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Being bitten by bugs is one of the most uncomfortable situations one can find themselves. Some bugs release their saliva or enzymes that cause you to get a nasty case of unbearable itching. However, it can be tricky to identify the type of bug that has bitten you. Unfortunately, most bug bites tend to look similar and this can be confusing to most of us. So here is break down of the most common bug bites you will encounter in all parts of the world.

Bed bug bite

Bed bugs bites are found all over the body and they typically occur where one’s skin was exposed during the night. Since bed bugs are nocturnal in nature they will bite you at night so you will most probably notice their bites in the morning. They don’t form a welt immediately like other insect bites because bed bugs are known to excrete a small amount of anesthesia on the bite site which causes you not to feel the bite when the bug bites. Their bite makes you itch and the site will become red and swollen. The bite will have a raised center and a swollen surrounding area.

Mosquito bite

Mosquitoes have a sharp proboscis so their bite is more needlelike and you feel it immediately as the mosquito breaks skin. The bite looks round, raised and puffy with a sever itch that can cause you to break skin in the process. When the mosquito bites you it releases its saliva into the bite site to prevent the blood from clotting allowing it to have unrestricted flow of the blood. Also the saliva contains an allergen that most people react to and which triggers the immune system to create the bump and redness as well as triggering the itch.

Red bug bites

Red bugs are also known as chiggers and they are tiny larvae in the arachnid family. These larvae may be small but they have an extremely painful bite. They can jump onto your skin unnoticed which is why they can bite you without you ever knowing what bite you. Chiggers love to live in the grass and weeds and are also found mostly in berry patches and also in the woods.

The little terrors are very active in the spring and summer afternoons because they love the warmth of these seasons. Chiggers will choose the moist areas of the skin and attach themselves to you using their claws. They then take a bite of you and release their saliva during the process. There is an enzyme in the saliva that breaks down your skin into liquid. When your skin reacts by hardening the cells around the bite site the area forms a natural funnel which the chigger uses to suck on you bodily fluids. They can stay on the site for days feeding.

Flea bite

Fleas will typically bite you around the elbows, ankle, waist, knees and the arm pits. Strange as it sounds this is a great indicator of what type of bug has bitten you. You will notice clusters of bumps and sometimes they can cause you to break out in hives. If you have a rash it will tun white when pressed.