Mosquito bites or something else?

My poor little guy keeps getting "bites". The first night, I think a spider or mosquito was in his pj's or something because he had three bites on his arm, all in a row, and one on his leg.

Today, we discovered two more bites on his OTHER arm and one on his other leg.

They're smaller than a dime, but VERY red. My doc told me I could put cortisone cream on them. We showed him the ones that were fading, so it doesn't look so bad.

Is there anything else these could be, and I'm just thinking they're mosquito bites? They can't be an allergic reaction to something, right?

I hate that he's getting them so much... we're not even outside that much, so it has to be from in the house. I'm so afraid of west nile! And - according to the Nassau County West Nile seminar - they're afraid that DENGUE FEVER is making it's way up the east coast to NY!

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

Is he in the crib when these bites happen? Do you notice them in morning? I would check his mattress..and furniture for bed bugs..I know those two words can send a chill but they are VERY common. Another thing you can do, if it is happening at night while asleep, is put a glue trap at the bottom of each of the four legs on the crib..that will prevent anything from crawling onto crib.

I know all this may sound crazy, but I used to help out at a family members pest control company...

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

Same thing happened to DS last night. He has 4 bites on his right ankle and lower leg and 2 on his thigh... I spray his crib mattress with organic bug spray and let it air out and then put the crib sheet on. It helped the last time this happened.. I then spray around the window and a/c and let the room air out...

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

I have read that 3 bites in a row, in a line or a semi circle, is a sign of bedbug bites. Especially on the face or upper extremities. I would inspect his room, sheets, mattress, furniture, etc carefully. I would also wash all bedding in hot water and see what happens over the next few nights.

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

We had the same thing happen to dd. We didnt see any bugs or mosquitos in the house until i eventually saw an elusive mosquito flying around that i couldnt manage to squash. The mosquitos this year seem to be different this year in that they seem to be smarter and stay hidden. Last year they used to just sit there waiting to be squashed.

Does he have a ceiling fan is his room? I noticed when it is on she and I get less bites, perhaps the circulating air wind keeps them away.

I would also check for bed bugs. I would steralize his whole sleeping area just in case since you probably wouldnt be able to see them anywys.

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

OMG... I want to go and whisk him out of his crib right now!!! I didn't even CONSIDER bed bugs! Where would I get those traps? I was about to order travel ones on Amazon for when we go away.

I also didn't spray his crib... where do you get that organic bug spray? I just figured there's no way the bugs would linger through the whole day. But you're right... this year, the bugs seem "smarter" and "sneakier". Ugh... and I didn't put him in feetie pj's tonight since I didn't want to put him in the same ones as last night in case there was a mosquito in them.

God... for as concerned and careful as I was, I feel like I just sent him back in to get more bites... . I hope not!

Thanks for your replies!

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

I got the organic bug spray at Pathmark... DS had 12 bites on one leg at bed time tonight. From his ankle to his upper thigh.. They are definitely mosquito bites!!! He also has a couple on his head and his left arm... They really like him!!! When it first happened I went to the pedi to confirm the bites.. Definitely not bed bugs!!! The mosquito's are super annoying this summer and they are hard to kill!!! I put Afterbite for Kids on him and he hasn't scratched them all day!

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

Posted by teaforthree

OMG... I want to go and whisk him out of his crib right now!!! I didn't even CONSIDER bed bugs! Where would I get those traps? I was about to order travel ones on Amazon for when we go away.

I also didn't spray his crib... where do you get that organic bug spray? I just figured there's no way the bugs would linger through the whole day. But you're right... this year, the bugs seem "smarter" and "sneakier". Ugh... and I didn't put him in feetie pj's tonight since I didn't want to put him in the same ones as last night in case there was a mosquito in them.

God... for as concerned and careful as I was, I feel like I just sent him back in to get more bites... . I hope not!

Thanks for your replies!

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

The spray I have has no chemicals in it and is made for the indoors. It is made to spray on beds, furniture, etc.. I spray it first thing in the morning and leave the crib sheet off. The mattress is waterproof so it doesn't get absorbed into it. It is safe to use this way.. And bugs can get into a crib any which way. Fly, crawl on the wall or ceiling.

Re: Mosquito bites or something else?

hate to say this but it sounds like bed bugs. has anyone in your household traveled recently? Inspect all the beds...if you see any black spots or find an actual bed bug..call a pest control company FAST!!!