How to find out which insect has bitten

Summer is the perfect time for outdoor recreation. But insects that appear in countless numbers with the first warm days can spoil all the charm of a picnic. Blood-sucking species biting people and animals are especially activated. They “attack” in the house and on the street, leaving behind at least a feeling of discomfort, pain, itching, and, as a maximum, causing a serious allergic reaction or infection with infectious diseases with their bites.

There are many types of blood-sucking insects, and a person does not always have time to see who is attacking him. That is why it is worth knowing the main differences between different bites: appearance, symptoms, possible consequences.

How to understand who bit

A blood-sucking insect can be “met” not only in the open air, but even at home. The location where the bite occurred also helps in determining its type. For example, bedbugs live only in the house, and ticks live in the forest, park, field, where there is tall grass. Although there are situations when these insects can bite and not in their habitat.

To figure out who became the culprit of the bite, you should pay attention to the main signs. For each bug or midge they are different.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are also called vampire insects. And they fully deserve such a name, because they bite more often at night or at dusk. They can attack on the street, especially near water bodies, or at home, getting into the room through open windows and doors.

A mosquito bite looks like a red hypodermic blister. It has the shape of a circle or drop, in the middle of which there is a small bite mark. Such a papule is very itchy, and if you start combing it, the itching will intensify due to the entry of mosquito saliva into the surrounding tissues. After a certain time, the bubble disappears, but in some people, especially children, redness, itching and swelling at the bite site remain for several days.

In general, mosquito bites are not dangerous. But it is worth considering that there are about 300 species of mosquitoes, and some of them are carriers of serious diseases: malaria, tularemia, yellow fever. It is difficult to meet such people in our regions, so the information is relevant, rather, for the traveler. ^[1]

Moss

Midges are called several groups of insects at once, united by one property – small size. Most of them are neutral to humans and do not pose any danger, but there are also blood-sucking species. Midges that can bite look like flies, only several times smaller. The body length of such insects is 2-4 mm. They have two wings, three pairs of legs and a piercing-sucking mouthpart.

Midges live in almost all climatic conditions, but the symptoms and appearance of the bite are almost identical. The location of the wound, depending on the presence or absence of a blood-sucking proboscis (as in mosquitoes), can be in the form of:

• maroon speck of small size – from insects with a proboscis;
• red abrasions of small diameter with torn edges – a bite left by midges without a proboscis, because they simply tear off a piece of tissue.

From the site of a skin puncture during a bite, blood may flow for some time, since there is a component in the saliva of midges that prevents it from clotting. There is no itching, but there is a burning sensation and throbbing pain. Depending on the individual’s response to the bite, swelling and tissue hardening, redness, or induration may occur. In places with thin skin, all symptoms are more noticeable. On average, it takes one week for the skin to fully regenerate. But if the bite is combed, it may take a whole month.

Some people may still have an allergic reaction to a midge sting. Its main symptoms, in addition to those described above: tearing of the eyes, swelling of the mucous membranes, the appearance of red spots on the skin, but not at the site of the bite ^[2].

Ants

Ants are considered one of the most industrious insects. There are about six thousand species in this family, but only a few of them are potentially dangerous in terms of a possible bite. As you know, such insects do not attack first, but only when you need to defend yourself. That is why it is better to bypass the anthills and do not press the ant on the body, but try to shake it off easily.

If, nevertheless, the insect has bitten, it is quite easy to identify. A small red spot and slight swelling appear at the site of the bite. There is also a strong burning sensation, which is explained by the ingress of formic acid into the wound. In especially sensitive people, the symptoms are more pronounced:

1. In addition to the red spot, a large pink spot appears around it.
2. The swelling is strong.
3. The affected area may “burn”.
4. Itching and burning are unbearable.

Unpleasant sensations in the absence of hypersensitivity disappear after a couple of hours, and the bite itself can itch for another 1-2 days. If a person has an allergy or had to endure an attack by a large number of insects, then he may feel severe dizziness, headache, lowering blood pressure, shortness of breath, fever, swelling of the larynx. In such cases, you should immediately seek medical help.

