How To Identify The Most Common Bug Bites

Has your child ever gotten a bug bite that you couldn’t identify? I’m going to show you exactly what certain bug bites look like so you can treat your kiddo properly.

Before we look at all the gross bug bites, let me give you something adorable to sort of counteract it. Take a peek at these Love Bug Bumble Bees and Lady Bug Oreos. Reward yourself for reading this and make some for the family later!

And now, onto the gross but entirely necessary part of this blog post.

How to Identify Bug Bites

Write down this number: 1-800-222-1222. That’s the number for Poison Control. They are there for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

If you have any questions about a bug bite, they are the people to call.

If a bite causes shortness of breath or other signs of distress, call 9-1-1. 

Black Widow Bite

This one is hard to even write about because I’m so scared of spiders – especially the Black Widow. Even the name is scary!

Look for 2 fang bites. Yes. I said fang bites. They are small, red spots.

(If this post is never finished, it’s because I passed out.)

Brown Recluse Spider Bite

I once saw one of these in my house and it was all I could do to stop myself from calling a Realtor. I can’t live in the same house as a Brown Recluse.

These bug bites look a little different in that you can’t see actual bite marks. Instead, the skin turns red and starts to blister.

Hornets and Wasps

I’m always confused between what is a hornet and what is a wasp. Hornets are actually the largest subspecies of the wasp so they have a lot in common.

Hornets are super aggressive and they can sting multiple times. Their stings can be fatal to humans. (Great. Now I’m never going outside again. Thanks, hornets.)

If you’ve ever looked up at a high place that has a bees nest there, it’s full of hornets. Don’t go near it. Call a professional to handle it.

Tick Bites

The very idea of a bug that burrows in my skin and drinks my blood is worse to me than anything Steven King has ever written.

When you find the tick bite, you find the tick. Be careful how you remove the tick and always put its body in a freezer bag and keep it. If someone starts to get sick, you can show it to the doctor to have it tested for Lyme.

(The correct way to remove a tick is with rubbing alcohol and pointy tweezers. Clean the area, get as close to the tick’s head as you can and pull it out slowly. Clean the bite and your hands again just to be sure.)

Flea Bites

If you think fleas love dogs more than you, you’d be wrong. They aren’t picky.

Flea bites look like little red bumps with a “halo” around them. You’ll usually see them in a straight line or in small groups. They’re itchy.

Bed Bug Bites

Have you ever seen a picture of a bed bug under a microscope? They are definitely from a dark corner of outer space.

It would be nice for me to tell you exactly what bed bugs do to you, but I can’t. Right now I’m trying not to think about it myself. Google it if you want to know.

PS: You don’t want to know.

Bed bugs are small, but they don’t have that halo around them that fleas have. They look like welts sometimes. Because they’re itchy, some people mistake them for flea bites or mosquito bites.

Fire Ants

If you’ve ever been the victim of a fire ant, you know they live up to their name. It feels like fire being shot into your skin. The bites can look like red lesions, some of which may be pus-filled.

To get my mind off having to write the word “pus-filled” I’m imagining what my superhero name would be. It would definitely be Fire Ant, for obvious reasons.

Did I Forget Any Bug Bites?

Let me just say that I hope not because I can’t think about bugs for one more second. No supper, kids! Mommy is on the floor because she saw a picture of a spider bite. 🙂

If you’re interested, give this homemade mosquito repellent a try. It totally works.