Summer brings picnics, baseball games, and refreshing lemonade on the porch. But with all that outdoor fun comes unwanted guests — bugs, and their inevitable bites. Our own backyards are home to millions of insects, making it nearly impossible to dodge them all. However, we can reduce our risk of getting bitten and treat any that do happen naturally — so we can keep enjoying summer with loved ones.
Recognizing different bug bites is key to finding the best remedy for relief. In this guide, we’ll help you identify common bug bites with clear descriptions and images.
Identifying Common Bug Bites
Image Credit: Hunker/ Inventori/iStock
Recognizing a bee sting is crucial for identifying insect bites, particularly if you or a loved one has an allergy! Acting quickly is essential.
We often picture adorable, fluffy bees on school bags and in coloring books, but these tiny creatures have a painful side when they decide to sting.
A bee delivers its sting by piercing the skin with its barbed stinger. This stinger injects venom containing proteins that disrupt skin cells and trigger an immune response, leading to pain and swelling. Since a bee’s stinger lodges into the skin, it can only sting once before detaching.
You’re more likely to get stung if you’re near a beehive. Bees are drawn to food, sugary drinks, and trash cans, so stay alert when outdoors—especially at picnics or barbecues. They also love bright colors, so skip floral prints if you’ll be outside for an extended time.
Most bee stings are minor annoyances rather than serious health risks. However, some individuals can have severe allergic reactions that require medical care. If you notice symptoms of anaphylactic shock, get medical help immediately, as this could indicate an allergic response to bee venom.
That said, bee populations are declining at an alarming rate! While it’s important to keep a safe distance, avoid harming bees or destroying their hives. Many beekeepers are willing to remove a hive safely if needed.
Wasps might resemble bees, but they tend to be more aggressive. Their stinger serves as a defense mechanism, much like a bee’s. When a wasp injects venom into human skin, it triggers pain and swelling. However, unlike bees, wasps can sting repeatedly since their stinger doesn’t get stuck in the skin.
Most people without a wasp allergy will feel a sudden sharp pain or burning sensation at the sting site, often accompanied by redness, swelling, and itching. However, those allergic to wasp venom may experience anaphylaxis, which can include facial, throat, or lip swelling, nausea, and a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
Similar to bees, wasps live in colonies, so spotting a nest nearby means wasps are close. In spring, queen wasps build small nests to lay eggs, which can grow significantly by mid-summer—sometimes reaching the size of a basketball. Wasps thrive in busy areas and are frequently found near trash bins and picnic spots.
Mosquito Bites:
Image Credit: Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic
One of the most common insect bites — anyone who has camped in the summer knows how irritating mosquitoes can be. These pests belong to the fly family. Although their lifespan is brief (males live about a week, while females can survive a month or longer), they still manage to cause plenty of trouble for humans.
Mosquitoes prefer to hide in tall grass near human activity. They thrive in stagnant water, making birdbaths, clogged gutters, ponds, pools, and any unmoving water source ideal breeding spots.
Mosquitoes primarily feed on nectar and water, but female mosquitoes require blood to reproduce, which is why they bite animals. Their bites usually result in red, itchy welts that can last for a few days.
The biggest concern with mosquitoes isn’t just the irritation — they can transmit diseases between animals and humans, as well as from one person to another.
Flea Bites:
Image Credit: Terminix
Most people think of fleas as pests that bother their pets, but these tiny insects also bite humans. Fleas are small and notoriously difficult to eliminate. They move by jumping from one spot to another and reproduce rapidly, making them challenging to remove once they infest a home.
When a flea bites, it often leaves clusters of small red bumps, typically around the ankles or legs in groups of three or four. The surrounding skin may become extremely itchy, sore, or even painful. Resisting the urge to scratch is crucial, as excessive scratching can break the skin and lead to secondary infections.
Since fleas cannot fly, they rely on jumping to move from one place to another. They are commonly linked to dogs because they can easily hop from one pet to another during play. Fleas also hide in tall grass, waiting for a host to latch onto.
Tick Bites:
Image Credit: CropWatch | Photo by Jim Kalisch, UNL EntomologTick bites are among the more frequent insect bites, and they can transmit dangerous diseases. These tiny pests, closely related to spiders, are widespread across the United States. Ticks latch onto mammals to feed on their blood, gradually swelling as they consume more. When fully engorged, they can grow as large as a marble.
Ticks tend to lurk in tall grass, trees, shrubs, and leaf piles, waiting for a host to pass by. While their bites are often painless and may not cause immediate symptoms, ticks can be extremely dangerous, as they transmit diseases between animals and humans.
These parasites favor warm, moist areas of the body, such as the armpits or groin. Even if no symptoms appear, it’s important to check for ticks and remove them promptly. Below is a short video demonstrating the safest way to remove a tick.
Ant Bites and Stings:
Image Credit: Dan Langille’s Other Diary
Fire ants are named for the intense pain their stings cause. They build mounds or nests about a foot high and thrive in grassy areas like lawns and pastures. When their nest is disturbed, fire ants become highly aggressive, attacking in swarms and delivering multiple stings.
A fire ant sting develops into a raised, red pustule or yellowish blister with a red base. These bites are both painful and itchy, often oozing a clear liquid when they burst. While they heal on their own, the pain can be severe at the moment of the sting.
Identifying Lice:
Image Credit: Nsns.Biz
Lice aren’t just a concern for schoolchildren — they can affect anyone! There are three types that feed on human blood: head lice, pubic lice, and body lice. Head and pubic lice nest in hair and skin, while body lice live on fabric.
Unlike fleas, lice don’t jump or fly—they crawl. Because of this, they spread primarily through direct contact with an infested person. This explains why lice outbreaks are common among children, as they frequently play closely together, making it easy for lice to transfer from one child to another.
Lice bites are tiny, red, and notoriously itchy. In many cases, the lice themselves can be spotted upon close inspection. Scratching the bites can lead to infection, so it’s best to resist the urge and focus on eliminating these persistent pests with proper lice treatment.
Bed Bug Bites:
Image Credit: Bed Bug Exterminator Pro
Recognizing a bed bug bite is crucial for identifying these persistent pests. Bed bugs infest beds, clothing, and furniture, making them incredibly challenging to eliminate.
The familiar saying, “Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite,” may sound playful, but in reality, bed bugs are anything but amusing. These tiny invaders hide in furniture, feed on human blood, and once they settle in, they are notoriously hard to remove.
These elusive insects prefer the cover of darkness, emerging at night to feed—hence the origin of the bedtime rhyme. Their specialized mouthparts have two functions: one injects saliva into the skin, while the other draws blood from their host.
Reactions to bed bug bites differ from person to person, but they usually appear as tiny, red, itchy welts. While the bites themselves heal on their own, eliminating bed bugs from your home is a daunting task. Worse still, these pests can transmit diseases between humans.
Spider Bites:
Source: Homemaking
Arachnophobia, or the fear of spiders, is one of the most widespread phobias, even though most spiders in the U.S. are harmless. That doesn’t mean they won’t bite, though.
Spiders are all around us—indoors and outdoors—even if we don’t always see them. Often, their bites go unnoticed until later, when a small, red bump appears at the site. This welt results from the venom they inject and can cause itching, pain, or swelling[10].
