A Further Note on Insect Bites

The amount and variety of bites I accumulate from insects on a daily basis astounds me, and has, over time, made me slightly obsessed with repellent. I used to find bites on my body and think to myself, “What bit me? And how did it get there?” After months of observation, I have become something of a connoisseur when it comes to insect bites: how each insect’s bite feels, how each insect’s bite looks, and how long it will last. For example:

I believe everyone is familiar with the bite of the mosquito. You rarely notice a mosquito until it’s too late – if you start to feel a slight itch, the mosquito is most likely finishing its meal. Immediately after, the itch will greatly increase in intensity, and the site of the bite will swell and redden (the amount to which it swells will depend on your level of allergic reaction). If you can resist scratching the bite, it will disappear quickly. Scratching the bite only causes further itching and swelling; if you scratch long enough or hard enough, you can break the skin and cause the bite to become infected with the bacteria living under your nails.

The sand fly is a tiny insect, but its bite packs a punch. Without warning, you will feel a sharp pain, mixed with itchiness. For me, this sensation fades as soon as the insect is removed from the skin and there is no lasting physical evidence. However, I have heard that some people have allergic reactions to this insect bite, and will experience waves of intense itchiness, with small red bumps.

The ant bite, on the other hand, feels like burning. It is extremely painful, and this pain will endure past the removal of the ant – up to an hour or two. The skin will swell slightly and become red. Rubbing alcohol applied directly to the bite will help reduce the pain and swelling.

The flea bite is generally not felt, but evidence of fleas manifest as small, itchy red bumps that can last up to a week on the skin. The fleas themselves can be hard to detect (tiny, jumping, black or brown specks), and nearly impossible to kill without the use of pesticide (even if you are fast enough to catch one, their hard little bodies are nearly impossible to smash with a finger).

As mentioned in the previous post, the yellow fly (also called the red fly, though they are in fact always yellow) leaves quite a mark. You most likely will feel little as the fly bites you, yet the site of the bite may bleed, and it will certainly swell. And turn red. And grow hot. The bite itself will itch a lot. It may even hurt. As with the mosquito bite, refrain from scratching – this will lead to days of unnecessary suffering.

I’ve been lucky enough to avoid run-ins with some of the other blood-sucking insects inhabiting Pearl Lagoon and the rest of Nicaragua.* I’ve been told that the bite of the black fly is even worse than that of the yellow fly, and that grass lice burrow under the skin and break out later, leaving itchy red bumps. There are stories of ticks in more rural areas that, in sufficient quantities, can kill even large animals. I hope I never have to find out if the stories are true. I’ve also seen what bed bugs can do (lines or clusters of small red bites, usually on the extremities or abdominal area), but have been fortunate enough to never have done battle with them.

As I said, I’ve become quite knowledgeable on bites. Yet I still fail, from time to time, to discover the answer to “how did they get there?”

Words of the Week: Los que chupan sangre – those that suck blood, hinchado – swollen, escondido - hidden

*This is not to say that these insects are only found in Nicaragua; there are simply more opportunities to experience them when one lives in homes that are not sealed or even screened in, when wooded areas are not maintained or sprayed with pesticides, and when domestic animals are not treated for fleas or ticks. Nicaragua, however, does have the added benefit (for the insects) of having a consistently warm climate, with forests, jungle, and fresh water sources.