Insect Bites

Among the more common biting insects in the United States are the following:

• Sand flies

• Horseflies

• Deerflies

• Blackflies

• Stable flies

• Mosquitoes

• Fleas

• Lice

• Bedbugs

• Kissing bugs

• Wheel bugs

• Certain water bugs

Ticks, spiders, and mites are not insects.

(See also Introduction to Bites and Stings.)

All of these, except wheel bugs and water bugs, also suck blood, but none is venomous. The bites of these insects may be irritating because of the components of their saliva. Most bites result in nothing more than a small, red, itchy bump. Sometimes, people develop a large sore (ulcer), with swelling and pain. The most severe reactions occur in people who are allergic to the bites or who develop an infection after being bitten. Fleas can cause allergic reactions sometimes without biting.