Mite Bites: How to Tell if It Is Mites, Bed Bugs, or Scabies

Itch mite magnified under a microscope.

Most people who land on this page are trying to answer one question: are these really mite bites, or do they look more like bed bug bites or scabies? Start by comparing your symptoms with our bed bug bites guide and our photo page that shows what bed bug bites look like.

The source matters as much as the marks. CDC guidance says scabies, which is caused by the human itch mite, usually causes an itchy, pimple-like rash that is often worse at night and may show up in skin folds. University of Minnesota Extension also notes that bird mites can bite people, but they do not reproduce on human blood. If your symptoms, timing, or what you are finding at home still fit bed bugs better than mites, this bed bug removal guide walks you through what to check first.

When people say mite bites, they are often lumping together several different problems. Scabies comes from the human itch mite. Bird and rodent-associated mites are different, and they are more likely to become a problem when birds or rodents are nesting in or around a home and the mites start searching for another host.

That is one reason mite bites are often confused with bed bug bites. If birds, rodents, or nests are part of the picture, biting mites deserve a closer look. If none of that fits and the signs point back to your bed or sleeping area, bed bugs may still be the better explanation.

Dust mites are different. Dust mites do not bite people. University extension sources treat them as an allergy issue, not a biting pest, so they are usually not the reason for bite-like marks on the skin.

Scabies belongs in the conversation when the itching is intense, tends to be worse at night, and comes with a pimple-like rash. CDC says common areas include between the fingers, in the folds of the wrists, elbows, knees, or armpits, and around the waist, buttocks, shoulder blades, nipples, or genitals. Because scabies is caused by the human itch mite living in the skin, it should be considered separately from bird or rodent mites that wander indoors from a nest or animal host.

If you are still comparing possibilities, use our bed bug bites guide for a broader look at common bite patterns and reactions. For photo examples, see what bed bug bites look like, where you can compare real bite pictures on people. If the evidence starts pointing back to bed bugs, our bed bug removal guide walks you through what to inspect and what to do next. You can also read more visitor experiences with mite infestations if you want to see how others described similar symptoms.

Mark’s Experience with Suspected Mites

Mark describes the steps he personally tried during a mite problem, including food grade DE, which we explain separately on our bed bug powder page.

First of all, I want to thank everyone for sharing your story & making me realize I am not alone or isolated in my quest to get rid of these parasites.

Here is my story:

My miniature poodle killed a rat in the backyard last fall. Shortly after that, I noticed her increased scratching and biting herself. I bathed her & saw no fleas or ticks. However, about 6 weeks later, these mites found their way onto me & have been battling them ever since then.

I went to the doc in December & he said it looked like bed bugs & said the sensation I feel is not real….oh really? He argued with me that scabies only leaves red marks in the creases of legs and arms & this is not scabies & he said I need to shower more often. Oh really. Don’t you love “know it all” ego maniac doctors? I shower at least once or twice per day. Here are some of my symptoms.

I feel crawling on my scalp, face, ears, in my nose, legs, and arms, especially at night. Mites coming out of my eyes, ears, and nose & biting are very real. They have left marks mostly on my legs, arms, and rear end.

The bites get inflamed for a day, then turn into a painful pimples that I have squeezed & popped most of them. Some of them go away permanently & others have scarred my upper legs and rear end. I started spraying my scalp with a mixture of water & tea tree oil which helped for about 3 hours & then they were back to more active than ever. Warning: If you use full strength, it can burn your scalp.

I got in the shower before I turned the water on & sprayed a mixture of 50/50 Listerine & water. The mites hate menthol, so I covered everywhere on my body & could feel them run off me. It burned as I left it on me for 10 to 15 minutes before I rinsed it off.
After they ran off me, I sprayed Windex with ammonia all AROUND my feet; this killed them in the shower but be careful not to spray your body!
I bought some liquid peppermint soap. I soaped up my entire body & scalp and let the latter penetrate my scalp for 15-20 minutes. Mites hate peppermint. This helped to decrease their population. A couple times a week, I douse my scalp in menthol conditioner. Putting lots on & leaving it on for 30 minutes to an hour will suffocate the mites.
After the shower, I apply the menthol equate lotion all over my arms, legs, and anus. Upon waking, I stripped my bedding and sprayed my mattress and flooring with Windex. Soaked all clothes and bedding for a couple hours in borax & then washed them.
After I vacuum, I place the bag in the microwave for 20-25 seconds to kill any mites in the bag. Make sure no metal objects are in the bag & spray the outer vacuum with Windex.
I also sprayed it in my car. Tore out all carpeting in the garage as my dog sleeps on a loveseat there. I also sprayed her bedding in the morning. I felt them more on the computer, so I sprayed that daily (not the computer or keyboard, just the area). BTW – thanks, Randy, for your story & your cure.
I stayed out of my room for 3 days, slept in a different bed & noticed a rapid decrease in mites on myself.
Mites love sugar & yeast. They are attracted to bodies that consume lots of it. I recently decided to make my body chemistry more unfriendly & hostile to host these parasites. I have eliminated all refined sugar & yeast from my diet.
I consume the powder form of MSM available at most vitamin stores. I take 1/2 a teaspoon twice per day, upon waking up and at bedtime. I mix it in a cup of fresh water, it is so bitter, but that is OK. It has allowed me to at least sleep at night & keeps the mites from biting me all night.
I also consume menthol cough drops to prevent them from crawling out of my nose at night. This has helped a lot. In the morning & at night time to help alkalize my internal body chemistry, I consume a large mug of lemon/lime hot water. I heat up the water & squeeze the juice of fresh lemon & lime and drink it raw twice daily.
I also consume 3 garlic cloves chopped up in my broccoli slaw mixture every night before bedtime. Mites hate menthol, MSM, lime & garlic. When I started on the MSM about 2-3 weeks ago, I had increased mite activity at night for the first 2 nights as the mites hate the taste. After that, they stopped biting me as I was a bad taste for them. Fresh garlic cloves are the most effective. Although I tried garlic powder, it was not as effective at calming down the bites as the whole garlic cloves are.

