Tell us where your bite is (arm, leg, nose, whatever)
feet, calves, knees
Why I think it's a spider bite
Looking at some spider bite pictures on here, they look like chigger bites. I originally thought they were from fire ants, but have since changed my mind.
What happened
We were standing along the Indian River in Titusville, FL waiting to see the shuttle launch. I was the only stupid one to wear sandals! We were going to be driving home to PA after it launched and I wanted to be able to kick off my shoes in the car.
We weren't standing there in the sandy soil for too long, maybe a couple of minutes before my feet started to itch, then itch REALLY BAD! Then my ankles...
I finally got back in the car and had a bit of a scratch fest! Almost 2 weeks later they are FINALLY starting to get better.
Advice
- BENADRYL! Especially before bedtime! They looked like big pimples after a couple of days. I couldn't stand it. I had to pop them. This was probably not a good idea...
Rod Brouhard, First Aid Guide, says:
Chiggers like feet and ankles. On the other hand, they hate DEET (mosquito spray). Socks, shoes and DEET are your best defense, but even that doesn't protect everyone.
An editor here at About.com shared this picture of chigger bites, which shows the ankle of the only person in the group wearing socks and shoes -- and not wearing DEET.
Get some DEET and cover your feet. If not, the pain and itching can go on for quite a while.
Any opinions expressed here are for educational purposes only and are not intended for diagnosis.
