What insect is biting?

[river-hunter]

Help someone, what the heck is eating my boyfriend's skin?

My poor boyfriend suffers terribly from bites - most especially around his ankles. It is so odd because no matter how many bites he gets, I don't ever get a single one. The are often quite small red bites, no rash around them, not often terribly itchy (although occasionally) and apart from being annoyed does not suffer any other ill effects.

The latest lot appeared tonight (beginning of Jan 2012), below his sock line (which is odd in itself). We do have a cat but every month he gets a bath using cat tea-tree oil shampoo, get's re-frontlined after his bath and on top of that EVERY DAY he gets brushed with a flea comb with me in the bathroom and since mid November (when it got colder) I haven't even seen any flea debris in his coat at all. Besides anything else, this is the 3rd night we've been home since new year (been away since before Christmas) and the cat is not even with us (he's on holiday in Cornwall till next week).

Some people have suggested we have a house that's too warm and are helping fleas to breed, this can't be the case - this is the 3rd year we don't own central heating (no boiler, no radiators, no pipes, not even connected to the gas), and we are very used to having a cold home, so, heat isn't the issue. I don't really think it is fleas, but we are stumped as to what it can be and how to make it better. Could it be bed bugs? could it be something from the garden? and why is he getting bites at such a cold time of the year? surely they're not out? Anyone who might have a pest control or medical background or similar problem, please help us figure this out?!!!

[karenmac60]

Although the cat is flea free, there may still be fleas in the house. Try something like this
http://www.amazon.co....eatment/dp/B001DE78U2

[mumsie_wumsie]

It does sound as though it could possibly be fleas. Especially as your boyfriend has been bitten after coming back home after Christmas/New Year; the fleas would have had nothing to feed on while you have been away and as soon as you get home they start to bite.. I would try treating the house with flea treatment and see how you get on. Good luck.

[nungate]

Best beloved was always getting bites at work until I discovered "the potion"
In a spray bottle, put some rosewater, a spoonful of vodka, about 8 drops of tea tree oil, same of citronella and about 9 or 10 drops of lavender oil, and give it all a shake - the vodka helps the oils mix into the rosewater and spray on the ankles. Best B swore it worked. Alternatively just dab some lavernder oil onto the bites that should ease the itch an awful lot

[lcg]

don't use frontline or any lovely-smelling 'products'. it's most probably fleas and if it's in the house, get chemicals to treat all furniture, carpets and hoover like a madwoman - as well as doing the cat. also, get your cat some proper chemical flea treatment - you are doing him no favour by brushing, potions or frontline (which is now no longer effective and that is why it is now so cheap. check internet or details). i alternate bob martin and stronghold flea treatments and you need to de-worm regularly also as this can keep a flea cycle going if not addressed. if it were bed bugs or similar, you would also be being eaten alive. fleas are more picky and some people seem 'immune' to them - my hubby gets bitten and i don't, for example. natural stuff just does not work and no cat needs a bath anyway - they clean themselves! poor so and so probably gets laughed at by the other kitties in the area for smelling like the inside of boots! good luck.

[S_C]

Flea's can and do live in carpets. so do treat the carpet as well as the cat.

Im actualy reluctant to say it is flea's imply because the bites happen in only one place and only to one indevidual.
Something that noone else seemsto have thought of is allergies. materials can cause some people to react and prologed exsposure can cause red bloches.
I know it sounds stupid but maybe your boyfriend should try checking the material of his socks and or slippers if he wears them , and see if there is a material there that is not found in his other clothing that could cause an issue. i only suggest this as such localised bites does appear to be odd for insect bites

[boxtops]

It definitely sounds like fleas - this happened to me many years ago, the fleas were laying eggs just under the edge of the sofa, and as soon as a warm person came by (i.e. me) they hatched and bit.

You need to get to the vet and buy a really good flea spray and spray everywhere, not just where the cat goes.

Your flea treatment doesn't sound good to me - why are you bathing him in tea tree oil? - that's quite unnecessary, cats don't need bathing every month, my cats are over ten years old and have never had a bath in their lives. Get Stronghold or Advocate, a proper chemical flea treatment, and use that every month. No cat needs a bath or daily flea-combing.

It's interesting you say that the bites are happening while the cat's not there - this is exactly what I found. The cat was away so the fleas had nothing to jump on except my ankles. It's fleas.

[jomifl]

Flea larvae live in carpets, there can be hundreds of thousands of them in an average carpet. Fumigate the house a room at a time and use effective flea control as recommended earlier. Small red bites around the ankles is typical of cat fleas.

[Eve]

Unless it's any allergy or something from his work or somewhere else he spends a lot of time it does sound like fleas for all the reasons given above.

I used to get some at an old workplace. Turned out pidgeons were nesting in the wall behind me (you don't want to know the stuff they dredged out of there let alone the smell as also stagnant water) and seems like ticks. I ended up with a nasty bout of cellulitis on my foot after some of the bites which took quite a while and a couple of cycles of strong antibiotics to clear!

Unikely to be something more random though - get the whole house flea treated.

[RATTER15]

As an ex pest control officer of 13 years, what you have described is text book flea infestation, just a bit unusual for this time of year.

[RATTER15]

You are probably being bitten just as regularly but you are not aware of it as you dont suffer the allergic reaction to the bite, the itchiness.

[Ujjalseo]

There are lots of people who have a skin problem during cold. Do not worry too much rather you should consult with a dermatologist. I am very sure that he will definitely overcome this problem.

[RATTER15]

As an Ex Pest Controller I would almost guarantee it is cat fleas, this is what you say that gives it away:

//this is the 3rd night we've been home since new year (been away since before Christmas) and the cat is not even with us (he's on holiday in Cornwall till next week). ""

Whilst you may not have noticed the fleas before you went, they continued to breed, they have not had a feed, they are now ravenous and are in a feeding frenzy. It is a story I have heard a thousand times, "I have just returned from holiday and...... or I have just moved into a house that has been vacant for a while...." Call a professional Pest Controller and get it sorted properly, it will probably cost more if you do it yourself, make sure the treatment is guaranteed! Good luck.

[RATTER15]

^^^ yes Ok, its an old post, it just came up in subscribed threads!!!