Weird Insect Bites

While having lunch at a local resort I noticed an itchy rash beginning on my arm. It soon spread to about 50 blister-type rashes in about an 8 inch area and gave me a headache. Checked my blood pressure and it is normal. Applied some medicine for bites then virgin coconut oil. Seemed to have stopped the spreading. My wife and the girl at the resort said the blisters are from small caterpillars. Has anyone experienced this? Will try and upload a picture.

 

I have been told, but not seen catapilars that are suppose to fall out of the trees at the Dauin Marine Preserve area on to the people at the tables sitting below. They are suppose to be nasty, but large enough to see and dark I am told. The leaves on the trees there are all eaten up. Could these types be the culprits?

 

I think they don't bite. They have a venom on their legs (?) which cause irritation when it comes in contact with your skin.

 

In

Spain they have a similar type of caterpillar and as Denpet stated in does not bite but leaves a rash from contact with the Skin. What they do there is hang buckets in Various places in the trees with some sort of liquids ( apparently soapy water?) that attracts the things and in they go and die. The buckets are then Emptied and replaced as needed. the system seems to work so maybe a thought.

JP

Some reading on this for those that interested

http://animals.pawnation.com/stinging-caterpillars-philippines-11534.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Caterpillar-Sting ( Primarily for US but I guess it would be the same here?)

 

Lookup "higad" on Google. You don't even need to come into direct contact with these things. For example, kids can get into them and you can get the rash by rubbing against their clothes. Their hairs can travel through the air as well. The rash doesn't last long, but it's itchy as hell. It's also a seasonal thing, so if you run into this now then you might not run into it again in a few months. Not sure how long they last. We lived next to a tree which harbored a lot of these things.

 

The caterpillars we called asps in Texas were no joke.

 

They are from the talasay (sp?) tree. I had to cut a 20m tall one down from against my house last month. The caterpillars eat the leaves, then cocoon in what looks like a small brown paper cone. Nasty bastards, like stated the hairs are airborne also and all our clothes and bedding got covered as did we. Took weeks to clean them out completely. When they walk they shed thier hairs and when you sweep they get everywhere.

baby powder seems to work best asap to keep the itching down. Don't take cold shower as it traps the hairs in the pours of your skin. The locals burn smokey fires under the trees to drive them away..

 

Thanks all. Day 3 most of the blister-like area turned to itchy blotches. Will apply baby powder after shower.

 

That's the pot calling the kettle black. You and the caterpillars should get along just fine then, or at least have a grudging respect for each other.

Caterpillars crawl. When they start walking, then we need to stage an intervention for you.

When who sweeps? I don't believe you sweep. How would you know about sweeping? Do you get a report from your helper? Something smells funny here.

Right, and a baby binky helps stop the whining. Man up, it's just a little caterpillar with itchy whiskers.