The funny thing is my dog has eaten the sliced thin garlic cloves every night & over the past 3 weeks, her ears are completely healed, and her tummy is 80% better. The web between her paws was crusted, but now all the crusted scabs are gone, still somewhat red. Her scratching and biting have also decreased by 75%.

Her breath smells so bad. However, if it makes the mites leave her for good, that certainly does not hurt my feelings. Warning: Feeding your pets large quantities of raw garlic can cause gastrointestinal problems and red blood cell damage.

My situation has improved by 65%-75%. So I am hoping and praying that by the next month, if I keep on this disciplined schedule, I will be free of those awful parasites by that goal-setting date.

Some of the things above may work for you, or they may not work for you. I have compassion and empathy for everyone battling these long-lasting parasites.

Thanks again to all. Don’t give up. Keep up the fight. You will win!

Barbara’s Experience with Suspected Mites

Bites from an itch mite on womans neck.

Barbara describes what she tried after she believed mites were involved, and her account is included here as a visitor experience rather than a general treatment plan.

I, too, recently dealt with a mite infestation. I looked and couldn’t find what was biting me, and the parallels with what you said to make me believe you have mites, not bed bugs.

Let me tell you about our problem… it all started when we went to see a breeder about getting another dog as a companion to our current dog, who we have had for 4 years with absolutely no problems. Anyway, 6 weeks after being in the breeder’s house, I started to itch uncontrollably on my hands.

Then, shortly after, we got the puppy, and the poor little thing was itching terribly too. At this point, my husband and I recalled that the mother dog had a very poor coat. Looking back, it’s clear that she was suffering from Mange (the name for dog mites). Doctors say you can’t get mites from your pets, but I’m sure we all agree that’s nonsense – YOU CAN!!

The bottom line is that I got scabies from the puppy (human mites), and here’s what I did to beat them in 1 month:

Get Permethrin 5% cream (available over the counter in the UK or by script in the USA). Apply the cream from your neck to the bottom of your soles at night. Be careful to ensure the cream gets into every crease, under your nails — everywhere, because mites like to hide. Leave it on for 8-12 hours and wash it off in the morning.
Repeat the treatment 4 days later, and then 4 days later again. This is because the cream kills the mites but not the eggs, which will hatch otherwise. Do this treatment at least 3 times (they say twice is enough, but experience has taught me otherwise!).
Wash all bed linen and clothes you’ve worn within 3 days of the outbreak in 90-degree Celsius water. Add borax (20 mules) to the wash if you can.
Anything that cannot be washed or dry cleaned should be sealed in bin bags for 2 weeks (this includes shoes). People say 3 days is enough, but I wanted to be sure!
If you have been wearing leather gloves, put them in a plastic bag and pop them in your freezer for 1 week.
Vacuum everything daily — rugs, hard floors, furniture, and upholstery. This is a pain, but I swear you will be sorry if you don’t.
Wash all hard floors in diluted bleach every 3 days.
Ensure you bathe every night in a bath that is as hot as you can stand it, and add 10-20 drops (check your sensitivity first!) of 100% pure tea tree oil, clove oil, and lavender oil. The mites HATE this, but the added benefit is that it will give you very soft skin and glossy hair and can be done regularly even if you don’t have mites.
Buy Lavender-Sulfur soap. This is very cheap, and apart from the ingredients (which mites hate), the sulfur in the soap helps exfoliate and remove the debris left behind by the mites (skin, feces, etc.), which is in the top layer of your skin. A real problem with mites is that the itch continues for far longer than necessary if you don’t get that crap out from underneath your top layer of skin. This soap is organic too, so it won’t harm your skin.
Ensure you get your pets to the vet for a spot-on treatment like Advocate or Stronghold. There is no point treating yourself and your house if you don’t treat them as the problem, it will just start up again. If you can’t afford it, beg the vet to do it and promise to pay later — I think most vets will do it for you.
Get your house fumigated for bed bugs and fogged for mites.

I noticed a DRAMATIC difference in a month.

I know from bitter experience how desperate I felt — like it would never get better — but I AM CONVINCED this worked for me!

Best of luck to all of you.

Visitor Experiences with Suspected Mite Bites

The entries below are preserved visitor reports from people who believed mites might be involved. They are included to show the range of experiences readers have shared, not as editorial guidance or confirmed diagnosis.

The visitor remedies below reflect personal experience only. Some of the methods described in these discussions are unsafe or not supported by reliable guidance, so they should not be treated as standard advice. Before trying any chemical treatment, prescription product, or other medical approach, speak with a qualified professional.

