It's time for my annual summer lament about mosquito bites. For those of you new to the blog, I am like crack for mosquitoes. They flock to me like flies flock to fresh dog droppings. The word is out that my blood is super tasty.
Like every other summer, I am covered in mosquito bites. I just dabbed a baking soda paste on no less than three dozen itchy welts on my legs. There are a few more above the legs, but I mostly seem to be attracting ankle biters this year. The weird thing is that I'm not seeing them or even hearing them. Sure, outside last night, we were swarmed by mosquitoes as we tried to enjoy the cooler evening temperatures, but inside? I've killed two in the bathroom. That's all I've seen. They must have stealth cloaking devices.
My sweetie doesn't get any bites yet I turn up with several new ones every night. In the past, I've been able to dissuade nighttime biting by tucking the sheet tightly around me in bed. I never get bitten on the face although the bite last year along the side of my hand, exposed next to the sheet, was painful. This year, however, they're getting me no matter what I do.
As always, the bites take forever to heal and itch like crazy in the meantime. It's all I can do not to scratch my legs bloody. Out of desperation this morning, after looking up mosquito bite relief suggestions online, I took a hot bath with a couple cups of vinegar added to it. The first several minutes were awful, with the heat and acidity seeming to make each bite flare up. Then, however, they calmed down and I had complete relief for about six hours.
Unfortunately, once one bite started itching about 15 minutes ago, they all started itching. I can't really crawl in the tub again midday but, believe me, I'm going to be soaking again tonight before bed. Maybe I'll finally get a full night's sleep.
So much for saving water and lowering the gas bill. At this point, I'm even ready to soak in a vat of calamine lotion, no matter the cost!
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18 comments:
I wonder if the viinegar from the vinegar soak would serve as a "repellent" for the prevention of mosquito bites?
I don't get as many bites as you, but they seem to pick me out of the crowd, too. And their bites turn into huge welts that last for days.
Well, it will be interesting to see if I get any new bites overnight after soaking again. Right now, not even cortizone cream is helping. Argh!
The only tip I can give you is dubious at best: Cover your bites with Scotch Tape. The "magic" kind works best. Then you can scratch to your heart's content without ripping up your skin. It what we did as kids.
Also, my son has been bitten by something (spiders?) all over his feet and hands. I've been giving him 3-4 pellets of histaminum hydrochloricum 30c whenever he complains of itching. It's been doing well, after taking it he can fall asleep almost immediately.
I'm a mosquito attractor too (I read somewhere we're producing more carbon dioxide than other humans. Great, and I'm over-contributing to global warming to add insult to my injury.)
I've found a very effective mosquito repellent in lemon eucalyptus oil. As effective as DEET for the first six hours, according to lab tests (actually, in my experience it lasts about two hours, but I'll take that) and it's an essential oil, not a known potential carcinogen.
The brand I've found in sporting goods stores is called Repel
http://www.repel.com/ProductCategories/Insectrepellents/LemonEucalyptus/
There is nothing worse than getting bitten at night while sleeping! The pain and itching is magnified when we sleep because all the motion and pressure nerve receptors, which send stronger signals than our pain receptors, are quiet and there's nothing to drown out the pain receptors. (It's why headaches feel so much worse at night.)
I'd be scouring the house for all possible ways the mosquitos are getting in.
I feel your pain!
Thats why I couldn't live in a hot climate - I'm just allergic with huge welts which can go on for a month if I'm really unlucky and I'm a magnet too. I just have to cover everything up and swelter. J is even worse. He comes up in large blisters which are easily broken and infected - not good on a child!
We only get a very few mozzies round here. Sandflies are just as bad. (I think they are a species of blackfly) and they are quite bad in some areas.
I have heard that eating bananas can be a really good drawcard for biting things along with strong cheese.
viv in nz
"So much for saving water and lowering the gas bill. "
It's partly for times like these that I try to conserve in other areas - b/c sometimes you *have* to spend the water, heat, gas, money, whatever.
Poor Chile! If you can't/don't want to have too many baths, what about towels & facecloths soaked in a vinegar/water solution? If you can manage to be in a breeze or even a small fan, you would also have the evaporative-cooling factor as a bonus!
Wishing you well -
(: Sunshine :)
Chile,
Try putting toothpaste on the bites.
nova
Ouch! Nothing is so uncomfortable as itching and you can't shouildn't scratch! ugh!
