 

[sharron]

Sharron, it's not your age, trust me! If you can catch one of those bugs, take it to your local county agricultural extension office. They should have an entymologist who can id the insect for you. If your doc can't help you, perhaps the local ER can id it for you. You can't be the only person being so affected by this insect. I am sensitive also. Here... it's black flies. They don't even have to bite me, all they have to do is crawl on my skin, and I welt up. I use deet every time I go out during black fly season.

A lot of beetles will bite if they are trapped. I once had a wire worm that I was carrying to the chicken pen. That thing latched onto me, and gave me a good hard nip!!!

thanks, never even thought about the ag office but as for my er, you haven't been here, hate to say it but the ones i've had to deal with leave alot to be desired. i know my mother-in-law had the same problem with these little critters, i could be standing right next to her and they wouldn't touch me, at the time she was the same age as i am now.
one got me on the hand last night while in the garden, i forgot to deet myself, wasn't planning on playing in the dirt, but anyway, i saw a speck of dirt on the top of my hand and went to brush it off and left a tiny strip of blood, this morning hand is swollen and itches like fire.
what is a wire worm? sounds like he could put a hurting on you

 

[igorsMistress]

@sharron
Maybe chiggers, a type of mite actually.