UMass Extension receives a number of inquiries each year from Massachusetts residents experiencing what they believe to be insects biting or crawling on them. It may also include family members, pets, or objects in their homes. They often report that what is biting them is unseen, describing them as tiny, very fast moving, and impossible to capture. Descriptions include reports of itching, biting, stinging and/or a crawling sensation across the skin as well as other physical symptoms. Some reports include suspicious damage (created by the reported tiny insects or arthropods) on objects in the home.
The UMass Plant Diagnostic Laboratory does not identify or provide management information for biting insects found in the home, on animals, or on people. It is not a medical entomology laboratory.
- When dealing with a medically significant situation such as biting or crawling sensations on the skin, please contact a primary care physician. These could be dermal symptoms of an undiagnosed underlying medical condition that is mimicking insect biting and crawling.
- Use caution if searching the internet for further information. Rely on trusted sources of information: universities, public health departments or peer reviewed articles. Work with a physician for any final diagnosis.
Resources for insect pests in the home include, but are not limited to:
- Bed Bug Protocol, State of Massachusetts
- Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
- DI. A Belief of Being Parasitized. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Fact Sheet
- Diagnosing Mysterious “Bug Bites”, Texas A&M Extension Fact Sheet
- Is Something Biting Me? Penn State Extension Fact Sheet
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health Resources
Other Possible Causes
Few insects and other arthropods are parasites in or on the skin of humans and they are well known. They include bed bugs, scabies mites, chigger mites, lice, and follicle mites.
Scabies are very small and require magnification to observe them. They are easy to collect and identify. They are very rare. Numbers increase in situations where high numbers of people are forced to live and sleep in close proximity to each other, such as in refugee situations or times of war, for example. Prolonged skin to skin contact between people under unsanitary circumstances may benefit scabies mites.
Chigger mites are more common in southern states and may not be of concern in Massachusetts unless an individual recently travelled. Follicle mites are common and often go unnoticed by people. They are harmless.
Head lice are common in school populations. Pubic lice are less common and passed from person to person via intimate contact.
Many other arthropods may bite. This can include but is not limited to biting flies (black flies, mosquitoes, horse flies), ticks, fleas, bird mites (they will probe skin seeking fluids following bird abandonment, but can’t live more than 3-weeks independent of a bird), etc. Stinging insects (such as wasps, hornets, bees etc.) or those that cause contact dermatitis (straw itch mites etc.) may also be encountered occasionally depending upon the species but they will not burrow or live on the skin.
Very common are non-arthropod causes for dermal sensations that feel as if insects are biting or crawling on the skin. These include medical conditions, materials or irritants present in the physical environment (chemicals, cosmetics, detergents, etc.), age, lack of mental health support, allergies, or drug side effects.
What Should You Do?
If arthropod activity has been ruled out by a trained medical entomologist, contact your family physician, dermatologist and/or neurologist and describe what is being experienced. Let them know, for example: “It feels like I’m being bitten,” and allow them to search for answers. The following publication may help provide further information and potential resources:
DI. A Belief of Being Parasitized. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Fact Sheet
What NOT to Do!
- Do not self-diagnose. When a clear answer is not found human brains will fill in the gaps with past experiences often choosing arthropod “biting” for the answer. This is normal. Emotional attachment to a misidentified cause such as “insect biting”, over time, can prolong suffering and delay actions that will help resolve the symptoms. Make sure all possible causes are explored.
- Do not apply insecticides or repellents to household items, pets, yourself or relatives. Pesticides and repellents should never be used without a confirmed identification of a pest. Such products could worsen rather than improve symptoms and/or the situation in the home.
- Do not request a professional pest control company apply pesticides to your home unless a pest has been found and identified by an expert. If an identification of a pest is made, work with the professional to find a low risk and effective management option.
UMass Extension does not endorse any of these laboratories or in any way guarantee the quality of their services, their prices, or their turnaround times. This is not a complete list. It is provided as a sample only and is not meant to imply endorsement, value, or effectiveness of one service over another.