Z R Bookhardt::

Please remember this with mite bites:
Itch is the SENSATION of irritation, tingling, etc.
Scratch is the ACT of rubbing, scraping, etc.
A person SCRATCHES an ITCH. A person does not ITCH an ITCHY area, they SCRATCH an ITCHY area.

Bsoschorr::

Three in a row….

About two months ago, after staying at a bed and breakfast, I had confirmed (by a pharmacist) bed bug bites on my arm, which were three in a row. Four weeks of intensive action (carpets cleaned, new mattresses (now encased) and frame, laundry EVERY DAY in hot water or at least in the dryer for 30 minutes), and the bites seemed to go away. Also had a bed bug detection dog come in and nothing was found (eggs or adults).

Almost three weeks of nothing (eggs can usually hatch within 6-10 days, or two weeks, depending on conditions, correct?). Also applied DE laced w/ pesticide under and around the bed and dressers. Bought a steam cleaner but have yet to use it. Then, this morning, I found about 9 red bumps, with a whitish center on my youngest son’s buttocks. There were two rows of three on each cheek, and then a few random ones.

The thing is, they really don’t look like the BB bites….before, he seemed to develop a rash when bitten. He has a very sensitive reaction to mosquitos, etc., so I was wondering if it could be a possible mite (rat/bird) bite? It doesn’t look like scabies, and they don’t itch and have reduced in size within a day. We also took him to another pharmacist, who said they don’t look like bug bites to her, but that the fact there are two rows of three is suspicious. We also ruled out fleas (have had them before too, and know their bites)

What do you think? Could there be ANY other reason? When I tried to pop them, pimple-like dots of white pus came out of one or two, not blood. I know I must sound like I’m in denial, but my instinct says it’s something else. HELP.

Long-running skin problems and uncertainty about what is causing them can wear people down quickly. If this kind of stress is affecting your mood, sleep, or daily life, it is worth talking with a doctor or mental health professional while you work on the source of the problem.

jdh::

I am not thinking mine are bed bugs either and I don’t think I ‘m in denial. I am starting to think something about bird or rat mites but I don’t have birds or rats that i KNOW of. How do you find the infestation if there is one and where do you look to get a sample? I keep a clean house and I am clean but starting to feel so dirty and depressed that i don’t want to go anywhere. See anyone. Do anything.

I honestly don’t believe in suicide as its not our choice to make for expiration but I have been flirting with the idea. I seem to have negative thoughts in my brain running rampant and I have already gone to counseling to no avail. When no one believes that I believe its bugs biting me then I feel alone. So alone. I do go to the gym often and run with my dog in hopes of clearing my head and finding some positiveness in my life. I just want my body and my life back. I have prayed for this and I don’t believe I deserve this crap so how do I get thru it?

I read on here that others, so many others, are going thru the same thing. They post what their bites look like, what critters they see, how they feel but no real answers. Seems everyone wants to pass it off as bed bugs but I need to know for sure. I’ve been married almost 20 years to the man of my dreams and I cannot make him understand what I am going thru and I can’t feel he is with me on this.

theresa VanderWel::

My husband and I spent the night at a hotel.
Two days later, I kept finding little marks like a pimple and they are very itchy. I have them on my upper torso and on my legs also. Not sure if there mites. I do know their not bed bugs.

How can I find out?

Thank you.
Tari.

K9 P.I.::

@ JDH

Wow…no…please don’t consider suicide. There are answers out there, and after reading this it just makes me want to help you even more. Using a K9 Bed bug detection team is your best option. I’ll try my best to locate a NESDCA certified dog near you. Then you will be able to finally put all the doubt you have behind you by finding the right answers. I truly hope this helped…and stay strong!

Note: K9 P.I., we’ve forwarded your contact information to JDH

When a biting or itching problem starts to affect your sense of safety at home, the emotional strain can become just as hard as the physical symptoms. If you are feeling overwhelmed, reach out to a doctor or mental health professional for support while you sort out what is happening.

Shirley MacDonald::

Hi everyone,

I am losing my mind and hope someone can help me before I get there. I have for the last 3-4 weeks found bugs in our apartment but they are not traditional bugs. These things are in my hair, upper and lower areas, all over our apartment (and I mean ALL OVER) they are in the beddings, clothes, towels, furniture, EVERYWHERE. I have gone to the doctor twice last week. Neither doctor would touch me. The second doctor gave me a cream to use from head to toe and shower off 8-12 hours but nothing is working. I have used it twice since last week. We have bombed our apartment but it appears to not have helped. I think it just made them mad. They seem to attach to skin and then into fabric.

I am a paraplegic and therefore use a wheelchair (oh yes, they are there to). I have welts all down both legs, in my pubic area, under arms, I even had a bite get infected on my arm last week. Our apartment leasing agency had an exterminator come out and all he said was that the sample I sent them was just dead skin (duh, look under a microscope). I am sorry, I am losing my mind. I hate to be left alone in the apartment. I am a grad student and therefore you can imagine how embarrassed I am sitting in class. I am sitting there thinking, “I wonder if anyone can see them.” I do this instead of paying attention to the lecture.

Can someone please help me before I go crazy or suicide? I totally understand the feeling of suicide. My immune system is compromised because of the spinal cord injury and these bugs are just tapping what little reserve I have. Please, someone help me. What is this and what can I do to get rid of it once and for all? HELPPPPPPPPPPPP

Thank you for reading this and I apologize for it being so long.

