Bitten

[Leothebear]

Mowing yesterday, felt an itch on my forearm brushed off something that felt about the size of a ladybird but didn't actually see. 10 minutes later the arm has two big red swellings that feel hot and itchy. Same state this morning.

Looked up biting insects in SE England on the Web and got nowhere. Not a horsefly because it wasn't painful.
Anyone have an idea?

[Dod101]

I doubt that it is Lyme disease but if it is you need to see a doctor. Google it. More likely a nasty little bug. I got one earlier in the year, the site got very red and itchy and the redness began expanding. I would go to see your local pharmacist and ask for his/her opinion if it does not go down in a couple of days, or worse, is spreading. You may need some antibiotics if it is infected, mine was. There seem to be a lot of bugs around this year.

Dod

[servodude]

Black fly or spider? from the size you describe
Possible a mosquito

Have a look at: https://www.mosi-guard.com/articles/ins ... mate-guide

-sd

[PinkDalek]

Looked up biting insects in SE England on the Web and got nowhere. Not a horsefly because it wasn't painful.

Anyone have an idea?

NHS advice here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insect-bites-and-stings/

Possibly a tick.

[UncleEbenezer]

Do google Lyme disease (being the main risk of a bite becoming something serious). If it's a kind of red ring, you may want to try and get tested.

Though I think it's unlikely: AIUI Lyme disease is a risk when a tick feasts fully on you, which implies they go unnoticed for quite some time. But I'm no expert.

[stevensfo]

The worst bites are often not felt, I think due to some anaesthetic effect of the bite.

Years ago in Italy, I had a red-black mark on my ankle. A black line spread slowly up my leg and I worried myself sick looking up the symptoms. Finally went to our Medical service at work, where they took one look, turned white and packed me off to the hospital. After a few hours of tests they announced that it wasn't a thrombosis but a very bad infection from an insect bite and I had to stay for 2-3 days and have intravenous antibiotics. I took one look at the beds in the ward, muttered something about signing forms and went back to work and got a prescription for antibiotic tablets. Four days later it cleared up. I dread to think what I could have picked up in the hospital ward.

...apart from a few nurses.

Steve

[servodude]

The worst bites are often not felt, I think due to some anaesthetic effect of the bite.

This is what got me about mosquitos!

First time I was badly bitten I ended up with a couple of dozen blisters about half an inch across, and so swollen they looked almost spherical. A trip to the doctor resulted in them getting their partners in for a look.. and the same at the chemist.
Worst thing was they would burst with an audible pop if I rolled over in bed; was forced to use the spare room for a few days.

-sd

[Leothebear]

Don't think it was a tick - the symptoms were nearly immediate. Definitely not a mossie - had hundreds in my time and the swellings from them are nowhere near as large as what I now have. But a bloodsucker of some type I'm sure.

I'll pop into the pharmacy later and see what they say.

Thanks for advice so far

Leo

[scotia]

Don't think it was a tick - the symptoms were nearly immediate. Definitely not a mossie - had hundreds in my time and the swellings from them are nowhere near as large as what I now have. But a bloodsucker of some type I'm sure.
I'll pop into the pharmacy later and see what they say.
Thanks for advice so far
Leo

Agreed - It doesn't' sound like a tick. They hang on tightly before starting to feed - and you can see them and need a tick removal device to get rid of them.
At this time of year the Berry Bug (or Harvest Mite) is active - and causes very large itchy spots (even although it doesn't actually suck blood). But its a tiny larvae, and doesn't match up with the ladybird size of insect you brushed off. I assume you saw sufficiently of the offending insect to know that it wasn't a bee, wasp or hornet.
I now use sudocrem on bites. It is antiseptic, and it seals the bite from the air and makes it less itchy.

[UncleEbenezer]

and doesn't match up with the ladybird size of insect you brushed off.

What if the ladybird-size insect was not what caused the mark, but something that just happened to visit and get noticed? Perhaps it even saw a smaller offending bug as dinner?

[scotia]

and doesn't match up with the ladybird size of insect you brushed off.

What if the ladybird-size insect was not what caused the mark, but something that just happened to visit and get noticed? Perhaps it even saw a smaller offending bug as dinner?

Yes - was the ladybird-sized fly an irrelevance? - just like the wind which did or did not cause the power outage at Hornsea Wind Farm last week.

[Leothebear]

Black fly or spider? from the size you describe
Possible a mosquito

Have a look at: https://www.mosi-guard.com/articles/ins ... mate-guide

-sd

I think the black fly could be it. Maybe I'm having a more severe reaction to it than most do. Whole forearm still swollen and hot.

I think this could be my last post.......

[simsqu]

I think this could be my last post.......

Leo? LEO?? Are you there buddy???

Are you doomed?

[ReformedCharacter]

Malaria carrying Anopheles mosquitos will be back in the UK sooner or later.

RC

[stooz]

Black fly or spider? from the size you describe
Possible a mosquito

Have a look at: https://www.mosi-guard.com/articles/ins ... mate-guide

-sd

I think the black fly could be it. Maybe I'm having a more severe reaction to it than most do. Whole forearm still swollen and hot.

I think this could be my last post.......

My wife had had the same recently, get to the doc.
She got 2 lots of antibiotics steroids and the threat of surgery to remove the infection

[Leothebear]

Black fly or spider? from the size you describe
Possible a mosquito

Have a look at: https://www.mosi-guard.com/articles/ins ... mate-guide

-sd

I think the black fly could be it. Maybe I'm having a more severe reaction to it than most do. Whole forearm still swollen and hot.

I think this could be my last post.......

My wife had had the same recently, get to the doc.
She got 2 lots of antibiotics steroids and the threat of surgery to remove the infection

If arm is still the same tomorrow I will. The treatment meds I got from the pharmacy have so far been ineffective.
Shame I can't isolate the chemical involved. With its swelling capabilities, bottled it could outsell Viagra.
Thanks for the heads up.

[mike]

I think the black fly could be it. Maybe I'm having a more severe reaction to it than most do. Whole forearm still swollen and hot.

I think this could be my last post.......

My wife had had the same recently, get to the doc.
She got 2 lots of antibiotics steroids and the threat of surgery to remove the infection

If arm is still the same tomorrow I will. The treatment meds I got from the pharmacy have so far been ineffective.
Shame I can't isolate the chemical involved. With its swelling capabilities, bottled it could outsell Viagra.
Thanks for the heads up.

A tip for overnight then from when I had a horse-fly bite on my hand which had spread. This was my doctor's advice, not just some old wives' tales.

Keep your arm up, eg put your hand on your opposite shoulder. Don't wave it around when talking, driving (changing gear) etc. When you go to bed, stack some pillows by you and sleep with your arm up on the pillows.

Sleeping with my arm up brought the swelling right down.

And stop putting it off and get to the doctor tomorrow !

[nimnarb]

So Leo, what happened? Are you alive?

[Leothebear]

Yes thanks. The swelling went but the itching remained for a couple of days. Then the itching stopped a day after that. No sign of the bite marks. I think that ruled out anything dangerous. Arm fine now. I didn't trouble the Dr.
So I'm left with believing it was a black fly and I had a bad reaction to it.

I'm obviously really attractive to biting insects.

Thanks for asking.