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Ouch, what bit me? 10 common bug bites

While some bites and stings are harmless, others could send you to the emergency room.


LearnSkinPoison ivy rashOuch, what bit me? 10 common bug bites
Mosquito bites
Bee stings
Wasp stings
Blister beetle reactions
Flea bites
Tick bites
Fire ant stings
Chigger bites
Brown recluse spider bites
Black widow spider bite

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Summer brings backyard barbecues, picnics in the park, and days spent laying on the beach or beside the pool. Unfortunately, the season is also peak time for buzzing and biting insects like mosquitos, spiders, and ticks. Irritating bug bites are often harmless, but some are painful and may cause an allergic reaction, infection, or worse.

It can be difficult to spot the difference between an innocent welt and a dangerous one, but there are ways to identify what bit or stung you. Gabriel Schifman, DO, a pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine specialist in Overland Park, Kansas, shares how to determine the cause of your discomfort, ways to treat it, and tips for preventing bites and stings.

Sources: MedlinePlus. Insect Bites and Stings. Au... + 31
  1. MedlinePlus. Insect Bites and Stings. August 2, 2026.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing Mosquito Bites. August 28, 2024.
  3. MedlinePlus. Bee, Wasp, Hornet, or Yellow Jacket Sting. July 1, 2025.
  4. MedlinePlus. Insect Bites and Stings. October 14, 2025.
  5. Mayo Clinic. Bee Sting. October 24, 2024.
  6. Cleveland Clinic. Bee Sting. June 22, 2023.
  7. MedlinePlus. Allergic Reactions. January 20, 2026.
  8. MedlinePlus. Epinephrine Injection. June 15, 2026.
  9. University of Kentucky Department of Entomology. Blister Beetles. March 2026.
  10. Poison Control. Blister Beetles: Do Not Touch! Accessed August 5, 2026.
  11. Tulsa Master Gardeners. Blister Beetles. August 24, 2024.
  12. MedlinePlus. Fleas. October 13, 2024.
  13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Fleas. May 15, 2024.
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Ticks and Tickborne Disease. May 15, 2024.
  15. MedlinePlus. Tick Bites. June 24, 2024.
  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. May 15, 2024.
  17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Lyme Disease. August 26, 2024.
  18. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to Do After a Tick Bite. June 9, 2026.
  19. Mayo Clinic. Tick Bites: First Aid. March 15, 2024.
  20. Merck Manual Consumer Version. Bee, Wasp, Hornet, and Ant Stings. January 2025.
  21. Nemours KidsHealth. Hey! A Fire Ant Stung Me! July 2021.
  22. MedlinePlus. Fire Ants. Accessed July 1, 2025.
  23. MedlinePlus. Chiggers. October 9, 2024.
  24. Nemours KidsHealth. What to Do About Chigger Bites. July 2021.
  25. Merck Manual Consumer Version. Mite Bites. January 2025.
  26. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Spider Bites. Accessed August 5, 2026.
  27. Nemours KidsHealth. What to Do About Spider Bites. July 2021.
  28. Cleveland Clinic. Spider Bites. April 23, 2024.
  29. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Venomous Spiders. August 29, 2024.
  30. Merck Manual Consumer Version. Spider Bites. November 2025.
  31. University of Kentucky Department of Entomology. Brown Recluse Spider. Accessed August 5, 2026.
  32. Williams M, Sehgal N, Nappe TM. Black Widow Spider Toxicity. 2023 Aug 7. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan–.
Written by Taylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed by Amy Gonzales, MD.April, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Taylor Lupo.
Medically reviewed by Amy Gonzales, MD.April, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
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