gail

gem - agree with Anon, possibly scabies. But whatever it is, if you have been itching since the summer, this is not normal and is not going to go away on its own. See a health care professional - if not just for your sake, but since it might be contagious.

Justmom

I do not believe you were bitten by chiggers. We live in FL but have a vacation cabin in the woods in NC, and they got me good last summer. They normally bite wherever clothes are tight on the skin, i.e., wasteband, etc., and I've been bitten by all kinds of bugs down here in FL, but the chigger bites were very different. Those bites were unbearable. Here's an article on chiggers:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question488.htm

Wayne

I have to laugh at the reference to "sand fleas" on the Florida beaches. That's because sand fleas in Florida are not fleas at all, but are little beetle-size creatures that burrow in the sand. Everyone around here uses them for fish bait; all you have to do is go out and dig for them around the surf line.

As for what bit you, I think a process of elimination would help. If you did not notice any bites or itching for a day or so, it had to be chiggers or bed bugs. And don't think chiggers can only be found in the woods; they can be anywhere in the southern climes.

If you did notice little bites but simply failed to pay much attention to them at the time they occurred, it was probably noseeums. Any other possibility than these three is too far-fetched to be realistic.

saharabee

I have to agree with the "no-see-um" theory. And I don't think it's a matter of whether they like you or hate you. I think that most people get bitten by them (and I never, never actually felt a bite). I think (and the park rangers at Bahia Honda Key agree) that it's more a matter of how allergic you are to the enzymes they put into your system. When the histamine surfaces, prepare to scratch big time! I came back from camping in the keys with legs like hamburger. DH had nary a spot on him. (But Ontario black flies don't bother me other than a little red dot and raise huge welts on him).

Three words of advice - DEET, DEET, DEET!

Amusing anecdote to this story. We camped in the keys at the state park on Bahia Honda (by the way, I understand that no-see-ums love coral ground areas due to the "meat" left in the coral bits). The park is strictly non-alcohol. (Which everyone ignores and pours their drinks into coffee cups or whatever, in the privacy of their tents). One afternoon, a park ranger dropped in to say "Howdy" to us as I was swabbing my legs with vinegar in an attempt to cool the itching that Benadryl couldn't help.

When she found out that I was trying to treat no-see-um itch, she asked "Have you tried vodka?".

I replied "Rub vodka on my legs?". To which she replied "No, silly - drink it! It's the only thing I find that helps!"

And - I've also had a chigger attack/infestation. Very different. Not better, just different. Restricted to a smaller area of skin, but feels like there are living critters burrowing just under your skin for weeks on end. Awful!