Some bugs, including ticks and chigoe fleas, can burrow into, lay eggs, or become lodged under your skin. Removal can depend on the type of bug that is under your skin.

There are a number of bugs that can find their way inside your body, entering through openings or burrowing beneath the skin. Some even lay eggs and multiply under the skin’s surface.

Learn more about these creatures—and how to avoid them.

There is no place like home, and for some insects, that home is you. Humans are warm, safe hosts for a variety of creatures that can burrow into your skin.

Ticks

Ticks are tiny bugs with eight legs that look similar to spiders with shorter legs and a rounder body. When they need to eat, ticks can be as tiny as a pinhead and as large as a marble when they have finished feasting on their host.

They tend to target warm, out-of-the-way places like armpits and hairy areas where they can feed without being bothered. Many times, you might not even notice a tick bite.

Tick bites are most dangerous not from the bite itself, but from the diseases ticks can transmit. These include:

Symptoms of a tick bite or tick-borne infection may include:

Ticks live throughout the United States. Different regions have different species, too.

If you develop an infection or reaction to a tick bite, you may need antibiotics. Treatment of other tickborne illnesses can vary. If you find a tick, take care in removing it so that you don’t leave a part of it behind.

You should speak with a doctor if you develop a rash, fever, or other lasting symptoms after finding a tick on your skin.

Human itch mite

The human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis) is a microscopic bug that is one of the few to actually burrow and live beneath human skin. They aren’t spread by animals, but by skin-to-skin contact with other people who have been infected, or by the skin coming in contact with dirt that infested animals — specifically livestock — come in contact with.

Symptoms can appear days or weeks after infestation begins, and usually begin with itching and a skin rash. They can become severe, with infested people developing raised bumps and even bacterial skin infections from the open sores left by scratching.

Prescription topical medications, strict cleaning, and isolation as the infestation clears are the most effective remedies.

Chigoe fleas

The chigoe flea (Tunga penetrans) is native to Central and South America and lives below dirt and sand in tropical areas.

Both males and females bite humans and animals, but only pregnant females go beneath the skin’s surface. After mating, female chigoe fleas attach to your skin with their mouth, then claw into your skin. They feed and nurture up to 100 eggs beneath the skin’s surface for about two weeks, growing to about 1 centimeter before being sloughed off with dead skin cells.

Swelling, itching, and irritation follow, and you can develop ulcers and bacterial infections at the site. The infection that comes from these bugs is called tungiasis, and can cause problems walking or lead more serious infections like tetanus and gangrene.

The initial burrowing is usually painless. Symptoms, including itching and irritation, usually start to develop as the females become fully developed into the engorged state. Inflammation and ulceration may become severe, and multiple lesions in the feet can lead to difficulty in walking.

Some bugs don’t burrow under your skin themselves. Instead, they bite, then inject larvae.

Lice

Lice primarily live and reproduce on the skin’s surface, attaching to your hair shift. In some cases, the eggs may be burrowed just beneath the skin. Lice are easily transmitted between hosts, and cause itchy rashes. As they bite the skin and feed on their host’s blood, lice can cause irritation, infections, and transmit diseases like typhus.

Loa loa worms

Some deer flies and black flies work with loa loa worms to infect their host after a meal. Found in tropical areas, these flies carry the loa loa parasite to a new host, passing it on with a bite. The small loa loa worm enters its new host through the bite, and lives in the tissue just under the skin. It can even enter the blood stream.

Larvae of the loa loa worm have been found in spinal fluids, urine, and sputum. They can cause an infection called loiasis. This infection often comes with no symptoms, but loa loa can sometimes be seen moving beneath the skin or across the surface of the eye. Severe infestations can lead to inflammation of the brain, coma, and even death.

Prompt treatment is vital and can range from surgical removal of the parasite to the use of strong medications.

Onchocerca volvulus

Like the deer fly and loa loa worm, the worm-like Onchocerca volvulus parasite is passed to a new host through the bite of an infected black fly. The infection that results from this infestation is called onchocerciasis. It causes itching, rashes, and raised nodules. In more severe cases, it can even cause severe skin damage or blindness.

Now that you know about all the bugs that can burrow into your skin and call it home, the more important topic is how to prevent infestations and get rid of unwanted guests.

Home remedies

Home remedies are generally not effective in treating bugs that burrow into skin or cause infestations on their host. However, for parasites like lice, cleanliness and manual removal can help clear an infestation.

With ticks and other less invasive bugs, manual removal may also be an option, but you have to be careful to remove the entire bug.

For more invasive bugs and parasites, trying to remove these creatures yourself could cause more problems and even serious infections.

A better solution is prevention through:

  • cleanliness
  • bug repellants
  • protective clothing
  • prophylactic medications like antiparasitics and antibiotics

OTC medication

There are very few over-the-counter medications that can help with severe infestations of bugs and parasites. In most cases, you will need to seek the help of a healthcare professional.

There are some exceptions, as in the case of lice. There are a number of over-the-counter products used to treat lice infestations that you can try as a first-line treatment. If lice remains after these treatments, you should seek medical treatment.

Prescription medication

Bugs that burrow under the skin or share parasites with their host can cause a number of problems. Bacterial infections related to itchy rashes, or painful ulcers and nodules, are one problem. Some infestations can even target your central nervous system, causing systemic illness.

Prescription medications like antibiotics and antiparasitics may be used to treat initial infestations. Severe infections will require more intense medical care.

Medical treatment

With severe infestations, more in-depth treatment is required. In some cases, bugs that burrow into skin or parasites that make a home inside you may require surgical removal. If the infestation leads to severe damages to tissues or other organs, medical care becomes more complicated and can involve a number of therapies depending on the extent of damage.

While bug or parasite infestations may seem more of a gross nuisance than an actual medical problem, you should seek medical attention if a bug bite or mysterious rash leads to:

  • rashes that spread or don’t go away
  • nodules that grow or have movement below the surface
  • cellulitis
  • fever
  • trouble breathing
  • vision changes
  • seizures

There are many dangerous signs of infections that can come from these creatures, and you might not even realize you have been bitten or infested until later. Rashes or bumps that are painful and seem to get worse with time warrant a trip to a doctor, even if you don’t suspect an infection.

Some bugs, including ticks and chigoe fleas, can burrow into, lay eggs, or become lodged under your skin. Removal can depend on the type of bug that is under your skin.

The initial burrowing or bite is usually painless, which means many people may not realise they have an infestation.

However, it can later lead to noticeable symptoms such as itching, rashes, or a fever.

If you experience any symptoms mentioned above and find that they aren’t going away, it’s important to seek medical support.