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Garden Gate:  Bug Bites  |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 05:40:05 AM
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what types of BUG BITES do you get in your area? seems summertime .. i itch and scratch at bites that i didn't even know i was getting! what do you find the best 'anti-itch' ointments/salves are? i have NO idea what bug is biting me .. i'm sure it's a variety! but they will NOT keep me outta' the garden! xo
True Friends, Frannie
My KENTUCKY RAMBLINGS 'blog':
http://cabincreekfarm-kentucky.blogspot.com/ |
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Mumof3
True Blue Farmgirl
3890 Posts
Karin
Ellenwood
GA
USA
3890 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 07:49:06 AM
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UGH! We get all kinds of bug bites here- mosquitoes, gnats, ladybugs ( Yes- they hurt!) horse flies, and all sorts that I have no idea what they are, they just find us tasty. 
As far as what I use on all of our bug bites- either Rawleigh Salve or TCP, which is from England, and will take the sting out of anything. I usually find it here at our British food store. But, my parents used Rawleigh Salve on us, and their parents on them and it works really well. Of course, prevention is always better than the cure!
Good for you Frannie for not letting those little creatures keep you away from your garden!
Karin |
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sonflowergurl
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Katee
Tampa 'Burbs
FL
USA
349 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 10:58:03 AM
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FIRE ANTS!!! I can handle mosqito bites, jellyfish stings (not a bug, I know!), noseeums, and even chiggers in moderation (I had over 1,000 bites a few summers ago when visiting Kansas, that was miserable!!!), but I can't stand getting fireant bites!!! I used to be allergic to the point that I'd get hives from them. Now they just itch for 2-3 weeks and end up getting a huge blister where they bit me (most people get a little bump that looks like a pimple). I hate fireants!!! That is one thing I would definitely be glad to be rid of if we ever move away from Florida! LOL (There are plenty of things I love too though...)
Katee
The end will justify the pain it took to get us here.
"Looking Toward the Son"---- http://sonflowergirl731.blogspot.com
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Phils Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
1095 Posts
Ann
Parsonsburg
Maryland
USA
1095 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 11:15:05 AM
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Frannie, when the itching is fierce, I start with ice... then use benedryl cream or hydrocortisone cream, which I have stashed in about every room of this house! Ticks and spiders and chiggers, oh my. Arachnids are NOT welcome, but they sure like me. :(
There is a Redeemer. |
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belvederebabe
Farmgirl in Training
21 Posts
susan
great yarmouth
Norfolk
United Kingdom
21 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2006 : 05:43:59 AM
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Hi There
We get Mosquitoes, Horse Flies and midges, I have read though I don't know how true it is, That here in England Gnats only bite birds though I have been telling people for many years I have a gnat bite.
I have recently purchased a product called Tiger Balm that is made of various oils ( no tigers promise) things like peppermint,clove,menthol and camphor, I put it on the bite as soon as I know I have it and it seems to work a treat. As far as a good repellent is concerned try Avon's Skin So Soft, Woodland oil or body lotion, seems to keep them of me and many others have even heard they have started to recommend it to the Marine Cadets when out on camps.
Belvedere Babe |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2006 : 09:28:35 AM
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my daughter got bit this am by a black ugly spider, I know its terrible to hate them BUT I hate spiders! They have their place, I know but I don't have to like them. We looked it up online & it said its a harmless jumping spider UGH, I'll have spider nightmares all night! I leave them alone outside but not in my home, don't want them in my home. My husband laughs at me because I love digging in the dirt (as he puts it) so much but hate spiders. Oh well.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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Redhen
Farmgirl in Training
33 Posts
Moe
Illinois
USA
33 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2006 : 1:04:39 PM
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Mosquitos LOVE me. They bite me any time of day. Did you know that as you get older you feel the "bite" less? Sometimes I look down and there are 10 or more feeding on me!  Oh but I definitely "feel" the itch afterwards. I usually scratch myself till I bleed. Gross I know. I have tried all kinds of repellants too and I dont get much relief from the hydrocortisone cream either. I use Benadryl gel, although it takes a while for it to take effect. Funny story, when we went to our camper a few weeks ago I grabbed the hydrocortisone cream because I was out of the benadryl. I knew it wouldnt work, but it was worth another try. After totally covering myself, I discovered I'd grabbed a tube of hemorroid cream.  The itch didnt stop and the bites didnt "shrink" either!
....I don't believe we're in Kansas anymore.The Wizard of Oz |
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sugarsfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
272 Posts
Leah
Woodward
Iowa
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2006 : 1:25:33 PM
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Whenever i got a bite from a pesky bug my grandmother used to make up a mixture of baking soda and water until it was a paste, and then put it on my bites. I still do it as a quick anti itch remedy!!
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi |
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Garden_artist
True Blue Farmgirl
182 Posts
Tammy
Southern Coast Oregon
182 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2006 : 4:29:25 PM
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Our little vampires here are mosquitoes, noseeum, fleas, ticks and hobo spiders. Hobo spiders are bad news. It's weird the mosquito bites here are so much worse than CA. They seem to last for weeks itching.
