What it is
Most bites from mosquitoes, fleas, ants and spiders cause an itchy bump from a local reaction that settles in a few days, and children often react more than adults. The two things to watch for are a skin infection from scratching and, rarely, a serious allergic reaction to a sting.
What you might notice
- An itchy red bump or welt, sometimes with a small blister
- Bites in clusters or lines, typical of fleas and bedbugs
- Mild swelling around the bite
- For stings: sharp pain, redness and swelling
What we can do on video
- Identify the likely culprit from the pattern and history
- Treat itch and large local reactions, and infected bites with antibiotics when warranted
- Advise on tick bites, including how long it was attached and what to watch for
Caring for them at home
- Wash with soap and water and use a cold compress for ten minutes at a time
- Calamine or 1% hydrocortisone for itch, and an age-appropriate oral antihistamine
- Keep nails short
- Remove ticks with fine tweezers, pulling straight out close to the skin
Be seen in person if…
- Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or face, hives all over with vomiting, or faintness
- Redness spreading or streaking away from the bite, pus, or fever
- A bite that grows more painful over days
- A ring-like rash in the weeks after a tick bite
- A bite near the eye with swelling that closes it
- Many stings at once, or a child with a known severe allergy
This information is educational and doesn't replace an evaluation by a clinician. Hugs is not insurance. Treatment is at the discretion of the clinician and limited to what can be safely assessed over video. Reviewed by the clinicians of LPMD Medical Group. Updated 2026-09-17.