Could it be fire ants?

Do you or your neighbors have pets? If so, it might be fleas.

flea bites usually don't burn. Fire ant bites are very painful and burn for hours or days.But the ankle/calf thing could be either fleas or ants. Not sure about the stomach, unless you are laying in the yard.

I have 3 cats that go outside and have never even see a flea. They get revolution monthly.

Sorry to say, it is neither fire ants nor fleas, both of which I am, unfortunately, well acquainted with. I get these bites when I am standing up and gardening (well maybe "hunched over" would be a more apt description). I hope someone out there in gardenland has an answer for me.

Could it be the tiny black ants that seem to be everywhere this year? I have a terrible time with them getting under my clothing and biting. You wouldn't think they would be able to bite as tiny as they are but they do and the bites sting and then itch for days. Maybe someone else knows a way to keep them off but I haven't found anything that repels them.

Maybe they have Noseeums in Newnan?

Quirky Quercus,
I don't think it is noseeums because I don't think they live in Athens. Also, from what I have read they target EXPOSED skin, and do not cause a burning sensation which I get from this varmint.

Biting midges AKA No-See-Ums?
Two specific type Thrips have been known to bite people...

you can feel the bite....but can't see WHAT is biting you ...until you look really close. They are tiny little creamy...yellowish, slender shaped bugs. The bite BURNS! Some people, like me...have no "bite marks"...but others like my mom and sounds like you, have welts and irritation from them.

My friend and I were outside in my garden and she was bitten by a mosquito...a little bump raised. I was bitten and the spot tuened into a painful hump under my skin that was hot to the touch.

Personally, I have found nothing to work to repel insects off of me....except deet. (Off-skintastic)

JMarks74,
Bingo! Thrips are biting me! Who knew they attacked people as well as plants! I googled it- you're right on.
Check this out---
Thrips will readily sting people and pets. Though
not generally identified as a biting pest, thrips
are readily attracted to people. This is thought to
happen because people perspire. This moisture will
readily attract thrips seeking a drink during hot
dry spells. However, they will readily land on people
once populations get large and begin foraging and
migrating. As host plants get filled with thrips
and sap begins to dry and deplete, thrips will
begin to move away by flying, jumping and crawling.
During such times people in close proximity will
become targets as hungry thrips turn to anything
in their way which can provide some nutrition. Such
stings can hurt and cause rashes. It is also
believed the fourth stage of thrips, the pupa, will
readily target people as they hatch. This is very
common in landscape which has high moisture. Well
irrigated lawns, flower beds and gardens are prime
targets for pupating thrips and when they hatch,
they are hungry. If people are present, they will
become targets. Since thrips are small, it is not
uncommon for them to go unseen and many times
misidentified as either a no-seeum, a mosquito or
some type of biting fly.
This fits because they always bite when I am sweating and especially when I am around our pond. Thank you for solving the mystery that even UGA entomologists could not crack.
Gratefully,
Chezron

I have those, too. Thanks for making me aware of what is causing my discomfort. WalterReeves.com recommends watering only once a week to help eliminate these sorts of critters. He says to put a tuna can a few feet from your sprinkler and quit when it gets an inch of water in it. He says that should be enough for most plants. My hydrangeas and impatients would be licking the ground before a week, though.

And in this heat, if I water my tomatoes only once per week they split wide open when it rains. And get blossom end rot from drying out. But from what I read they may be responsible for the spotted wilt on my tomatoes. Commercial growers use silver reflective plastic mulch on the ground to repel thrips from their tomatoes.

Thrips Control: Remove weeds and grass from around garden areas to eliminate alternate hosts. Yellow sticky traps are helpful for monitoring adult populations. If found, use the Bug Blaster or hose off plants with a strong stream of water to reduce pest numbers. Release commercially available beneficial insects, such as Minute Pirate Bugs, Thrips Predators, ladybugs and lacewing, to attack and destroy all stages of thrips. For best results, make releases when pest levels are low to medium. If populations are high, use a least-toxic, short-lived natural pesticide to establish control, then release predatory insects to maintain control. Insecticidal soap, neem oil, and botanical insecticides can be used to spot treat heavily infested areas. Clean up crop debris, especially onion leaves after harvest.

Tip: Insecticidal soap, neem oil, and botanical insecticides are contact insecticides. For effective control, it is necessary to provide thorough coverage, especially inside the plant base of the leaves where the majority of pests are located.

Release or encourage benenficial insects including:
Ladybug, minute pirate bug, big-eyed bug, damsel bug, lacewing

Plant the following to attract beneficial predator insects:

Carrot family (Queen AnneÂs lace, dill, fennel, caraway, tansy, parsley, coriander, bishopÂs weed), the sunflower family(coreopsis, Gloriosa daisy, yarrow, cosmos, sunflower, marigolds), candytuft, sweet alyssum, ceanothus, holly-leaved cherry (Prunus ilicifolia), buckwheat, scabiosa, spearmint, coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), knotweed (Polygonum aviculare), California lilacs (Ceanothus spp.), soapbark tree, meadow foam (Linnanthes douglasii), baby-blue-eyes (Nemophila)

Here is a link that might be useful: Landscaping to attract beneficial insects