Bug bites around ankle

[andyjaggy]

So I did a 4 day trip into the winds last weekend and on the return to my car at the end of the trip I took off my socks and noticed 4 bug bites lined up in a row on one ankle, and 2 bug bites lined up in a row on the other ankle. I had never had anything like this on all of my hiking trips so it was a bit of a puzzle. My first concern was that they were tick bites, but something told me that wasn't the case, it was weird that they were lined up in a straight line, weird that there were so many of them, and from my understanding ticks don't usually bite around the ankles, they will crawl up further. So I was left with the guess that they were either fleas or chiggers, neither of which I though resided in the high mountains. I talked to my dad about it as he is a pretty avid hiker and he said he has had similar bites while hiking in the Wasatch and was under the impression that they were chigger bites. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[Rockskipper]

Black flies are ankle biters.

 

[regehr]

I suspect not chiggers, I've lived here a long time and never gotten a chigger bite (I react badly to them, so tend to remember).

 

[andyjaggy]

Well I guess it's a mystery then. There were loads of livestock on this particulate trail I was one, wonder if somehow being in close vicinity to large amount of horses could have led to me getting bit by some sort of pest.

 

[Rockskipper]

I've had horses all my life, and the only thing they attract (other than moskies and gnats) are deer flies and you know when you get bit by one of those.

 

[wsp_scott]

I got hit by chiggers this past weekend and have the exact same sock lines. I was just reading online and evidently chiggers frequently get stopped by tight clothing like socks or compression shorts.

I don't know about your location, but my impression is that chiggers are basically everywhere there is moisture and tall grass to provide shade. With that said, growing up in SW FL, I don't ever remember chiggers being a problem and I spent a good fraction of my youth running around in the woods, maybe it was too dry for them there.