Have a wonderful day.
Shirley

Bed Bug Girl::

Hi Shirley,

Did the doctors give you any clue to what might be biting you? Do you think they are mite bites? Any way you can send in a picture? What did the bugs look like? Can you send me a picture? Send it to badbedbugs@gmail.com

I’ll do my best to identify the bugs once I see the picture – and – I’m sorry you are going through this, be strong!

Cindy B.::

First got “bit” at mom’s cabin. The things were so tiny couldn’t see them. I know a woman who travels the world had stayed there before me. But there were mice everywhere. Now, several months later, something is biting the heck out of me.

I have seen the 3 in a row bloody looking bites, and everything escalated when I did my special laundry and brought it in my room, washed on warm, dry low, which I had at the cabin. Now only seeing tiny bits of evidence, and no one else is getting bit.

I am a somewhat disabled person who spends a lot of time in bed. one caveat, I did rake some leaves from the front yard a couple of weeks ago. But still think it may be bedbugs, but in a tiny amount right now. Last night they attacked my head.

So far, we have vacuumed the mattress, my husband bombed our bedroom, and looked for evidence, which is not a lot, but something is getting me. HELP.

Dealing with symptoms for a long time, especially when you do not feel understood, can take a real emotional toll. If the stress of it is becoming too much, please consider speaking with a doctor or mental health professional as part of getting help.

Jan::

After visiting Egypt 6 years ago I was sitting in a farm house to go horse riding with my family the farm had horses, Camels, etc: after sitting for an hour on cushions on stone seating I got up and felt quite itchy on my buttock!!

A year after I noticed that I had red spots on my buttock and it was itchy where I had itched in Egypt they then began to get more itchy and red and start seeping welts formed and I started seeing like tunnels under the skin, this all progressed up my body stomach, arm’s shoulders, face cheeks chin and Scalp it gets very itchy at night to early hours and I get biting sensations.

I have had these things under a microscope and can see they are similar in shape to a scabies mite which I know and have researched over the past few years I have seen Dr’s, skin specialist Hospitals, tropical diseases place and guess what? they all think I am delusional like all the thousands of others who suffer with it!

I am very depressed and feel alone now suicide does cross the minds of us people who suffer, I had spinal surgery 11 years ago and have been on 14 pain killers a day as it was called a failed surgery so having this on top doesn’t help at all, especially as it is on my chin and cheeks.

Please look at the picture I took with microscope it is a similar shape to a scabies mite and other small mites but they cannot find out what it is even though I have all the same rashes as what other mites make.

I hope you can HELP!!

Jan

Carol – TX::

My heart goes out to all of these people and the many, many more found on many sites. My story may enlighten some. I rented an older home 5 years ago and within 5 days something was biting us. Landlord had to spray twice which elevated the problem for short time. It was NOT fleas!

Over the two year rental I heard animals in the attic scratching and found possum babies in my garage! Landlord attempted to run them off by various means but didn’t close all the entry holes so they got progressively worse.

I finally figured out that these things were blowing through the ac/heating vents, thus coating all furnishing, counters, hair and body – everything! I collected samples of many mites, larvae, etc and had him send exterminator who had to spray 3 times the home, attic and porch with bombs two kinds of spray. Temps outside were 105-108 in mid-May, so couldn’t go without ac. It was a horrific situation. Pest guy said it was worst infestation he’s ever see.

I went to doctors with same results as others, feeling totally humiliated so I moved out but was impossible to not take some with me. The sad part is that the apartment I moved to has some parasites coming through the vents too! These include all bugs that are on wild animals who live outside like fleas, lice of all kinds, various mites and the two latter ones reside just under the skin over most of body.

I went online and found literally 100s of testimonials from folks with same problems. We have all had to try and help ourselves since medical profession has no interest in helping us. We exchange natural things that help, but do not completely eliminate these bugs.

I have had a daily routine of various applications which keep numbers down though although sometimes I think I am losing ground. There is also a mite being called a “pepper mite” that is thought to come in on new clothing made in third world countries under filthy conditions. Makes sense and if you look for little black specks on new clothing racks in stores, you will find them.

I take very hot bath soaks 3 times a week too that include baking soda with white vinegar or epsom salts or even 20 Mule Team Borax with good results All products used to wash and freshen baby clothes so figured it would be safe and it has been. Baking soda helps keep skin soft. Skin will take abuse with all the treatments but find using an anti-itch good moisturizer several times a week and it helps. After the soaks you will see dead critters on tub when you empty tub and you will KNOW you are not crazy!! Some results are better than others but figure several dead is worth the effort. I mix up the different soaks now as think they might get used to a product if used continually and it works better.

I wash all of my laundry in warm water with 1-2 cups ammonia, a tip I got online if you couldn’t use hot water on clothing and it helps alot. I only wear my clothing once and then laundry it too. Since many of these mites lay their eggs in seams of cotton clothing, and some can survive for many months without food (blood) and remain on clothing in closet, drawers.

Lastly, I have had these things for 3 known years now and possibly longer before I figured it out. It’s been hard to say the least, all but impossible, but cannot imagine how many I would have had without this continual effort, which keeps the numbers down. I showed some mild anemia on my last blood test, which is very worrisome since these things feed on my blood. I am taking iron and immune building supplements supplements now hoping to correct it as won’t discuss with my new doctor and be humiliated again. How disgusting that our medical profession has not tackled this problem since it is spreading like wildfire and read something the other day that predicts 1.3 million people suffer from this, so we are not alone for sure. If the pepper mites believed to come into States on new clothing proves true, that number will increase rapidly and they will be oblivious,until one doctor gets them and has to go through the Hell we have for so long.

