Medically Reviewed

What Is That? How to ID 8 Common Bug Bites

From mosquitos to fleas, nature's critters can leave their mark on your skin. Here's how to tell the culprit.

bedbug
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Summer may be the prime time for enjoying the great outdoors, but spending time outside also comes with a fair share of insects and their painful, itching bites. Unless you catch that mosquito in the act of biting you, it can be hard to know which insect did that damage, and therefore which treatment is best to help it heal. Here are eight common critters, chiggers, and insects, and the signs and symptoms of their bites. Plus, what you can do to feel better, fast.


fire ant bites
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Fire Ants

A fire ant can both bite and sting. Per the Cleveland Clinic, fire ant bits cause a burning sensation, then itchy welts, often in a circular pattern. The bites or stings will have a red center that is surrounded by lighter colored rings, and there can even be tendrils of redness coming off the main area of the bite. Its primary symptom, however, is pain. People who are bitten or stung by fire ants can also experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, fatigue, and body aches. To treat the ant bites, the Cleveland Clinic suggests an oral antihistamine like Benadryl followed by the application of hydrocortisone cream twice a day to the affected skin.


bed bug(Cimex hemipterus)
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Bed Bugs

While bed bugs are not known to spread infectious diseases, they can trigger allergic reactions and severe skin reactions in some people, according to the Mayo Clinic. Those skin reactions can look like large circles of bites in orderly rows. The bites cause itching, skin redness, localized swelling, and even blisters in some cases. These spots eventually turn to small red bumps and fade after a few days. Oral antihistamine and corticosteroid creams may help ease the pain. If you have bed bugs, consider hiring a professional exterminator to clean your house to avoid future problems.


flea bites
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Fleas

Flea bites often start as an itchy rash of tiny, sometimes bleeding, bumps in the armpits or the crease of a joint. The itching may be localized at first, but it can spread and become very severe, especially in people who are sensitive to flea bites. The area around these bites may swell, and touching them will cause them to turn white. While most flea bites are harmless, fleas can spread disease if flea feces are scratched into an open wound, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you've been bitten by a flea, ice, aloe vera, and chamomile tea bags are a few home remedies that may help stop the sting, per the Cleveland Clinic.


mosquito bites
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Mosquitoes

Mosquito bites itch severely and may swell due to toxins or allergic substances carried in the mosquito’s saliva. Per the Mayo Clinic, mosquitoes can be carriers of serious viruses and parasites, including the West Nile virus, Zika virus, and the viruses that cause malaria, yellow fever and some types of brain infection. If you are infected by a mosquito carrying one of thee viruses, serious illness can result. Scratching the bites can cause them to break or teat, and may lead to infection. Wearing insect repellant can help protect you from getting bitten. If you do get bit, rubbing the bite with an ice cube or applying a paste of baking soda and water can ease the itch.


chigger bites
Flickr

Chiggers

Chiggers aren't actually insects, but rather the juvenile form of a type of mite. They can be found in forests and grasslands, along lakes and streams, or even in parks, lawns, and golf courses. These bites are painless, but they produce itchy, raised red lesions on the skin that are similar to the reaction from exposure to poison ivy or oak. Scratching the bites can also cause them to spread and appear as a rash. Typically, chiggers do not burrow into your skin and fall off after the bite, so treatment focuses on easing the itch, usually through an antihistamine and cold compress.


tick bite
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Ticks

A tick will attach itself to the warm areas of the body and feed on blood, passing on any illness it carries in the process. Ticks can carry a number of diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. Early removal of the tick can help prevent transmission of these diseases. Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, to remove the tick, grab the tick firmly with tweezers and pull firmly without twisting. Do not squeeze the tick body too hard as this may release infected fluids. After removal, watch for such symptoms as rashes, muscle aches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and headache in the weeks following a tick bite, since these can be signs of tick-related diseases.


black fly bites
Flickr

Black Flies

Like ticks, black flies live off the blood of other animals, and they can deliver painful bites! Aside from being a general nuisance to humane, these flies can carry diseases. Many U.S. states now have programs to control black fly populations. In addition to hurting immediately, black fly bites remain painful, itch, and can become infected with scratching. Some people have allergic reactions to these bites that include hives or wheezing.


SpiderBites
(l to r) Bites from black widow, brown recluse, and common house spiders. (l to r) Flickr (2), spideridentifications.com

Spiders

The black widow spider’s bite causes shooting pain and appears as two dots made by their fangs. Nausea, increased blood pressure, and vomiting occur soon after and will require immediate medical attention. The brown recluse spider bite is painless, but may still be very serious. The bites are often red, then white, and have blisters in the shape of a bullseye. These bites also require immediate medical attention, as a large ulcer can form in the skin.


This article was originally published July 20, 2012 and most recently updated August 22, 2023.