Things that go Bite in the woods

[pieinthesky]

I spent one night in the woods last weekend and am still itching and scratching from all the bites I got.

Have been to the same spot several times and never been bitten by anything.

It was not Mozzies, there is no water around, I would have seen or heard them and there is no way they would have got to where some of my bites were. Groin, armpits, back, belly - everywhere but most around my ankles.

I sat on a chair and slept in a Hammock with mossie net, so only limited direct contact with the leaf litter though this must be where they came from.

Anyone know what might be the culprit?

 

[Robbi]

Fleas

 

[Diamond Dave]

I seem to remember that some time ago due to the weather conditions there was a plague of what where called autumn bugs ( or something similar). The conditions you describe sound just the same as these.

 

[Bazzworx]

Chiggers maybe?

 

[pieinthesky]

Do you get fleas in the woods?

Chiggers sounds more likely and are Autumn bugs the same thing?

 

[Robbi]

If you walked in through long grass then there's every chance it could be fleas

Just the first up in a Google search

Do Fleas Live in Grass or Dirt? How to Tell Where They Are

Pets usually bring in fleas after they’ve been outside, but where do they pick them up? It’s important to know where fleas live so you can eradicate them before pets have a chance to bring them inside. Do fleas live in grass or dirt? Fleas like to live in areas that are humid and shady. […]

www.homepestremoval.com

 

[C_Claycomb]

My vote would be chiggers, aka harvest mites, which are most prevalent at this time of year. Chigger bites do look different from flea bites.

I had little black cat/dog fleas in my house last year, had bites on ankles and lower legs only, marks were small, maybe 1/4 inch diameter, flat and didn’t itch too much. In contrast, the UK chigger bites I have had have been concentrated in areas of clothing restriction or groin and arm pits, although I have had a couple on eye lids. The bites itch like hell, mark can grow to 1 inch diameter and often have raised centre, maybe even a little lymph filled spot in the middle. Very different from mosquito bites.

Worst chigger bite episodes for me have followed sitting or lying on the ground, particularly if I have worn the same clothes the next day and/or not had a thorough wash at days end.

I have managed to limit bites since I started paying much more attention to where I sit and kneel, what I do with clothing over night and most importantly, treating socks and ground/vegetation contact areas of clothing with permethrin. The clothing treatment is only for camp/bushcraft when I know I will be on the ground and in undergrowth. I think the ground and low vegetation is the main source, rather than higher plants, but this is more about where I have been bitten most.

 

[MartinK9]

Chiggers; nasty little blighters.

 

[MikeeMiracle]

Was out with Mike, itchiness has calmed down a bit but it was constant for days. I don't understand how they got past the clothing layers to actually bite us.

 

[dwardo]

Bite location usually gives it away. Harvest mites will tend to migrate to ankles, waistband and neck area. Basically crawling up clothes until the buggers find a way in. So itchy!

Deet or similar on clothes especially the lower half helps.

 

[3 Feet High and Rising]

Does sleeping bag need a clean.
Can you phone to ID bite bites Googleglass

Just Google Chiggers Er

 

[C_Claycomb]

Was out with Mike, itchiness has calmed down a bit but it was constant for days. I don't understand how they got past the clothing layers to actually bite us.

The critter responsible is tiny. No, REALLY tiny, like so small it is nearly invisible to the naked eye. They are like particles of orange dust. Sources suggest around 0.2mm.

That small they can crawl through lock knit fabric and can crawl around on you and your gear, unnoticed until they find a good spot to settle down. Further, they don't bite and leave, like a mosquito, but tend to stay for a while.

I have found that if I am quick identifying the start of an itch, I can catch the little bugger and with a combination of pyrethrum insect repellent (both brands I use appear discontinued) and mechanical persuasion, I can remove and kill them. When done right, the bite gets no worse. If left a little, they cause the skin to swell around them and then it is too hard to remove them, more likely to cause damage in trying

 

[pieinthesky]

Almost certainly Chiggers from all the comments. Will not be going there again in September without taking precautions!

 

[henchy3rd]

The pesky no see’ums.. midges & gnats.

 

[ONE]

There is a small black fly that inhabits the area around watercourses in Normandy & Brittany, smaller than a Scottish midge, that gives me enourmous 'lumps' when bitten, and I'm always bitten! Seriously, had one or two rise like half a golf ball over the years. They don't affect the other half at all, at least not to a noticeable degree. Even odder, is that after a week or so, they cease to bother me, but my first week in the area invariably involves topical antihistamines!

 

[bingobadgo]

I had a night out a few weeks ago and also came back with a good dozen or so "mossie bites" which are still itching now. Maybe I fell victim to chiggers too. I thought it odd as the nearest water was about half a mile away.

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