Red bugs!

[Michali]

Ack! I've got red bugs again. The good thing is that its on my arm this time. Sorry this is not about their evolution, but could anyone help with this problem? I was out clearing vines and foilage with a machete when I must have come into contact with them. What house supply (rubbing alcohol?) should I use for these things? Will they die or will they become dangerous? I don't even know if they are actually called "red bugs". They are bugs (obviously here in Florida) that dig under the skin and cause greif to their host. They look like red bites.

 

[Philostratus]

Chiggers! http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/ENTO/Jun0602a.htmthis has some useful info. sorry-- they suck!

 

[Michali]

Thanks. Do you live in the north that they call them "chiggers". I've always heard em' called red bugs.

 

[Michali]

Ohoho. After reading the site I learned alot about them. They are probably gone from my arm and they do not actually burrow into the skin. I just have to wait for the irritation to go away. Thanks Philo.

 

[Michali]

edit- what the heck was I thinkin?

 

[LorentzHA]

Yup-Chiggers..we have them here in Texas too. Oh yo uare lucky it is only your arms. When I first moved to Texas I went and sat in the grass in front of my house wearing a skirt and they attacked a really sensitive place...I was in misery for TWO WEEKS!!! I had no idea what they were either unti I told a friend of mine. She looked at the bites and said CHIGGERS!! They also love to ger under the waist band of underwear or bras (altough this does not apply to you) BE CAREFUL!!

 

[Jet Black]

Yup-Chiggers..we have them here in Texas too. Oh yo uare lucky it is only your arms. When I first moved to Texas I went and sat in the grass in front of my house wearing a skirt and they attacked a really sensitive place...I was in misery for TWO WEEKS!!! I had no idea what they were either unti I told a friend of mine. She looked at the bites and said CHIGGERS!! They also love to ger under the waist band of underwear or bras (altough this does not apply to you) BE CAREFUL!!

I had a look up for chiggers, I had something like that in a sensitive place too, but not quite the same. these were little black ones about 1-2mm across that stuck their heads in and seemed to stay there for a while. there was no itchiness or soreness when I pulled em out though, just utter utter disgust.

 

[LorentzHA]

I had a look up for chiggers, I had something like that in a sensitive place too, but not quite the same. these were little black ones about 1-2mm across that stuck their heads in and seemed to stay there for a while. there was no itchiness or soreness when I pulled em out though, just utter utter disgust.

Ick..you are braver than I. I am a wimp when it comes to working on my own body. I can look at gushing blood on another but just about pass out from my own maladies. That sound bad as well. Chiggers are little different they burrow all the way under the surface and eventually die under there. A friend of mine suggested Clear Nail Polish on the "tracks" but there was NO WAY I was putting ANY chemical THERE. Needless to say I NEVER sit o nthe ground any longer. In the Northern part of the US it was never a problem. We have all sorts of nasty little critters here.

 

[Godzman]

ooooooh chiggers

 

[Michali]

Ick..you are braver than I. I am a wimp when it comes to working on my own body. I can look at gushing blood on another but just about pass out from my own maladies. That sound bad as well. Chiggers are little different they burrow all the way under the surface and eventually die under there. A friend of mine suggested Clear Nail Polish on the "tracks" but there was NO WAY I was putting ANY chemical THERE. Needless to say I NEVER sit o nthe ground any longer. In the Northern part of the US it was never a problem. We have all sorts of nasty little critters here.

No. When I was young I had them on that sensitive area as well. But, from the link I read above, they don't actually burry into the skin. They just suck the blood and the skin swells up really bad from their saliva. Sometimes, because the bugs are so small, the skin swells up over them. On an evolutionary note- whats the point of burying in someones skin just to die? I used to think they did this, but when it happened to my arm, I was worried that they reproduced by laying eggs in the skin. I definately didn't want to be incubating red bugs.

 

[ObbiQuiet]

Most everyone in my family gets them... which leads me more and more to believe I'm adopted.

I'm the only one in my family with blonde hair.
I'm the only one in my family who isn't overweight.
I'm the tallest one in my family.

I must be adopted.

 

[LorentzHA]

No. When I was young I had them on that sensitive area as well. But, from the link I read above, they don't actually burry into the skin. They just suck the blood and the skin swells up really bad from their saliva. Sometimes, because the bugs are so small, the skin swells up over them. On an evolutionary note- whats the point of burying in someones skin just to die? I used to think they did this, but when it happened to my arm, I was worried that they reproduced by laying eggs in the skin. I definately didn't want to be incubating red bugs.

Interesting. I remember someone telling the burrowed under the skin. Probably a misconception since that it what it looks like happened. Thanks.