I often get itchy welts in the summer, hives, I should say, just from being out in the heat too much. that's if I'm really out sweating a a lot, like working outside or running a lot of errands in the car. Nerves can exacerbate them as well.
the only thing that gives me relief is Benadryl, by mouth, and ice packs in the worst areas. But those two things together work really well. Crotizone creams don't work well for these. gold bond lotions work somewhat but they're not inexpensive but I think they're worth anything to help relieve hot itchiness.
we haven't had many mosquitoes this summer except at the beginning of June and they were everywhere, inside, outside and I did get bit a few times.
peace of mind and coolness to all,
shamba
Chili, since you're not seeing enough mosquitoes to warrant the number of bites, perhaps you are also susceptible to bites from noseeums? The bites are equally painful, and it is really difficult to see the nibbling little buggers. Have you ever tried a mosquito net over your bed? You can buy them at REI, I believe. I think Gaiam carries them too.
nova, thanks for the toothpaste tip. I'll have to try that next time.
How about using a spray bottle with a vinegar solution and spraying it all over. This might help to cut down on the number of baths.
When I was growing up we were told if you eat lots of bitter tasting foods eg parsley, mosquitoes will not bite you. Not sure if that's true. But when am in the garden I rub myself with crushed leaves of Lemon Balm, it works for me. I hope that you continue to get relief from the vinegar
Krista - I'll have to look for that stuff you give your son. I'm assuming it's a homeopathic thing?
Sue - yeah, Repel does work for me but I'm almost out. And I hate to coat myself before bed, but...
Some cracks will be getting sealed tomorrow that may help with the mosquitos.
Viv - so I shouldn't eat bananas? I don't very often.
Sunshine - cloth or even air brushing against the bites irritates them. :(
nova - will do!
Shamba - I did sleep better the other night when I took a Benadryl. Maybe that's the ticket for better relief.
Kathryn - I'm wondering about that, too. Got lots of little tiny gnats in the bathroom...
Mosquito netting wouldn't work with the bed currently on the floor and dog next to it. Once we get a frame built, we might try that, though.
Anon - I don't think we have any lemon balm in our garden, but it'd be a good one to plant...if it would work for me. I've tried dabbing vinegar on the bites and it doesn't help. I think it's soaking in hot water that helps as much as the vinegar...
I hesitate to even suggest this, but it crossed my mind because someone on the Simpleliving.net discussion forums is dealing with them and I was just looking them up last night -- have you ruled out bedbugs? (and I sincerely hope it's not that.)
Look for some stuff called Ssssting Stop. (yes, spelled with three or four s's.) I have been getting Eaten Alive by mosquitos this summer and two people recommended that stuff to me... it's pricey, I paid about $10 for a toothpaste tube sized tube. But it works Great!
i bought some Mosquito Dunks at Ace Hardware since I am a bug trap....I put them my agardenbox boxes and it's almost a week and it seems to be doing better. Just a thought since you are also in Az!
also...last year my pot place..agardenpatch.com said to use olive oil about 1 tbsp in the water so I do both....in any standing water!
Chile
I too am loved by "skeeters" I am very fair and even when the swelling and itch have gone I have red spots for weeks after.
I have found that just a dab of amnonia on each bite helps during the day as well as taking benedryl. I have never tried the vinegar bath.
perhaps spraying your sheets with vinegar and letting it dry before you get in might be enough to deter them.
Seems so surprising to find so many down in your part of the country where it is naturally so dry. When we were there in the summer I remember that there were many public service reminders to not leave any standing water anywhere on your property. First night I thought how bad can it be but then I found out!!!
Candace
Sue - I read some of the things about bedbugs and don't think it's the problem. It does make me think twice about buying used stuff, though...
Adrienne - d'oh! I think I have some of that. After getting stung by bees twice while riding my bike, I bought some to keep in the bike bag. I'll have to go check and see if it's still good. Thanks for the suggestion; I hadn't thought of using it for mosquito bites.
NancyG - I've not had much success with the mosquito dunks, but I haven't tried the oil trick.
Candace - mosquito season here coincides mostly with the summer monsoon season, when there is standing water in puddles. Mosquitoes only need a thimbleful of water to lay eggs and if it stays for, I think, 3 days, you've got more of the little buggers.
Two things I noticed really helped me with mosquito bites: 1. eat garlic often and 2. Seconding Anon, I have some lemon balm herb growing in my garden and whenever I am around mosquitos I rub some of it on my skin and they stay away - the herb smells EXACTLY like Lemon Pledge, and apparently the little buggers hate it. It's really easy to grow and very prolific.
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