Question
Hi! I live in the suburbs of atlanta georgia. I just moved into a 70's house in a small neighborhood. It has been vacant for a year. There are many old oak and other trees on the small lot. Very shady and somewhat damp area around the house. Every time I step outside...even for 2 or 3 minutes, I come back in with my legs covered in itchy bites. They look like misquito bites, but I don't see any bugs. There is brush, etc, around the back of the 1/4 acre lot, but the lot it clear except for the trees and shrubs. I have never had this severe of a problem outside. What kind of bug could be doing this? It's quick and the bites itch like crazy then susside in an hour or so. Could it be misquitos? Fleas? (there were dogs here previously) Mites of some kind? Help please...even bug spray on my body doesn't help much. They are biting the whole family.

Answer
I would think these are fleas. Wear something light colored or  white and watch to see if a small black colored bug jumps on the pants legs. Fleas will jump on, bite and jump off. Fleas lay eggs and they hatch in about 30 days and look for food--if the dogs have been removed or the population is high  they will jump on people. I would call a pest control company and have them check it out and spray the entire yard. Keep in mind new eggs will hatch and the spray will have to be done a couple of times to control the fleas. Get a company that will guarantee the results that way the extra sprays will not be a additional cost.