Our prevention for Mosquitoes and noseeums is to eat lots of meals with garlic, it really helps. I also use skin so soft from Avon when I think about it. Spider and bad bite cures---as soon as you get bit mix a little water up with meat tenderizer to make a paste and put it on the bite. This really works. I watched a bite on my daughter’s hand get to 3 inches in diameter in about 10 min. when my parents made the paste and put it on her. It was completely gone in just a couple hours, with not side effects. The tenderizer draws out the poison.
After bites from mosquito’s I usually use lavender (neat) or Crabtree and Evelyn’s lavender analgesic.
When I feel spring coming I have to plant or I’ll go crazy! |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 22 2006 : 4:51:30 PM
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We are mostly getting eaten alive by mosquitos..mostly in the evening when it starts to cool off a little. I HATE spraying repellants on me or the kids but I resort to it at some point each year. They swell up awful on me and on oldest daughter..no fun!! We don't seem to have biting flies here which is sure nice. When I lived in Minnesota years ago that was for sure the biting buggiest place I ever lived!!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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kydeere40744
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
Jessica
Kentucky
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 06:24:51 AM
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Oh Frannie I know what you mean with bug bites. I can't go outside without getting bit. Someone told me a while back to put a dab of toothpaste on the bite to help get the stinging feeling out temporarily until you get some kind of cream.
I'm allergic to cortisone and I found it out the hard way back a few years ago. I had to wear a knee brace after being in an auto accident. It was itching me to death, so they told me to put cortizone cream on it....oh it made it worse and I was screaming in pain. Then later on the doctor put a cortisone shot in my knee for swelling and inflammation...ohh that was crazy indeed. From my knee down to my toes swelled up to the size of my thigh and broke out and turn red. Needless to say...no more cortizone/cortisone for me. (Both are the same thing from what I've been told).
Also, those Citronella candles really help out if you are going to be sitting outside. About the only relief to prevent bites is to use the stuff from Avon (Skin so Soft) or Off spray.
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
Take a look at my country living photography & more at http://kydeere.etsy.com
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 09:26:18 AM
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Around here we have ticks (both kinds), chiggers, mosquitos, all kinds of bees (I despise the little sweat bees), spiders of all sorts including 2 poisonous types, and probably a few things I forgot to mention!  I've tried different things, but what I've found to be best, for me at least, is Benadryl lotion. I had a tick that was dug in pretty good, which usually means it will itch like crazy once I get it out. With the Benadryl lotion I had no itching at all. The lotion seems to work better for me than the cream for some reason.
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.typepad.com/my_weblog/ |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 09:37:20 AM
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I found this article and I think I'm going to try it if I can find some lemon grass to buy. We have mosquitoes and I HATE smelling like bug repellent or having to take another shower before bed just because I want to take a walk around our property in the evening without being eaten alive.
http://journeytoforever.org/edu_homer.html
quote:
Chop up the cores of five or six stalks of lemon grass and put them in a blender with a tumblerful of spirits, blend thoroughly. Can be further diluted by adding up to half as much water.
We used whatever booze we could find in the booze cupboard (we hardly drink at all, but people keep giving it to us), and strained it into a sprayer. The extremely cheap Chinese brandy went first, the Absolut Swedish vodka worked even better and we didn't smell quite as much like winos, and then we used London Dry Gin. When we get round to distilling fuel ethanol, we'll use that.
The only problem is that it goes stale after about a week and loses effectiveness -- does anyone know why, or how to prevent it going stale?
Can you find a better way? Young scientists in schools can really help us with this -- and it's not just for our sake (see below).
I bet it smells great.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 11:27:32 AM
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And you might find your yard filled with neighbors coming over for a sniff or 
(just couldn't resist)
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.typepad.com/my_weblog/ |
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 3:51:26 PM
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For bug bites (usually mosquitos around here) I, too, like Benadryl lotion for the bad ones, and for the "regular" bites, I'm finding that Bach Rescue Remedy cream (homeopathic) is really working well. Isn't it strange how differently people react to bites? My husband doesn't swell up or itch or anything, and I just itch like crazy from the slightest thing.
XOXO, Libbie
"Nothing is worth more than this day." - Goethe |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 4:05:31 PM
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mostly horseflies and mosquitos...but they arent so bad because we have dragonflies up the wang here. We also have a bat house high in a few trees, so we have a nice bat population keeping the nasty bugs at bay.
The horseflies are the worst here though....terrible.
