I'm in upstate NY and my two daughters and I have ALL gotten these BRIGHT RED marks on our necks. They are in the back and sides of the neck and they range from pinhead size to pencil eraser size. For about 24 hours they are FLAT and you wouldn't know they were there if you didn't SEE them (like when giving your child a bath and panicking!!) then they begin to swell a bit and itch a bit. They are NOTHING like mosquito bites or flea bites. We each have four or more! The intensity of the color is amazing...they are RED, not pink. Like someone dotted us with a marker or nail polish. Any ideas?? It can't be spider bites because three of us all getting about four on our necks is too weird...and mosquitos bite everywhere and I KNOW mosquito bites, these aren't them. I thought about ticks and Lyme disease as one of mine appears to be getting a white center!! But would THAT many ticks descend upon our necks?? Also, my husband does not have ANY and he doesn't have hair upon his neck. The three of us girls all have long hair on our necks. I think that has something to do with it? Bugs have been divebombing us the past few days and I'm constantly hearing/feeling flying insects in my hair. I have SEEN flying insects in my one DD's hair and had to literally remove it as it wouldn't fly away with a flick. It was bigger than a tick. At least I think it was...how big are ticks?? This has never ever happened to us before! Help!

By Dana on Saturday, May 7, 2005 - 10:16 pm:

No idea, but very interested to find out what that could be.

By Kernkate on Saturday, May 7, 2005 - 10:43 pm:

Kate, May fly bites?? Thats the only thing I could think of my DS had them when he was small.

By Clarabel on Saturday, May 7, 2005 - 11:19 pm:

Good luck, Kate.Sounds like vampires.
You have probably figured it out by now but I would say they are spider bites, and if you've gone over 24 hours without a reaction than it's nothing serious.I'd have the doc take a look though.Might be one for the X-Files.

I'm not making light of it. I know that kind of thing can be really scary.
(I hate bugs.)
Let us know what you find out.

By Livvy on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 06:31 am:

I'm in NY also and it sounds like maybe you have black fly (or punkie) bites. They are ferocious at our house right now.

My dog has about 10 of those really red bites on his belly. We called the vet yesterday and she said that it is probably black flies.

Good old fashioned bug spray may work for your family or a bounce dryer sheet tucked in around the collar of shirts while outside. They are so annoying and get caught in my hair all the time when I'm outside!! Good luck!!

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 10:57 am:

Black flies are AWFUL this time of year! They drive me crazy just standing outside waiting for my DK's bus. I have bites on my scalp and on the back of my neck. Bug repellent is helpful.

I don't think they are ticks because ticks can't fly.
What is a Tick?

By Kate on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 11:47 am:

Hmmm, what is a black fly? Today the bites are swollen and itchy and I look repulsive if I lift my hair up!! The girls' are the same way! At first the marks look like 'love bites' or 'hickeys' (whatever you call them!) because the blood is just drawn to the surface and it stays there! You don't feel them AT ALL until they begin to swell and itch the next day. I have about seven of them and my neck is a bit stiff as a result. I looked up may flies and they didn't look like anything I have seen before...sigh....

Thanks for all the help! Keep it coming if you know more!

By Colette on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 12:07 pm:

black flies and may flies are the same thing and they are - like Trina said - AWFUL in New England right now. the only good thing is they don't stick around to long.

By Kate on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 12:30 pm:

Well, what do black fly bites look like? Do they begin bright red and flat and after a day turn into swollen itchy pinker welts that resemble mosquito bites? Do you FEEL black flies biting you? Are you aware of the biting? Because with these marks you have NO CLUE until they begin itching, unless you happen to SEE the red marks.

By Livvy on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 01:23 pm:

Kate,
I just did a google search and typed in "black flies bite" and a few sites came up. None of them show pictures of a bite but there are a few descriptions. Do a search and see what comes up for you (if you haven't already!!)

I think insect bites react differently with different people. A black fly bite on you may look different than a black fly bite on somebody else. I know when my DD gets bit by any kind of insect, she has worse reactions to them than I do or my DH does. She is much more sensitive to them than we are.

By Kate on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 02:18 pm:

Well, based on my reading, I'll say it's not black flies as it keeps saying they make a HOLE in the skin to suck the pool of blood and that it's very painful. These bites do NOT hurt and are only noticeable when they swell and itch the next day. None of the sites mentioned anything about bright red marks, and it seems SO distinguished on us that I'd think if it was a common thing it would be mentioned. Sigh...

By Clarabel on Sunday, May 8, 2005 - 11:46 pm:

Still sounds like spiders.

By Bea on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 09:37 am:

The first thing that came in to my head was hives. Some people get localized outbreaks: like on the chest, stomach or neck. Use Caladryl and take Benadryl orally.

By Bea on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 09:41 am:

Mosquitos, black flies, horse flies, and deer flies inject saliva containing an anticoagulant before they start sucking your blood. You have an allergic reaction to the saliva. (Although if you get bitten enough, eventually the reaction is less severe -- kind of like allergy shots.) There are two types of reaction: immediate edema (watery swelling) caused by antibodies, and delayed cell-mediated hypersensitivity caused by your immune cells.

The immediate reaction usually goes away in about an hour, but some people have itching that persists for a couple of days. The delayed hypersensitivity comes later -- often the next day -- and persists for several days.
Do they look like this?

By Vicki on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 10:08 am:

I can't for the life of me figure out what part of the body that is a photo of! LOL Anyone??

By Emily7 on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 11:04 am:

ROFL...ankle?

By Vicki on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 11:14 am:

aahhh...yes, that is it. LOL

By Livvy on Monday, May 9, 2005 - 11:47 am:

That's what the bites on my dogs belly look like!! Our vet said it was black flies. They have lessened in redness and are not so raised in the past 2 days.

Had no idea what body part that was either!!!!

By Clarabel on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 01:36 am:

I thought it was a neck.LOL

By Kate on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 08:57 am:

Um, no it doesn't look quite like that. The marks are totally flat and some are oval or even a thick line or a circle....no rhyme or reason to them! I found out the other females in the neighborhood with at least shoulder length hair have all the bites, too! Don't anyone head north!! We've deduced that they get caught in our hair and panic and bite. Yesterday I studied them...they flew happily to my arm and happily walked a bit and flew off. They did NOT bite. They ONLY bite the hair covered areas, so like I said, they must get stuck and freak out, not INTENDING to bite but feeling trapped. (I'm not excusing the wretched little things, mind you!!!) They did look like tiny little flies and they were black. So who knows! But thanks for all the input! Around here we're all suffering and my poor DD has been scratching until she bleeds so her hair is bloody..sigh....

By Tonya on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 09:09 am:

I suggest putting your hair up in a pony tailand leaving it there for a while until these things pass maybe that will help them stay out of the tangle mess over your neck. Good luck.

By Kate on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 09:37 am:

Excellent idea. I'll just have to whip the scrunchie out of my hair if someone stops over as it's too embarrassing to be seen by anyone! (they'll probably be hiding their marks, too, LOL)