What is Biting Me?
Mysterious Insect Bites
Green Giant Rep: “Hello, Green Giant Pest Control. How can we help you today?”
Customer: “I have spider bites all over me. I have seen spiders everywhere. I need someone to get rid of them.”
Some version of this conversation happens every week in our office. Of course, the first thought is… Let’s go and get rid of some spiders! The second thought is… Bed Bug inspection! Well neither of these pests may even be the culprit, and often times, customers and technicians lay blame on innocent insects.
Spiders can and do bite. A spider usually gets caught up in a bed sheet then – as we move around we pinch the spider against our skin – and the spider bites us. We usually don’t feel the bite because we are sleeping, but we notice the bite the next morning or notice the itching or rash from the bite. But, do spiders typically invade beds in populations high enough to cover your body in bites? No.
Bed Bugs. Just the two words said together can make anyone’s skin crawl. Bed Bugs are always a potential suspect when we get a biting insect call, but what happens when we don’t find these dreaded critters during the inspection?
The truth is that sometimes the pest may not be something we can effectively treat or even see. Most of the controllable biting insects potentially found in the home are visible with the naked eye, such as fleas, bed bugs, lice, mosquitoes, and spiders. There are many other causes of skin irritation, rashes, blisters, and allergic reactions that may be falsely identified as bites. Of those other causes, allergic reactions due to dust mites are commonly mistaken for insect bites.
Dust what?
Dust Mites are microscopic arthropods (ironically, related to spiders) that live in our carpets, mattresses, and pillows with populations in the millions. They typically feed on dead skin cells and other matter that get trapped in those items. Dust mite allergies can vary from person to person, and the severity and symptoms vary wildly as well. Dust mites don’t typically bite humans, but their feces and dead debris can elicit allergic reactions in some people. Those allergic reactions can manifest themselves as hives, rashes, or even blisters which resemble insect bites and can cover large portions of the body. When this first happens, some may attribute those “bites” to the last spider they saw crawling on their wall.
Dust mite treatments are generally not effective, and the best approach is often encasing pillows and mattresses with mite proof encasements or replacing the items altogether. These encasements trap the dust mites and their debris inside. Curtains may also be a source of dust mites, or any other fibrous material such as couch cushions or throw pillows. Regular vacuuming, using a HEPA filter, dusting, and frequent laundering of blankets, sheets, and other fabrics with hot water are all great ways to reduce dust might populations in your home. Reducing the amount of carpeted space and using closed cell foam pillows and mattresses have been recommended by the medical community to help people suffering from dust mite allergies.
The next time you wake up in the middle of the night with an itch, remember…sometimes it’s the critters you can’t see that get you. Until then… sleep tight and don’t let the dust mites “bite”!
Lawn Care
Green Giant Home & Commercial’s Lawn Care services control weeds, build the thickness and density of your lawn and protect it from being damaged by insects and disease, providing you with a great-looking, healthy lawn. We offer fertilization, weed control, liming, insect control, and aeration and overseeding. Visit our Lawn Care page for more information.
Tree Care
Green Giant performs: Proper Diagnosis and Treatment of Tree & Shrub Problems, Insect & Disease Control (including Spotted Lanternfly), and Nutrient Management via Deep Root Fertilization to keep your plants healthy and thriving. Visit our Tree Care page for more information.
Vegetation Management
Green Giant’s Non-Lawn Weed Control services eliminate unwanted vegetation in a wide variety of locations for both residential and large commercial/municipal properties. Areas include fence lines, around obstacles to reduce weed eating, stone/gravel driveways & parking lots, swales, roadside/curbside vegetation management and more. Find more information, visit our Vegetation Management page.
Pest Control
Our full service pest control division provides both Year-Round Service Programs that cover the vast majority of pests that you will encounter and also One-Time Corrective Services for pests such as bees, ants, termites or mice. For more information, visit our Pest Control page.