Debate: Bedbug or Tick

[LAtoBA]

Well,

I wasn't going to post this but if you recall I started a thread about Argentine's milk giving me hives. Well now I'm not so sure it was the milk. I've been dealing with welts/things that look like mosquito bites and that itch like hell. While I am certain I have been bit my mosuitoes because I have seen them in my room, there also has to be another culprit.

There were many a nights where I woke up in the middle of night scratching uncontrollably and turned on the light to find what were a couple of small welts that looked like mosquito bites--the kicker they were places where I was covered by the blanket. I had assumed all along it was the milk. Actually, about a month and a half ago I suspected bedbugs but after doing research on them I couldn't find any evidence of their existence on my mattress or sheets.

So I chalked it up to the milk. Also, there seemed to be a correlation to me not drinking milk and not getting bites, for the most part. And along came the warm weather and mosquitoes. To wrap this up last week I saw what looked like a tick (flat) crawling up the wall near my bed around 2am. I initially thought tick but then wondered if it was a bed bug.

Fast forward last night 3am. I saw another "tick" in the exact same area, again late at night. Only this time, this one was engorged. I crushed it and heard an ominous "pop" sound, very distinctive and what I've always associated with bed bugs. Oh I forgot to mention along with the popping, spurted a good amount of blood--and not bug blood. It's 99.9% likely it was my blood. Now, I'm convinced they are bed bugs. The times of night, the popping noise, the way the bugs were near the wall close to my mattress. But ticks suck blood too so..

I managed to save the disgusting creature and showed it to my roommates and cleaning lady. The kicker is I'm in an "intense" debate with my roommate who also owns the apartment and the cleaning lady. They swear it is a "garrapata" or tick. Now I've always learned that garrapata was tick and that "chinche" was a bed bug. We might be misunderstanding e/o, so far all native Argentines what is the word for bed bug here?!

Second, is it a bedbug or tick?!! I did go to the cat park about a week or so ago and that does coincide with the sighting of the first "tick". I'm so confused I don't know what to do. I've already taken all my clothes to the lavanderia and thrown out others. The only thing I know is that I slept in the guest room last night.........guess what no bites, no welts, no itching. And I drank milk yesterday.....

Sincerely,

confused/mind f@cked/violated

 

[ghost]

Ticks do not typically detach and crawl around.
http://www.medicinenet.com/bed_bugs/article.htm

 

[rihornos]

Hello

This is an advise the vet gave since we have a dog at home and can get ticks, buy Ecthol (1 spoon in half liter of water) and spray the mattress, the pilow and any covers or blanquets,let the mattress dry and do the bed as always , if you do this at least every month or every 2 month you will be free from bugs. Even in a house that is "clean" there are bugs, good luck
You can buy Ecthol at a Pet`s Shop

good luck
Reina!

 

[Davidglen77]

Red welts also could be SCABIES, which in español is known as SARNA. Get it checked out. It's caused by a small mite called "Sarcoptes scabiei".

 

[syngirl]

Red welts also could be SCABIES, which in español is known as SARNA. Get it checked out. It's caused by a small mite called "Sarcoptes scabiei".

I thought Scabies = Bedbugs?

 

[RichardP]

This thread reminds me of "Almohadon de Plumas" by Horacio Quiroga.
But seriously, if it's only a couple of bites, it may not be anything to be worried about. If you have bedbugs, it would likely be much worse. There is a media frenzy in the US right now regarding bedbugs. Apparently their favorite hangout is behind a nice, dark headboard.

 

[LAtoBA]

Red welts also could be SCABIES, which in español is known as SARNA. Get it checked out. It's caused by a small mite called "Sarcoptes scabiei".

Almost positive it's not scabies. If it were scabies there would be an infestation by now. And it wouldn't be 2 or 3 bites. Scabie bites would be all over the place. If I had to average, I would say I get anywhere from 1-3 "bites" every other day. This has been going on for 3 months. Also if it were scabies I would be getting bit during the day with my clothes on, as they infest clothes too. I only seem to get bit at night and in my bed.

In any event here's the kicker: the cleaning lady looked through the sheets, blankets, and the mattress and found no evidence of any bugs. Like I said I did a month ago and couldn't find a damn thing. My roommates swears they are ticks. Still not convinced. She really thinks I'm going to sleep in that bed again?! Loca.

 

[mcaffa]

A couple years ago I also started getting strange, itchy bites on my legs at night in bed. It took about a month to figure out what the problem was - fleas. Somehow, my indoor cat managed to get them. I fumigated my apartment and haven't had any problems since.

 

[LAtoBA]

This thread reminds me of "Almohadon de Plumas" by Horacio Quiroga.
But seriously, if it's only a couple of bites, it may not be anything to be worried about. If you have bedbugs, it would likely be much worse. There is a media frenzy in the US right now regarding bedbugs. Apparently their favorite hangout is behind a nice, dark headboard.

That's what I was thinking. If it were bedbugs surely I would have 5-10 bites on my arm a night w/o fail. Especially left unchecked after 3 months. I don't get it. Maybe ticks is the better answer.

Also the bed doesn't have a headboard.

 

[Amargo]

No way they are ticks! Only a porteño can affirm that!
Ticks remain attached to your skin for longer, by now you should have found at least one somewhere on your body. Moreover the common argentine tick found in and around BA doesn't like humans very much.
Do you lay on the grass on the park? Or do you play football, etc, where there is grass? This is my bet, known in Argentina as bichos colorados.