~*~Brightest Blessings~*~
Tasha-Rose |
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Judes
True Blue Farmgirl
156 Posts
Jude
OH
USA
156 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 03:34:24 AM
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Tammy, my mom used to use the meat tenderizer paste on us & it really did work! I had forgotten about it, so thank you for reminding me.I too, am one of those sweet ones that the bugs love. But for some reason it always catches me off guard! It's not until I'm eaten alive & itching & scratching in my sleep that I remember that this happens every year. (and by then it's too late because I'm covered in bites) I use skin so soft when I have it on hand, citronella candles (though i don't like the smell), and Bach's rescue remedy afterwards (fixes anything, I swear). However, I just read yesterday in my DH's men's health magazine, that Catnip will keep mosquitos away. The article said to plant some in your garden & when you're hanging out outdoors, take some of the leaves, crush them up, and set them in a bowl on the table. I'm sure, if this works, that carrying some with you on walks might help as well.
On another note, we just survived a nasty flea incident. No idea how it happened or where they came from! There were 3 generations of them, betallions! I used the lavender advise I found on this forum and in addition to standard flea ridding procedures, it really helped. I put lavender oil all over my house. To keep from being bit at night, I put lavender oil around our bed, a sachet of dried under our pillows, and as a last resort I opened the window & stole a sprig of fresh from my window box & held it in my hand. My husband thought I was insane, but while the fleas were still here, we didn't get another bite....
http://flickr.com/photos/schoolstreet
http://web.mac.com/jacnd/iWeb/CityGardenManual/Welcome.html |
Edited by - Judes on Jun 26 2006 03:39:02 AM |
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Phils Ann
True Blue Farmgirl
1095 Posts
Ann
Parsonsburg
Maryland
USA
1095 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2006 : 04:55:56 AM
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My late and beloved dog taught me how to get rid of fleas... she rolled in chicken manure, which of course, I thought very unsociable. However, she did get rid of the fleas, which we'd had for at least 15 years up till that point. I'm very glad to know about meat tenderizer. That's also the "cure" for jellyfish and bee stings, but I never thought of it for tick bites.
Ann
There is a Redeemer. |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 2:40:46 PM
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I had my first encounter with yellowjackets last saturday! got stung on the back of eack knee (VERY VERY tender!!) and the middle of my thumb inbetween the two knuckles. woke up at 3 in the a.m. with no knuckles and a swolen, very painful gumby hand!!
I don't wish this kind of misery on anyone!
used aloe/lidocane gel and covered my hand overnight swellig went down but itching was uncomfortable went to the dr and started a course of prednosone on the last day of this got a small case of hives across my stomach!! very strange..... it was a rough week but am MUCH better!!! I'm guessing the hives came from a new protene bar thank goodness I only ate part of it!
we also are sacked with deer flies! for those i use the Badger Balm Bug be gone works ok and keeps the skeeters and gnats out of my ears too When the dog walks with me, I smear some on her ears too Works good deer flies can't stand it and don't linger for very long!
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Buttercup
True Blue Farmgirl
1433 Posts
Talitha
Vermont
USA
1433 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 8:15:40 PM
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Mosquitos ... n tons of 'em!!! We all just suffer but my middle son is VERY allergic to their bites (has been hospitalized once) so now I rely on a home remedy I grew up with. It is very messy, but works wonders so thought I should share for those that swell up (like Annab)
Get activated charcoal(NOT BBQ charcoal!!!),the powdered kind, and mix with enough water to make a paste. Place it inside a damp clean (but old because it stains) sock and apply it to the bite. Keep it moist and leave on for as long as you need to. I would change the paste every 24 hours to keep the potency of it high. Charcoal absorbs poision, which is why they use it in hospitals for any kind of overdose or injestion. Unfortunately, not many know about it or use it. But it is the reason why my son has only been in the hospital once (my doctor did not want me to use it because the medicine he gave him would "do it alone"...after my son landed in the hospital, he would say "Just use that stuff you use" and my son never went in again!!). Anyone curious for other uses...just let me know!!
For repelent I use Skin so Soft original from Avon. Oh and for those AWFUL fire ants ( I dispise them too!!) we used to rub wet sand all over it and supposedly it helps draw the poision out. But you can use Charcoal too.
Here's to not gettin' bitten!!!
"If we could maintain the wonder of childhood and at the same time grasp the wisdom of age, what wonder,what wisdom,what life would be ours" |
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Terre
True Blue Farmgirl
97 Posts
Indiana
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - Jul 01 2006 : 9:09:34 PM
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We have chiggers, mosquitos, spiders, etc. For mosquitos, etc. I use a swab of alcohol or make a paste of baking soda to put on it. The baking soda paste also works really good for bee sting. I have also heard about eating garlic, which works for some people. My sister takes Brewers Yeast tablets (she's very allergic to mosquito bites) and swears it works for both mosquitos and fleas (she grooms dogs). I have in an emergency on vacation made my paste from cornstarch base baby powder and found it also worked well to relieve the itching, swelling, and redness reactions when I've been bitten by mosquitos or noseeums. I love to travel south and the noseeums love me there. We have them too on rare occasion in Indiana. As far as spider bite, I'm allergic to them and have an emergency kit from the doctor for spider bite. I don't avoid the garden, but I have to be watchful for them. I respect spiders in their house (outside), but when they're in my house, they're fair game.
Be true in heart. |
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Garden Gate: Bug Bites |
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Bug Bites
