Unidentified Bug Bites in Montgomery County Yard - Ask Extension
Hi!
My family and I moved to Montgomery County, Maryland during the COVID pandemic. We've been experiencing what seems to be bug bites in our yard, a...
Knowledgebase
Unidentified Bug Bites in Montgomery County Yard #872845
Asked June 12, 2024, 4:54 PM EDT
Hi!
My family and I moved to Montgomery County, Maryland during the COVID pandemic. We've been experiencing what seems to be bug bites in our yard, and I'm hoping you can help us identify and control the culprit.
These bites differ from mosquito bites. We don't notice them until about 24 hours after spending time outdoors, usually in areas covered by clothing like armpits and near the groin. The only connection we can make is with yard time.
Our yard is well-maintained with some sun and shade, and the grass isn't tall (though we might let it go a few weeks between mowing). Interestingly, this biting problem seems to start around early June and continues until the cooler weather arrives.
This issue affects all four of us, and the itching is quite bothersome for the kids. We'd love to enjoy our yard for gardening and growing fruits and vegetables, but these bites are putting a damper on things.
We previously lived in the Northeast. Any advice you could offer on identifying and controlling these pests would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Unfortunately, we don't have medical training, and it's hard for us to guess as to what might be causing bite-like skin irritations if the culprit isn't caught in the act of biting. Chiggers are a type of biting mite that occur in our region, so they might be present and responsible, but you would need to check with a doctor about the possibility of those being responsible. Not uniquely, Maryland is also home to a few species of biting midges/gnats (flies smaller than mosquitoes), deer flies, several mosquito species, ticks, and fleas. Chiggers and ticks have a habit of biting near where clothing sits close to the skin, or where the bite site is secluded, and not often seen. Of the two, chiggers would be our primary suspect since ticks remain attached as they bite and get larger as they feed, unlike chiggers which stay tiny enough to miss. Have the bites occurred even with the use of personal insect repellent? Using repellent is often the most effective way to deter bites for all of the above culprits.
Miri
Miri