Forum Archive

I am a new owner of a garden co-op. After finishing up work on the inside, I am finally able to turn my attention to the yard. Unfortunately, every time I work in the yard, I am being bitten by bugs that I can’t see or obviously identify. I have a pretty large fly and mosquito problem to begin with, but those bugs are around every day (and don’t seem to increase in number just because I have stirred up the yard) and using OFF seems to work well enough against those bugs. However, each time I get close to the fence, dig in the dirt, water the new plantings, etc., I find a red rash on my legs that itches incessantly and feel like I am being bitten- these are much smaller bites and don’t swell up like your typical mosquito bite. Any idea what might be causing this? I had thought poison ivy or something similar, but as I said, it’s happening even when I water and am not brushing up against anything. Also the rash and itching subside after I wash up. I have pets and it’s definitely not fleas as I know what fleas look like and would certainly know when any of my pets has fleas. I am desparate for any suggestions since I have to continue water or will lose all of the money in plants I just invested in my yard and, hey, enjoying the yard might be nice too! Thanks in advance.