What are the itchy bites from the beach?


What are the itchy bites from the beach? Sand flea bites are red, itchy bumps on your skin caused by bites from certain insects or organisms. Some sand fleas are harmless, but others can burrow into your skin and cause serious skin problems, infections or diseases.


What does sand flea bites look like?

Overview. Sand flea bites look like small red raised bumps. Sometimes they appear in clusters.


How do you know if you have sand fleas under your skin?

You probably won't notice when the female sand flea first enters your skin. Once it burrows into your skin, you may see a white circle that looks like a ring or halo with a black dot in the center. Over time, the black dot grows as the sand flea gorges on blood and gets bigger with eggs.


What are the bugs in the sand at the beach that bite?

You might also hear them referred to as sand hoppers, beach fleas or beach hoppers. These creatures might cause red, itchy bumps on your skin, but the irritation usually goes away in a few days. True sand fleas are the Tunga penetrans, also called the chigoe flea or jigger flea.