Hope this info helps some of you. Hang in there and try to stay ahead of them until someone figures out how to rid them completely.

Buggers::

Uh oh… Looks like I’m going to have to get serious in my diagnosis here… I first spotted a couple of red spots on my belly when getting out of the bath last weekend. Coincidentally changed sheets after discovery. Next day, more red spots other side of belly. Then started noticing them on arms, and a wicked, angry one on back of leg.

Today I have same wicked, angry, itchy spot on buttocks. Someone first suggested chiggers, but I’m becoming suspicious that I’m dealing with either mites or bedbugs. I tried looking closely at my sheets today – saw nothing. I am aware that my dog and cat have been stalking something burrowing in my backyard – I’ve suspected a rat (or family of rats…).

So, now I’m reading correlation with rats and mites. It sounds like these suckers will live/survive forever unless counter attacked. My question is, will my animals also be bitten and develop these irritating welts? Makes perfect sense that they would, and problem is going to be ongoing. Everything on me feels itchy today. I will try to take pics of bites, and bugs if I find any… Ugh.

Ongoing itching, uncertainty, and repeated medical visits can leave anyone feeling exhausted and discouraged. If the pressure of it is affecting your mental well-being, talking with a doctor or mental health professional may help while you continue looking for answers.

Joanne::

About 2 years ago I was sitting on my sofa close to the backdoor. I have a dog and the door has a doggy door flap. I felt an itch on the back of my left leg and as I reached to scratch it, it felt sort of like dry skin with those bumpley things. I scratched them off and then felt the other leg of course. Kinda a girl thing.

Thought nothing of it really til it turned out that I scratched my leg raw and the itch began at that moment. Before I knew it I had the backs of both legs tore up. Within a few weeks or maybe couple months I had these on my arms and my legs began to heal. I scratched, picked and probably spread but who knows. Then I started to get itchy on my butt, sides of my legs and a couple on my face and neck.

Within the year I had a few on my hands so I made sure I washed my hands thoroughly after scratching/picking. Then I felt like it may be bedbugs after seeing all the BS of it on TV and so I called terminex and they came out but found nothing but regular household spiders. I checked with flashlight and magnifying glass all over the house but found nothing. My husband has no bites or bumps or itch at all. I’ve had company and over night guests since and no one has said a thing about itch or bites.

I went on line and googled “whats biting me” and to my surprise I found tons of people posting their issues which paralleled mine so much. They said what they were going thru and how they handle it but no one really had a diagnosis. The more I read the more I let my head take over and I itched more, scratched more and of course it all seemed to fit my issues so I began to believe I had the same thing they thought they have.

I went to the doctors finally and after talking to the doc about my entire story I ‘m quite sure they thought I was nuts as I can only imagine how one would sound to a doctor who was seeing patients with runny noses, sore throats and body aches all day then some woman comes in and says she feels crawling sensations and has bites all over her butt back legs and arms. Of course they wrote me a prescription for some antidepressant and cream and said come back in a month. Needless to say I did not take anti depressants because I am not depressed causing the itchy skin, however the itchy skin is causing me to become depressed so this will not address nor fix the problem.

I made another appt but this time it was for the dermatologist. Well they wanted to do a biopsy and put me on a strong anti depressant prozac. OMG are they crazy? I had the biopsy however they chose a small spot on my ankle that I must’ve gotten that day from some Nat or spider because it didn’t itch and it was not the same at the others I was getting. I mean I can be just sitting on the couch and suddenly I feel like a pin prick and then by the time I reach to scratch it there is something there like a red mark. Sometimes its like two dots.

I am so into thinking I am being bitten by mites or something else that I literally pick the entire thing off me and am convinced at times that what I got off me is not a skin scab at all but some egg or bug or something unidentifiable. I began to save them in hopes of finding a place I could drop them off to be investigated with microscope or some thing of that sort. I tried to drop off specimens at UCR in Riverside, only to be told they don’t do that for regular people. I wrote to the show, “the doctors” and “Dr oz” but my letters fell upon deaf ears or blind eyes.

Anyway……….. I figured I’d do the walk in at the psyche hospital in riverside and see what they can do since two teams of doctors so far think this is all in my head. I forgot what they named it but I looked it up and it means all in my head. Which I know its not. They are real and I know it. I have a picture of my butt with all the marks if you think it will help you figure it out.

Let me know and I will send it.

I was told by the Psych doctor that he too has this on his skin and its from stress and he has lived with it for several years. I was shocked to hear this and yes I am stressed and I’ve been stressed before but no skin issues in the past. He gave me some cream and wanted me on zoloft. So between zoloft, prozac and hydroxazine I am between a rock and a hard place. I used up all the creams but took no meds.

I figured if anyone can do anything maybe Loma Linda is the place. I Made that appointment and jumped right into seeing the dermatologist. He never looked at my legs, butt or back. Just saw a couple on my arms and compared me to some other patient he saw in the past who had this 100X worse he said and then wrote me a prescription for some medication that requires me to have an EKG so he has a guideline for comparison after I start the meds. He said the med is normally used for people who have tourettes or seizures in which he realizes I do not have those but he was convinced This med was for me. In my head I am thinking that he thinks I am delusional and possibly on drugs.

