Who else can bite besides fleas and bedbugs? - briefly
Various arthropods and parasites bite humans, including mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, mites, lice, spiders, centipedes, certain ants, and leeches. These organisms transmit diseases or cause skin irritation.
Who else can bite besides fleas and bedbugs? - in detail
Many arthropods and other organisms are capable of biting humans in addition to the commonly mentioned fleas and bedbugs.
Mosquitoes inject anticoagulant saliva while feeding, producing a characteristic itchy welt. Ticks attach for extended periods, often transmitting bacterial or viral pathogens. Horseflies deliver a painful puncture that can cause significant blood loss. Sand flies bite during night hours, acting as vectors for leishmaniasis. Gnats and black flies may irritate skin with repeated probing.
Spiders employ chelicerae to inject venom, resulting in localized pain or, in some species, systemic effects. Scorpions use pedipalps to administer neurotoxic venom, causing severe pain and possible systemic symptoms. Mites such as chiggers embed their larval mouthparts in the epidermis, producing intense itching that persists after detachment. Certain bird mites opportunistically bite humans when their primary hosts are absent.
Centipedes possess forcipules that inject venom during a bite, leading to swelling and discomfort. Leeches attach to the skin, ingest blood, and release anticoagulants, causing prolonged bleeding at the attachment site. Marine crustaceans, for example sea lice, can clamp onto exposed skin, resulting in irritation and secondary infection.
Rodents and other mammals may bite when threatened, producing puncture wounds that can become infected.
Understanding the diversity of biting organisms aids in accurate identification of bite lesions and informs appropriate preventive measures.