Flea Like Insect

by Carol
(Winston-Salem, NC)

Since the end of July of 2011, I have been plagued by some sort of flea like insect which crawls all over my body, into my hair, ears, nose and actually into my mouth.

They attach themselves onto my clothes and linen and even after washing in hot laundromat water will not be removed before quite a few washings.


I have been storing my clothes in zip lock bags to protect them and would like help eliminating these bugs from my body and my home.


I have tried to capture this insect and examined it under the microscope to my horror. The stages seem to begin with little specks that I collect on little alcohol pads.


Stages:

1. Little things crawling on my face down from my hair, trying to get into my ear, when swatted with a small alcohol pad, looks sort of oval but not completely round, has kind of jell like off yellow body, more transparent like.
   
   
   
2. Still crawling, now it bites, when captured now appears to have longer body. The ones caught after biting appears to be the same insect now with a much longer body and red line going through it's body which looks like the digestive system and the blood going through it looks like a long line going through it's body, some has multiple red lines going through it's body but appears reddish to the naked eye.
   
   
   
3. I found three larger black dots, like pepper grain on the side of my bed where I put Vaseline to prevent them from crawling up all the way to get to me. When viewed under the microscope I was horrified to see the same insect, now looking more like a flea, but with lots of the little lines or hairlike tentacles all over it's body and could be described as a little hair flea.

I don't know what kind of insect this is, but it sure scares me to know that such a monstrous thing is living on my body and biting into me. Especially when it gets into the ear and creates the most excruciating pain when it starts to bite.


It's hard to get them out. I try spraying alcohol into my ear. Alcohol seems to kill them on contact. And I noticed that tea tree oil on my hair seems to keep them away from my head.

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Hi Carol,

I know you said that these seem to be a flea like insect, but I wonder if you have considered bedbugs. Are you only getting bitten at night?


Another thought is body lice, which sounds more like the description of your different "stages."


I know that the idea of body lice horrifies people, but it doesn't mean you are dirty or anything like that anymore. These days you can easily pick up unpleasant parasites at hotels, restaurants, and other common locations.


You said you have captured some of these bugs. It would be great if you could take them to your local cooperative extension or similar place to have them looked at and identified.


Once you know for certain what it is that is biting you, it will be easier for you to find the best way to get rid of them.


It's a good sign that you have found that tea tree oil helps keep them away from you and that alcohol kills them too.


Essential oils like tea tree, lavender, neem, etc., are good choices when trying to get rid of body lice and other parasites. Put some in your bath water and even mix with some olive or coconut oil and apply directly to your skin, hair, and scalp. (You'll need to wash the hair with a dish-washing liquid that has a degreaser - like Dawn - or rinse with vinegar to cut the oil).



You definitely have to be diligent to clean your clothes and linens well to get rid of a body lice infestation, but hopefully you'll be able to get rid of these flea like insects, whatever they may be.


To your good health!
Angie