He ordered a blood test and it was for just about everything under the sun up to and including even immune system. Well after the blood work up I had to go to internal medicine for the EKG but they said I’d have to see an internist first and they scheduled that appt for me. I came back the following week and saw a resident doctor. I explained all this to her and begged her to not think I am crazy. She said I need to trust her and to take a med called doxepin.It will relax my anxiety and help me to not pick so I can start to heal. She says she does not believe I am being bitten by bugs so I worked hard on telling myself this and so far I am 60% 40% on the whole thing. Some days I will swear its bugs and other days I think my stress and picking is the problem.

Over all I believe its got to be bites because even if I stop picking some areas and start to heal on my arms my butt wont heal at all. I feel pin pricks and itch and I do take a bath at night and shower in the day. The feeling is worse when I am really warm like after the gym or after a hot flash. I have three on face, a few on my neck at the hair line and they are just new ones, shoulders and upper back and mainly butt and sides of legs. None on hands none on feet. I have a hard time sleeping because my mind won’t stop thinking that I am some buffet.

I have lost weight,then gained weight and I seem to want to just stay in the house and not be around people. How can I find out for sure what this is? Doctors can’t really figure out if its bugs unless they come to your house and look.

I can describe some of the scab things I take off my skin if that helps you . The skin usually has a small hole in the middle. The ends are like stringy. At times it has black dots all around the middle of the scab. The things I find on the sofa when I feel it with my hand after I felt the pin prick is longated white thingy or a salt or pepper like crystal. Some scabs seem to be sunflower seed size or poppyseed. Nothing moving or alive so my husband thinks they are skin or something the dog brought in. I have found small cone shaped tunnel like things too. I have a few things in a jar if you want those.

Can you help me? Please?

Joanne

Bed Bug Girl::

Hi Joanne,

I can say that I have never seen such damage from a bed bug before, so I’m not sure that’s it unless you were having some extreme reaction to it.

I’m not a doctor and have no medical experience, but by getting the picture up on the site, visitors may have suggestions and leave comments that may help.

Are there dark lines in the skin, like trails? It looks a little like that in the picture I posted; did they ever test for scabies?
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/docs/Scabies/ScabiesMgmt.pdf

Please, whatever you find out, will you post back your results? It would be a big help to everyone.

If anyone has seen this before or has ideas, please leave a comment – thanks!

Thanks!

starr::

My rats gave me mites and now I’m being bitten, can baking soda help?

Brent::

I have had spots on my side and back for about a week now started with the itch then burning like 4 inchs around the spot one has swollen to about quarter size. So I went to the urgent care and lef wit some pills and cream just as I knew I was going to do they kinda look like bed bugs but my wife has nothing like this on her. They hurt bad enough I can’t sleep on that side of my body. There isn’t any signs showing a bite just a really burning welt the spot itself itchs but about a four or five inch space around it feels like someone has stabbed me with a knife

Joanne::

Since my long comment above has been posted this is the update:

I’ve been to the dermatologist at Loma Linda and they are telling me these are not bites at all. They are saying that its either caused by stress which can manifest itself in bringing out physiological problems. He said that going thru extreme stress can make us aware of tingling on our skin. I say they are full of BS and it must very hard to detect bites. I have had two biopsies in which I still have a stitch in each that hasn’t dissolved yet. I get my results in 2 weeks. Which is when I’ll be in Maui on vacation. Wearing a bathing suit will be embarrassing because people will see my legs and arms.

I am beginning to heal however I still get one or two new spots. I noticed my scabs have a hole in the middle. Does anyone know what that could be? Another doctor called what I have, “Neurotic Excoration”, and they also call it dermatitis and tells us all to stop picking. I saw on the news the other night that this epidemic is considered “all in our head” and not real. I feel like maybe God is punishing me for something I must have done to deserve this. I sure hope I get my punishment over with soon. I have about 8 band-aids on right now. But I am going swimming today anyway.

The heck with them if they can’t take a joke. People look but they don’t ask what is that on your arm or leg. They just stare. Sometimes I get a stomach ache from these and also a headache but doctor has me on doxepin capsules for anxiety and it helps me sleep. I pick less. I am healing from lack of picking. Anyone else know why I have a hole in the middle of my scab?

Joanne::

I am on doxepin capsules 150mg two in the evening, as it helps me not pick the bites/? whatever they are. If you stop picking them they really go away. I believe we all pick at them in order to get them off us. Don’t pick!!! I got generic doxepin cream from the doctor and it numbs the pain good. I wash my bed often and got a new mattress pad and my butt has started to heal well.

My mattress pad was white with no stains or black things so I know its not bedbugs. I think its some sort of mite but my dermatologist thinks its just dermatitis caused by picking and spreading that can come when under a great deal of stress. I’ll go with that for now but I still have in my mind that its mites. I am trying to trust their judgment but I did have two biopsies on the 16th of June so just waiting for the results.

I leave for Maui this Sunday and am afraid to wear my bathing-suit as people will see my left leg full of scars and about 4 open wounds not to mention wearing a tank top/sleeveless dress and them seeing my arm wounds and scars. As I sit here typing I have felt three sharp sudden pin pricks in my left butt cheek and my right outer thigh. I wish I knew if I had nerves misfiring or someone is sticking a voodoo doll of me or its mites? Are those terrorists figuring another way of getting us? LOL. “okay ya gotta find some humor in our dilemma. Right? Stay tuned for my results…………………………

cmd::

its so good to know that im not alone. my whole family is suffering from an unknown assailant. i know its not fleas and i havent seen any evidence of bed bugs. me my sister and my father have all been going crazy due to the itching and scratching. we have little red dots on our skin and its has been getting worse these past couple weeks. both my sister and my father have gone to a doctor for the itching and all they gave was some pill and a cream. the cream helped some but the marks wont go away and the itching never ends. i wish i knew how to stop it.