It is also important to know that the largest ant that lives in the forest bites the most. The second in the ranking is the red ant, whose bites are very painful. Somewhat weaker symptoms if a red ant attacked. And the most “safe” is their black relative ^[3].

pliers

Ticks are typical representatives of blood-sucking insects. The most dangerous of them belong to the Ixodidae family. They attack the victim sitting in the grass, branches of bushes, and sometimes from the ground. However, the bite is not so terrible as the prospect of contracting encephalitis, tularemia, Lyme disease, rickettsiosis, because these insects may contain the causative agents of such diseases in their secret.

Finding a tick on the body is quite easy. Moreover, as it saturates, the bloodsucker gets fatter and becomes more and more noticeable. Such an insect is looking for places on the body with thin skin, so that it is easier to cut through it with its proboscis. “Favorite” places for sucking ticks:

• groin area;
• small of the back;
• armpits;
• areas on the neck and behind the ears.

Sometimes you can notice a bite after the tick has fallen off. It looks like a red, rounded spot of a small size on the surface of the skin. Rarely has an oval shape and jagged edges. It does not hurt, but itches, there is a slight swelling, a slight rash may be present. In allergy sufferers, children and people with high sensitivity, the symptoms are more pronounced. Rarely, a sufficiently strong allergic reaction with Quincke’s edema, respiratory arrest, paralysis is observed.

Not every tick is a carrier of the disease, but a visit to a doctor is a must.

If the insect remains on the skin, it is better not to remove it yourself, but to contact specialists. And even a tick removed on its own in a closed jar should be taken to the laboratory, because the diseases they carry are quite serious:

1. Tick-borne encephalitis – can be fatal.
2. Lyme disease – if diagnosed late, disability or death is possible.
3. Ehrlichiosis – the disease causes respiratory and renal failure.
4. Anaplasmosis – affects the hematopoietic system.
5. Typhus – there is a rash on the body and an increase in lymph nodes.
6. Tularemia – characterized by damage to the lymph nodes, mucous membranes of the eyes and throat. ^[4]

Fleas

Annoying and dangerous, because they can be a carrier of serious infections: anthrax, plague, tularemia, brucellosis, typhus, pseudotuberculosis. All this is about fleas that prefer to parasitize on cats and dogs.

On the human body, such insects will not start, because for comfort they need warmth and moisture from animal hair. However, they also pose a risk to human health. Flea bites are easy to identify. There are several signs:

• a small number of small red spots appear on the skin, following one after another;
• redness is very itchy, because flea saliva contains irritating substances;
• bites are located mainly on the lower extremities, since a distinctive feature of fleas is movement by jumping.

And these are the mildest symptoms.

In some cases, insect saliva can lead to the development of an inflammatory process, swelling of the lesions, and the appearance of scabies. But the most dangerous is infectious diseases, therefore, in order to prevent flea bites, it is necessary to rid pets of such parasites in a timely manner. ^[5].

Sweetbones

Horseflies are the largest blood-sucking insects. Interestingly, only females bite, which can suck up to 200 mg of blood at a time. A single bite is not dangerous, but a massive attack of horseflies due to the toxicity of their saliva can cause changes in the physiological parameters of the blood and the appearance of local inflammatory processes.

You can meet horsefly in the forest, in the steppe zone, in the taiga, and also near water bodies.

The bite of this insect has characteristic symptoms: redness around the wound, burning sensation and pain. Severe itching is especially unpleasant, in comparison with a mosquito it is much stronger. After 6-8 hours, the symptoms may increase, and on the second day it reaches its peak.

In a person with a weakened immune system, chronic diseases and hypersensitivity, erythema may also occur at the bite site with a diameter of 7-8 cm, and lymph nodes may also increase.

In some cases, a severe allergic reaction is possible: Quincke’s edema, anaphylactic shock ^[6].

Spiders

There are several thousand species of spiders on the globe. Many of them are dangerous to humans due to their toxicity. But there are also representatives of these insects, the bite of which causes only a hypersensitivity reaction.

In our latitudes, there are several species that can bite a person:

1. Karakurt. An adult has a pure black color, in a young one you can see bright red spots on the abdomen, sometimes in the form of an hourglass. Redness and swelling occur at the site of the bite, and burning pain is felt throughout the body. Headache, heart palpitations, muscle spasms, and heaviness in the chest may occur.
2. South Russian tarantula. The bite of this spider is very painful. After it, dizziness, numbness of the extremities, a drop in pressure, and a violation of the heart rhythm sharply occur.
3. The cross is a relatively safe insect, since after its bite only a slight weakness and redness appear at the site of the lesion.
4. Black fathead. The place after the bite of this spider loses sensitivity for up to several days, severe pain is felt ^[7].

