What is biting me?

[u/nicoleskine]

A few weeks ago I got similar bites that popped up after gardening at a retirement village I work at. They went away after a few days. I went to my job yesterday again and similar thing has happened. At some point yesterday I had some black ants on me which I brushed off, Im thinking it was them. But when I google any bites fire ants come up and I'm sure it isn't fire ants. This is the fourth time it has happened now. Yes I wear gloves!! Only happens at this job. One time I know for sure it was ants as I had to go to the bathroom to make sure there weren't anymore under my shirt.

Has anyone else had similar experience? I went to the GP last time and she said folliculitis and gave me antibiotics but it's not that as there's no infection and they go down after a few days.

[u/Terrorfarker]

Chiggers or some kind of mite? Do they itch straight away while at work or it starts overnight?

In a new place I moved to I got bites over arms & legs over the first spring/summer I was here, couldn't work it out, actually thought I had bed bugs at one point and turned the bedroom upside down looking for signs, but then the bites stopped for 6 months when it cooled down, but now they've started again recently.

I still don't know what it is for sure but suspect it's chiggers or some other kind of mite, possibly in the pea straw mulch I use in my garden but our new place is also near wetlands so could be that.

Unlike yours though, mine take a week to stop itching and 2 weeks to heal.

[u/nicoleskine → u/Terrorfarker]

The itching more starts overnight. I thought bed bugs too but only I have been getting these not my husband. The last batch I got has been around similar time frame now, about a week to stop itching 😞

[u/Terrorfarker → u/nicoleskine]

Same thing for me, I think they start coming up early morning as i've been woken up with itching a few times, but then by 8am I have full welts.

I dunno, could be so many things and may be hard to pin down, does not look at all like bed bug bites though.

[u/narrtasha → u/nicoleskine]

This literally sounds the exact same situation i had about a fortnight ago. All i was doing was alot of hanging around the chicken coop and then my friend pointed out that our lemon tree had alot of small mozzies around it and it could be from that!? The other thing that’s weird is i got them up both arms under my shirt too and i can’t remember if i had long sleeves or a tshirt on but they also got a couple on my mid section (though not as bad as my forearms) my chicken do have mites and so does the coop so i thought it was that. I haven’t been out in the garden much since then but now everytime i need to see the chickens i make sure i’m either wearing long clothes or i am super quick. I just kept trying to moisturise the bites to stop them itching and i still have some small scars 2 weeks later, that I am waiting on them to fully heal! Man they were so itchy. Also i have 31F if that matters. South West VIC coast climate.

[u/narrtasha → u/narrtasha]

Also i’m reading all the suggestions people have said and what it lines up with, with what i touched in my garden prior to getting the same reaction to you (and i was in a singlet this day and also got sunburnt on my back lol) was: Ivy, Citrus, Star Jasmine, Grevillea, Mites from chickens, a variety of aussie natives. So coulda been any of them too!

[u/moth337_ → u/nicoleskine]

Chigger bites do flare up itching at night. And they bite in clusters, often at cuffs/where clothing is tight. Sometimes they can blister/form the pustules in the centre of the bite. Best thing you can do once you’ve finished working in the garden is to have a warm shower and wash yourself all over with soap, and then put all your clothes in the wash too. Chigger larvae attach for a couple of days and the longer they are on, the worse the bites. But warm soapy water will get them off.

Edit to add that chigger bites also can take a day or so to show up.