JDH::

Okay I went on vacation and started to heal a great deal which was great. Kept so busy that I didn’t have time to scratch my itches. Upon arriving home, my left butt cheek seemed to get full of red marks again. The right side is healing quite nice.

All I can think of is that my dog sleeps closest to my left side but she doesn’t seem to have any itch problems. I still use the cream my doctor prescribed which is generic doxepin cream however I purchased some lotrimen cream for athletes foot and fungus but it also says it helps hook worm, so I used it and it works fast. They fall off and heal quick.

I am really aware of picking now and have shortened my fingernails. I shower each morning and each night before bed, change sheets often and use steamer on all bedding and drawers. I keep my underwear in a zipper plastic case after washing them in hot water with vinegar and baking soda. Now that is one way of getting our skin to heal but to find what is causing it, well that’s the big question. I do save some of my odd looking scabs or black specks i find and I check them out with my microscope but I don’t know how to read what things are. Where do I take them to be looked at?

jdh

n curry::

Our’s all started when we found out we have a colony of brown bats living in our attic. I started noticing bugs brownish in color coming from our baseboard in the kitchen. I examine one and thought it was a bedbug that my husband had brought home from one of his many work trips. We had two company’s come out and examine the bugs. They both said it was a bat bug ,cousin to the bed bug that usually does not feed on humans unless there host is gone.

During this time I started getting bites all over me, some in patterns of 3 and some single bites that ‘s a size of a pin head. I notice they start to bother me as far as itching or a feeling of something crawling on me at night time. There has been no evidence of bugs in our bed room at anytime. We have had our place sprayed twice and bomb once.

After months of no sleep and looking under the sheet’s and doing research on here , I still don’t know what is biting me. I went into the doctor because I was going crazy and driving my husband nuts with something biting me. My husband did tell me he has been bitten but does not think anything about it.

My doctor, just to please me ,gave me permethrin cream to rub from head to toe in case it was mites, which did help the first nite. She did tell me it look like bed bug bites, I could except that but there is no evidence of bed or bat droppings or signs anywhere except dead bat bugs in the kitchen. Something is biting me in my clothes but there is nothing there. I just notice I have 4 dots perfect in a row on my leg and I just got the clothes from the dryer. Another things is I have 2 cat’s that I notice were scratching and there indoor cat’s so I thought it was effecting them to. I took the cat’s to the vet and nothing was found on them nothing.

I’m writing this as I speak, and feel crawling sensations on my head and my body. I have read all the blogs and people’s comments and we all sound a like. If anyone is reading this and you have the same symptoms please let me know if you have found out anything new or using anything that helps. If it was up to me I would get rid of everything I own and start new, but if its in me that won’t help. Has anyone heard of a bug that causes 4 red bumps in a perfect row.

Mom 2 3::

I went to camp with my daughter about 2 weeks ago and every since I’ve gotten 1-3 bites a night with a small blister. They are only on my feet and legs but seem to be going higher every night. My husband is NOT being bit. I’ve washed the sheets, pulled the mattress off and vaccumed off the box springs and mattress, washed the bed skirt, and flipped the mattress. They stopped for about 2 nights. From reading on other sites I might have gotten body mites from camp. I also read about a treatment that seems to have worked for other people. BORAX laundry detergent! I’m trying this tomorrow first thing. I’ll report back and let you know if it works

as::

I think I am dealing with some sort of mites, so thought I would share with my fellow sufferers here.
In the summer of 2010, I had been in NH and felt a sudden, intense itching in a patch about 1 1/2 inches in diameter right “where I sit”. It felt like a chigger bite, which I knew from growing up in Maryland, and I just scratched for about a week then it went away (consistent with the symptoms of a chigger bite), so I didn’t think much about it. Until summer of 2011, when it started itching again, same place, not as intense, and it only lasted a couple of days. Weird, I thought, to get a chigger bite in the exact place…and I hadn’t even been near any fields. I live in a big city! So, goggling away, I now think I have some kind of mites, which I must have gotten maybe in 2010 or maybe even earlier. I lived in a house in NH from 2006 though 2009, and it had bats living in it, between the first and second floors….I was able to rid the house of bats by 2008, but I am now thinking that there must have been lot of hungry mites looking for food after they left, and I was the only warm-blooded thing around.

Anyway, I have been using various home remedies: a hot shower every night, followed by sulfur-containing ointment, followed by a heat pad as hot as I can stand it on my itchy areas. What I want is to soak in hot, sulfurous mud! I am going to buy a jeweler’s loupe, and from this point on, even the tiniest itch will be examined, and I will be rigorous in my documentation. I sound like I am going crazy over this, but I don’t really want to coat myself in insecticide yet.

Looks like there are many thousands of kinds of mites, and not much scientific literature…so, I’m going to do my best to help out myself and the amateur scientific literature on this.

Thank you to everyone posting about this problem. We have a lot of mites living on us that we don’t even notice…these ones that are burrowing into us are just going too far!