Wasps, bees, hornets, bumblebees

All these striped insects are rarely the first to attack a person. But they can become aggressive when exposed to cigarette smoke, using cosmetics with a strong odor. It feels like the bites of a wasp, a bee, a hornet and a bumblebee are approximately the same. At the site of the lesion, redness and swelling occur, which disappear within 1-5 days, in the face area – up to 8 days. The pain is quite strong. With human hypersensitivity, allergic reactions and unpleasant health-threatening symptoms are possible:

• angioedema, anaphylactic shock;
• rash all over body;
• dyspnea;
• convulsions with loss of consciousness;
• weakness, dizziness;
• nausea, vomiting.

When a bee stings, it is important to pull out the sting, because the poison from it will continue to enter the bloodstream and cause dangerous symptoms. ^[8].

Flies

Flies are considered the most annoying insects. They are ready to explore every corner of the house, sit down on products and interior items. Especially annoying is the unpleasant buzz of their wings. But some species do not just break the silence, but are also quite insidious, because they can bite. Most blood-sucking flies live throughout Europe and Asia:

1. Stinger flies with black spots on the abdomen: their bite has the appearance of red rashes with small burgundy bumps. There is pain and itching. Favorite places for insect infestation are the ankles, feet, under the knees, and often the entire leg.
2. Sand flies are small in size with hairy wings, a shade of gray-brown. They prefer to attack at dusk, biting very painfully. Itchy, burning bumps and red blisters appear at the site of the bite. But these are the mildest symptoms. The danger of sand fly bites is that they are carriers of leishmaniasis, as a result of which ulcers appear on the body.
3. The tsetse fly, fortunately for us, lives in African forests. Her bites provoke the appearance of red bumps and ulcers on the skin. Sleeping sickness is also possible.
4. Deer flies are distinguished from their relatives by their bright green or golden eyes. Very active in spring. Their habitat is swamps, lakes, reservoirs. A deer fly bite looks like a red bump and scar. The person feels severe pain. The most dangerous thing is that such insects carry tularemia, which, without treatment, can end in death. ^[9].

Scolopendra and scorpion

Poison centipedes or, as they are called, centipedes used to live in Africa, in the South of America and Europe. Due to climate change, today they can be seen in other regions. This arthropod insect has 10-15, and sometimes all 30 cm in length. Able to crawl into any gap, so it is found even in private homes.

Scolopendra has 42-46 pairs of legs, each of which has a poisonous gland. Upon contact with human skin, a burn and an allergic reaction occur. And her bite is especially painful – 20 times stronger than a bee. A scolopendra bitten feels an unbearable headache, shortness of breath, hand tremors, and his body temperature can rise to 39 degrees. At the site of the bite, redness and swelling occur, traces of skin puncture may be visible. Sometimes scratches from the legs of the centipede are noticeable ^[10].

Scorpion is another representative of arthropod insects. Some species are very poisonous. It is important to identify his bite in order to provide first aid in a timely manner and save a person’s life.

You can understand that it was the scorpion that bitten, according to several signs:

1. The appearance of acute burning pain. Its intensity depends on the poisonousness of the scorpion. Painful sensations can subside and intensify.
2. Redness of the area around the bite and a black dot in the middle.
3. Rapidly increasing swelling.
4. Strong sensation of itching.
5. Numbness of the affected area.
6. The formation of bubbles inside filled with a clear liquid.

In addition, a person bitten by a scorpion feels dizziness, nausea, headache, tachycardia, anxiety, and abdominal pain. When bitten by the most poisonous species, there may be an increase in lymph nodes, active salivation, swelling of the tongue and pus from the eyes. ^[11]

How to protect yourself from a bite

In most cases, you can avoid an insect bite, thereby protecting your health and life, because many of them are carriers of dangerous diseases.

To do this, you should follow a few rules:

• do not walk through bushes and tall grass;
• do not use strong perfumes, bright clothes in summer;
• wear socks and long trousers, and preferably rubber boots, when going into the forest or about to walk in an uncultivated field;
• avoid ponds with stagnant water;
• apply special aerosols to exposed areas of the body, and wear long-sleeved clothes in the evening to reduce the area of ​​uXNUMXbuXNUMXbaccess to the skin.

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