Bug Bites and Treatment

How Serious Are Bug Bites?

Most bug bites are a short-lived annoyance, but how you handle one depends on which bug did it. Start early to keep itching under control, since scratching is what usually turns a small bite into a sore. Rinsing the spot with clean water or an alcohol wipe is a good first step.

Which Bugs Bite, and What to Do About It

Most true bugs never bite people. Stink bugs, leaf-footed bugs and chinch bugs feed on plants and are harmless to touch, though stink bugs leave an unpleasant smell. The ones that can bite in Florida fall into two groups:

• Blood feeders. Bed bugs bite at night, usually without being felt, and leave itchy red welts, often in a line or cluster on exposed skin. Kissing bugs also bite sleeping people, sometimes near the face. They can carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease, but cases picked up in the United States are rare.
• Defensive biters. Assassin bugs, wheel bugs and giant water bugs, sometimes called toe-biters, bite when picked up or stepped on. The bite is sharp and painful and can stay sore and swollen for several days.

For most bites, wash the area with soap and water, use a cold compress, and try not to scratch. An over-the-counter anti-itch cream or oral antihistamine, used as labeled, can ease itching.

See a doctor if a bite shows signs of infection, such as spreading redness, warmth or pus, or if pain and swelling are severe. Get emergency care for hives across the body, swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. If you think a kissing bug bit you, don’t crush it with bare hands. Trap it in a sealed container and ask your doctor or county extension office to identify it. If welts keep appearing after sleep, check the mattress and headboard for bed bugs.