nasty bugs

[StupidBird]

Sharon, I didn't see where you are from. Here where I live, that could be fire ants, a variety of small spiders, certain caterpillars such as the saddleback (whic we discovered painfully this summer. Nasty burns that last months, systemic toxins for the sensitive.). We never saw the saddle backs until many stings later.

If you are truly swelling to the size of a grapefruit, that's serious, and I'd find out what it is from, and I wear long sleeves and pants and all that now anyway. Fire ants, not much of a fashion statement.

 

[sharron]

Sharon, I didn't see where you are from. Here where I live, that could be fire ants, a variety of small spiders, certain caterpillars such as the saddleback (whic we discovered painfully this summer. Nasty burns that last months, systemic toxins for the sensitive.). We never saw the saddle backs until many stings later.

If you are truly swelling to the size of a grapefruit, that's serious, and I'd find out what it is from, and I wear long sleeves and pants and all that now anyway. Fire ants, not much of a fashion statement.

hi stupidbird, love the name, no, not fire ants(i grew up in panhandle of florida, know them well) and to be honest, don't think its a spider, or caterpillar, what ever these things are, they must fly, hit and run, alot of times in the garden, just hoeing, not even close to the plants, i have been wearing long sweat pants lately but no long sleeves, i usually just spray, have even taken to wearing a hat with a net like a beekeepers for gnats but my arms a free, those i spray if i remember to in time, even my doctor has no idea, he just tells me to wash with soap and water, then cortisone for the itch, which doesn't help much, its a bad itch too, makes you want to tear the place off with your nails.
i just thought gardners in pa might have some idea what these things are, surely i'm not the only person that gets bitten, whatever these things are, they're really wicked, when a mosquito bites me, i have to see it doing it and kill it cause i have no reaction to the stuff they inject into you, or even bees don't bother me like they do some people.

 

[StupidBird]

PA....hmmm. Horseflies? I've seen some monsters here this summer...

A home remedy for stings is to immediately apply a paste of baking soda and water, letting it stay in place until it dries and falls off, or about 20 minutes. The soda neutralizes the Formic acid in ant stings and other insects.

I also have interesting reactions to the common allergy and asthma medications. I've been told to move from the SE US to somewhere better, like Alaska. PA is nicer.

 

[sharron]

PA....hmmm. Horseflies? I've seen some monsters here this summer...

A home remedy for stings is to immediately apply a paste of baking soda and water, letting it stay in place until it dries and falls off, or about 20 minutes. The soda neutralizes the Formic acid in ant stings and other insects.

I also have interesting reactions to the common allergy and asthma medications. I've been told to move from the SE US to somewhere better, like Alaska. PA is nicer.

yeah, horseflies this year are really big, some look big enough to carry my mini's off

i know i would feel it if it was a horsefly, been bitten before by them but those i feel, these nastys, i don't feel them, kinda like a mosquito . i guess you just have to be here

now that we're retired, we might be coming down to spend winters, around florida, alabama line, close to where i was born and raised, been up here since 1970 so this is home now, altho i still don't like the cold and snow.

 

[Life is Good!]

yeah, horseflies this year are really big, some look big enough to carry my mini's off

i know i would feel it if it was a horsefly, been bitten before by them but those i feel, these nastys, i don't feel them, kinda like a mosquito . i guess you just have to be here

We had these earlier in the summer season here in Northern IL. I never did figure out exactly what fly was biting me - but the bites are exactly as you describe - huge, swollen, itched like mad (itched worse than poison ivy!).

I found two things helped me with the itches - Benedryl Gel; witchhazel; ice. Unlike poison ivy, which I've found you can use super-hot water on - stings like crazy, but once heat removed, the itch is much, much less.....these bites liked cold. So an ice-pack was my friend at 2am when they itched the worst. Benedryl Gel helped a lot after the icepack made it less. And for during the day, an application of witchhazel took some of the worst of the itch away. Distraction and keeping busy kept the other part away!

I've not been as active in the garden as I need to. So, not sure if the bugs are there or not. We're starting to get some 40 degree nights, so in theory, these nasties should be frozen soon!

 

[sharron]

We had these earlier in the summer season here in Northern IL. I never did figure out exactly what fly was biting me - but the bites are exactly as you describe - huge, swollen, itched like mad (itched worse than poison ivy!).

I found two things helped me with the itches - Benedryl Gel; witchhazel; ice. Unlike poison ivy, which I've found you can use super-hot water on - stings like crazy, but once heat removed, the itch is much, much less.....these bites liked cold. So an ice-pack was my friend at 2am when they itched the worst. Benedryl Gel helped a lot after the icepack made it less. And for during the day, an application of witchhazel took some of the worst of the itch away. Distraction and keeping busy kept the other part away!

I've not been as active in the garden as I need to. So, not sure if the bugs are there or not. We're starting to get some 40 degree nights, so in theory, these nasties should be frozen soon

yes life, that sounds like them, i never saw what was biting me either, faster than speed of sound lol, i tried everything on these bites but benedryl, will try that if i get bitten again, thanks, but hoping i don't get bitten again, i'm still itching like crazy at times, not that the swelling is down, i just scratch lol.

 

[sharron]

make that NOW not, not, early yet, fingers not working with brain yet

 

[sharron]

went out today to move some chickens , it was raining , no bugs, got busy and forgot to spray AGAIN, and again when it stopped raining the nasties got me, not once but a bunch of times, BUT this time i caught one biting me, or at least i caught something, it looked like a real fat flea, or a big speck of dirt, picked it up with my thumb nail and finger, my blood went all over, so i know it was what bit me in this one bite, now i itch like crazy and my arm is swollen in two places and also one got me on the shin, its swelling and red , so at least i know what this one thing looks like, a little fat flea or a little brown beatle

 

[Peaches Lee]

Ew, that sounds gross. Wonder what it could be?

 

[sharron]

Ew, that sounds gross. Wonder what it could be?

don't know but i want to see if i can find something on the internet , who knows, i might get lucky