Chigger?

[MarkBNJ]

So we returned from an expedition on Saturday to Mt. Misery and over to the Forked River Mts, finishing up in the wooded areas behind the lake at Howardsville (very narrow roads, heavily overgrown, will post pics and a trip report as soon as I get them processed). I noticed an itchy bump on my left wrist.

We really didn't have tick issues on Sat. until we started off into the undergrowth behind the lake looking for some sign of the old town. We had Pyrethrin on our pants to the waist, but after forging through that growth we picked off quite a few tiny little devils. On inspection after I returned I didn't find any travellers, so I was happy.

Still, there was that itchy spot on my wrist. I wondered if I had gotten poison ivy, but it didn't spread, and I have never seen a reaction to PI with a single bump. Over two days it began to look like a little blood blister, very itchy. Today I accidentally scratched off the top and a little bloody clear fluid came out.

Sound like a chigger (redbug), or something else?

 

[BEHR655]

Very unusual to get just one chigger. If it was a chigger you should consider yourself lucky. Was it about the size of a pin head?

Steve

 

[MarkBNJ]

I never saw the bug, if that's what you're referring to. The lesion itself is about 1/8" in diameter, and there is just the one. I would post a pic, but I didn't want to ruin anyone's breakfast .

 

[Boyd]

I think the chiggers are out with a vengance now. Haven't had any problems until this past weekend when I spent all day outside. I was chopping down some very big weeds (5' high) around the edges of my yard, mowing overgrown grass, clearing some trails, wandering through brush, sitting on the ground.

I do this kind of stuff all the time and don't have any problems since I wear permethrin treated clothes. But this time I got maybe 10 or 12 very itchy bites in the kinds of places chiggers usually like. Pretty sure they got me when I was chopping down those high weeds, looked like just the kind of place they would be lurking....

 

[BEHR655]

I never saw the bug, if that's what you're referring to. The lesion itself is about 1/8" in diameter, and there is just the one. I would post a pic, but I didn't want to ruin anyone's breakfast .

No, the bites are about the size of a pin head, 1/16". Of course that is my experience and others may react differently.

Steve

 

[MarkBNJ]

This might be something else then, although I never saw anything attached there. Ticks after removal leave me red and itchy, but this acts like a tiny localized infection, that itches a lot .

Anyone care to guess what it was?

 

[gagliarchives]

Could be worse. We could be in Belize:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289733,00.html

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I have gotten some very itchy tick bites like you describe.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Could be worse. We could be in Belize:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,289733,00.html

Sorry to break it to you, but we have those here in the US, too. My cat had one last year.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Perhaps it was just a tick that got his cutters in and got knocked off or something. I know I never saw anything on that spot. Seems to be subsiding a little now.