Kat2

Seriously, I just walked around a little--bent down to play bee on the butternut squash then stepped out and went back into the house. Yikes! My calves/lower legs were itching like crazy. (This is not the 1st time.) There are no visible bugs and it stops after about 1/2 an hour. I'm from up north--I'm allergic to nothing--the only plant reactions I have ever had were to fig and tomato leaves--that was a red rash and this isn't. I did my matchmaking with my hands which did not itch.

Is it a bug? (It has to be because my legs touched nothing.) What kind? How do I get rid of it? (This only happens in my garden not on the lawn--well, the lawn had ants which bit but that was pretty obvious.) And while I'm here could someone tell me what's eating my pepper plants? Or give me a clue? The leave stumps on the main stalk. The only insects I've seen besides those ants are flies.

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jbyrd88888

Do you know what a mosquito is? Are you high?

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Abnshrek

That's right they come in all sizes and the small one's sneak up on you, and you can't hear them unless they are by your ears.. Up north they have big skeeters.. :^)

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Kat2

Yes, I know what a mosquito is and I take great delight in watching them attack everyone but me. Fleas leave me alone also. Unfortunately I'm a magnet for bees, wasps and yellow jackets who go out of their way to attack so it all evens out I guess.

There are no bite or welt marks and the itching is long gone. BTW, there are huge mosquitoes up north but more down here I believe.

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cincinnana

You could have an allergic reaction to a medication that you take, extremities and arms usually get the itches first.
Some reactions do not present themselves till you add heat or sweat.
Personally ibuprofen drives me itch cray cray.
Thorazine the same way.

As for those pepper plants ....check under the leaves for caterpillars ....I have some caterpillars that turn sideways along the stem to camouflage themselves on my spider plants....... but their turds always give them away

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Abnshrek

You may have chigger's.. :^)

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2woodensticks

chiggers would be my guess...maybe noseeums.they are small and you cant see em

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Kat2

I considered chiggers but I think they leave marks behind and I have none. I've heard of noseeums but don't believe I've encountered them before even those they're in the DC area. Again they should leave evidence and there's none. It's very obvious something is climbing on, traveling about 20" and making me itch like crazy.

I have Sevin and DE; does it make sense to sprinkle both on the soil?

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sunfish

Take a white piece of cloth or paper set it on the ground in the area your getting bitten.You should be able to see any bugs in the area.

Kat2

I guess I did the next best thing--I sprinkled a lot of DE and a little Sevin on everything. (I don't have any bees/pollinators or apparently any good bugs so why not?) Either the dust kicked up or a whole lot of tiny "white" bugs starting flying around. Legs are not itching and didn't so perhaps I solved the problem--for now. I really wish I knew the cause.

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verndoc50

Sounds typical for noseeum's, also called biting midges, or in some places sand flies/ sand gnats. They are quite tiny and different people react differently to them, some say they hurt when they bite, others get a welt like a mosquito, sometimes persisting for a few days. Most people get a reaction like yours, little welts or spots that resolve in a half hour to 2 hours.

These are common all along both Florida coasts, particularly at dawn and dusk, and where there are mangrove swamps nearby. I've been bitten far from the ocean, too (few miles).

A good mosquito repellant will stop them for a while. Typically I make sure I have long pants, long sleeve shirt and socks when they are heavy. They are not as bad in the winter.

I suggest you take a very close look at your skin when exposed. They are smaller than a common gnat and sometimes very hard to spot.

Hope this helps!

Kat2

I honestly saw no bites and everything I read said I should but if other people have the same reaction to noseeums then I guess the mystery is solved. I guess if I had chips on my sandy garden it wouldn't happen; am I right? Can you kill them?

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verndoc50

No, they are pretty mobile, and new ones will fly in. The electronic "traps" can reduce their numbers. The best thing is mosquito repellant and covered extremities, and avoid their biting times (dusk and dawn).

sunfish

Maybe it would help if you know what they are

Kat2

Assuming they are sand gnats the DE will probably help. But, yes, I would love to know for sure what's occurring. Wishing others in FL who have had a case of crazy itching would check in because I noseeum any bites. BTW, when I said fleas and mosquitoes don't bother me it wasn't actually true. They do come calling but then seem to get confused once they alight so instead of taking a drink I have time to identify them then dispatch them. Yes, I eat a lot of garlic and onions--being single has its advantages.

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oakshadows

this site has a few good ideas.
Best Natural Insect Repellents and Homemade Herbal Bug Sprays - The Daily Green
find a good garlic oil based mixture,spray around your area and the mesquitoes will leave and not return for about 30 days, probably many other bugs also. It works well and the scent is gone in a few hours. We use orange oil in a solution to repel fleas and some other annoying pest, works very well for us and after an explosion of fleas on our dogs and us, this has ridden us of the problem. Orange oil is a good item to have on hand around the house also as it is a very good cleaner sanitizing item. Google until you find the ingredients and go for it. "The Dirt Doctor", google this also, is a good source of info on this subjerct. Good growing and less itching

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guepster

Sounds like no-seeums to me. Welcome to the swamp!