Mike 8081::

Mites are micro spiders. They are high in protein. Try crushing 4 multi-enzyme, full spectrum, digestive enzymes and adding to your bath water for a couple of days. Clean carpets and floors with pet enzyme urine removers. Sweep daily in the morning along east facing windows after dawn. Remove all bird nests within 30 feet of your home. Fog the attic, crawl space and/or basement. Get a 15x magnifying glass.

CASEY::

Dear Joanne,

After reading all of these it seems you have mites there are many types, sounds like scabies mite, they attach to your skin the females attach and lay eggs in the bite looks like scabs but they are under there don’t panic, they thrive on lowered immune systems.

I have the same problem went to my doctor and told him what i have, he gave me pemethrin cream which does kill them as far as the house vacuumed everywhere have used any insecticide that has a high Percentage of pemethrin the fogger made by black jack i believe has it, this is the only thing that kills them, i have a dog and two cats and they have been washed with Hartz flea and tick oatmeal shampoo it also has pemethrin and i have even used it to wash my legs off after I bathe them.

The bites look like little lines under your skin. Drying your clothing or putting in the freezer helps. make sure your not wearing them on your way out. Just be crazy with washing and vacuuming everyday for some time. I have also sprayed everything i mean everything i with natural repellent against mites in the store. and From my vet also the hartz flea and tick repellent for your home has pemethrin as well, in the hardware stores they sell this as well.

It seems if you had mice or rats and they died the mite hops on the next thing humans or pets. We are having heavy duty construction in our building which is where i think it all started. Don’t worry too much this has been known to be hard to detect, The doctor can also give you a pill that works as well, I hope this helps. and look up natural oils to use as repellents to put them in your drawers or under the bed. Borax also very helpful, because it dries up even the larvae and doesn’t let them grow.

Also baby powder on your self will help a bit. good luck and it will all be fine, I have been in hell for a week but its all better now, I have been very very aggressive and it seems to have done the trick. Some people use NIX for lice, it has 1% pemethrin its not enough to kill 5 and above is best or at least above 1%, I have found all in pet products and put front-line and my animals its water proof and also Bombed all cars with fogger as well don’t leave anything to chance. Hardware and gardening stores have a lot of stuff for mites, since they seem to attack flowers too. 823

maria::

I went online, again, to research bedbugs, mite bites, body lice, etc. anything that could give me a clue as to what might be happening to me and how to treat it. I am getting bites around my ears and neck…sometimes on my head and legs. I had what the ER Dr. said was ringworm, last summer, but the Dermatologist biopsied it and said it was not ringworm.

He called my problem contact dermatitis and gave me no explanation for the round “ringworm” looking lesions on my legs. I think I’ve probably thought I’ve had everything trying to figure out what it is that’s biting me! It’s comforting to know I’m not the only person the doctors have told is “crazy” because of this.

I know something is biting me, but just don’t know what. I’ve done all the things I’ve red so far that the rest of you have done and still haven’t put an end to this. I am disabled, on a fixed income, and barely making my bills so I just can’t afford to fog, exterminate, spray and wash everything I own, again. So as soon as I get my epidural (for severe back and neck problems) I plan on getting rid of most of my clothing, extra blankets etc. and having just enough that I can launder and clean daily.

These critters seem to be in everything clothing, wood, everything. I haven’t seen an actual bedbug or mite just little black, brown and white specks and little winged “gnats”. I live alone, no pets, mice, rats or roaches, just crickets. Please HELP if you can.

Thnx and God Bless,

Maria

don mau::

you can buy ivermectin online for your pets, it comes from India but it kills internal parasites, these things burrow in your skin so they are internal. but they are also external so you also have to treat your environment and your pets.

My dog is on ivomec 1ml/per day for a 60 lb dog for a month or two, do the research. do the research, there are a variety of mites that will use you and your pets as hosts so they are part of the equation. you can get an endless amount of stuff to put on your skin , believe me I’ve done it all and my skin has been through hell and can’t take any more. the essential oils are pretty rough because they give you like a chemical burn. don’t use permethrin because it is a neuro toxin and can mess you up.

My suggestion is to go on ebay and get this pama malam cream from India, which is an ages old formula, get a few containers, it’s much cheaper than the stuff you buy online that has sulpher and much better, it takes a couple weeks to get here. if you want some relief in the meantime without messing your skin up too much get the Ishizawa Viva Body More Hot Fat Removal Enzyme Bath Salt -Orange you can find online and soak in it for twenty minutes every day the enzymes are enough to mess up the critters.

For the environment you can get enzyme based bed bug killer from home depot online or the Cedar Oil (a little messy). you could also go to your local feed store and get food grade diatomaceous earth (aka bed bug dust) and spread that around, they use it in chicken coops to keep the mites down, if you put it in your carpet it’ll kill all the mites but the dust will also get on everything you have inside and it’s pretty hard on your vacuum.

Bottom line the ivermectin hasto be used with the environment clean an all “hosts” in the house have to be treated. don’t forget your pet got this somewhere so be suspect of what’s crawling around in your backyard, my Brittany is now an inside dog.
hope that helps been there done that

If you are still trying to sort out mite bites versus bed bug bites, compare your symptoms with our bed bug bites guide and photo examples of what bed bug bites look like. If the signs keep pointing back to your bed, mattress, or sleeping area, use our bed bug removal guide for the next step.