Bug Bites

[joflier]

I was working in the woods the other day helping cut down trees and haul brush.......and I have over 120 bug butes. I just really wanna die right now - they itch soooo bad! And I have to work, so no benadryl.

I just wanted to vent my itchy misery!
Can anyone top my 120+ bites?

 

[movie zombie]

try some tea tree oil.....dilute into a carrier oil unless its already i none. desert essence makes one with a roll top that is good.

mz

ps at least it wasn''t poison oak/ivy!

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Aw, Jo! I feel for you! That really sucks.

Bugs seem to find me rather tasty as well, and I can''t take Benadryl at all because it completely knocks me out. Maybe try some Calamine lotion? And in the future, remember these three words: Deep. Woods. Off.

 

[Autumnovember]

Me and my friends went camping this weekend as well as SO, and believe it or not...I think they have you beat. I feel soooo bad for them! I don''t attract mosquitoes for some reason but they got eaten alive. I heard that putting some vinegar on the bites helps reduce the itchiness. Maybe you can do that when you get home? I know it smells, but if I had all those bites I''d do whatever it took to get them to stop itching!

 

[Autumnovember]

Date: 6/30/2010 11:43:28 AM
Author: Irishgrrrl
Aw, Jo! I feel for you! That really sucks.

Bugs seem to find me rather tasty as well, and I can''t take Benadryl at all because it completely knocks me out. Maybe try some Calamine lotion? And in the future, remember these three words: Deep. Woods. Off.

Just had to comment because OFF does NOT work! All my friends and SO kept spraying themselves multiple times a day and they still have a million bites. They''re so pissed that they actually want to call the company and tell them what a waste their product is, ha.

 

[treefrog]

Yeouch... sorry to hear that. 120 - did you actually count them? That must be miserable.

Can''t top that but I feel your pain...

I was out over the weekend taking some nature pics. There was a lot of water nearby. It was hot and I was in long pants, long sleeves, gloves, and a head net. I still got about a dozen deer fly bites on my legs.

Mosquito bites disappear pretty quickly on me. These deer fly bites... persist and itch like crazy.

 

[Sparkalin]

What about chiggers? They get in around the pant, sock and bra line. They itch for a week! Yuck. So sorry for you. Have you tried some alcohol, rubbing and maybe a case of your favorite beer?

 

[rhbgirl24]

I have at least 30 on my legs from the weekend! I can''t top you, but know how you feel!!

 

[appletini]

call your dermatologist and see if they will prescribe a steriod cream. I have some leftover from something else and I put it on mosquito bites and they are gone instantly.

 

[joflier]

Date: 6/30/2010 1:13:53 PM
Author: Sparkalin
What about chiggers? They get in around the pant, sock and bra line. They itch for a week! Yuck. So sorry for you. Have you tried some alcohol, rubbing and maybe a case of your favorite beer?

Maybe. Their definitely not mosquito bites. I have a case of alcohol here at work. Maybe I''ll try that........Rubbing alcohol, that is.

 

[Puppmom]

Holy crap! I would be IN TEARS! One or two drive me up a wall!

 

[joflier]

Date: 6/30/2010 1:50:19 PM
Author: puppmom
Holy crap! I would be IN TEARS! One or two drive me up a wall!

Yes.......I did ask one of my coworkers if she''d run me over with her car.

 

[cellentani]

Ack - joflier, that sounds absolutely miserable!! I''d try an OTC non-drowsy antihistamine combined with a diphenhydramine (the ingredient in benadryl) topical itch cream/spray. I find the spray to work slightly better than the cream, but it does leave my skin a bit tacky. Also, ice-cold compresses seem to help calm the itching when it rages. Hope you feel better really soon - hugs!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

When I need an antihistamine that doesn''t make me drowsy, I take a 24 claritin D, the real kind you have to get from behind the counter. If anything, they make me slightly hyper.

 

[merilenda]

I''m the same way - bugs love me. I went for a short walk in the woods the other day, and still got a lot of bites (despite liberally applying bug spray before going!)

I made the mistake of sitting in grass last year (for less than 5 minutes) and getting a bunch of chigger bites. It was really terrible, and I feel for you. Hydrocortisone cream always helps with itching. For chiggers, they also make this clear liquid (I think it''s called Chigger-X) that blocks the bite from air and makes it less itchy. It has a strong odor, but it seemed to help at least somewhat.

 

[Luckyeshe]

Bugs love me. I hate them. Normally, I am the only one that gets bitten amongst my friends and family which stinks! Aveeno anti-itch is my best friend! Another thing you can try is go and take garlic pills during bug season. I take them every day and it has decreased my bug bites immensely! Whenever I come back from outside, I normally have at least 20 bites, but now I might get 1 or so every few days!

 

[Haven]

I was a sleepover camp kid, so I was basically covered in bug bites every summer of my life between ages 6 and 19.

We used to put a dab of toothpaste on the really big bites. And of course you know not to scratch them, but if there was one that we really couldn't resist we would make an X in the bite with a fingernail. That scratched the itch, but didn't make the bite spread.

Bug repellent with DEET is what works best of all the repellents, in my experience. However, nothing beats longs and longs--as soon as the sun sets, run to your tent and put on long sleeves and long pants. Otherwise, they're gonna get'cha!

And . . .

STOP SCRATCHING!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Agggh that's awful! I feel so bad for you and totally sympathize. I'm a total mosquito magnet. The worst was last summer when I was at lunch with a firm partner and some fellow summers though. We were at a restaurant, indoors, but the doors were open and it was all fine until right before dessert. Somehow ONE mosquito found its way over to our table and of all of us, only I was in a skirt suit. I wasn't wearing nylons. Said mosquito wreaked HAVOC in the 20 minutes or so it took us to finish lunch. I had 8 bites by the time I left, and the first couple were swollen to the size of an egg. I still have a couple scars from those. Ugggh.

Are you putting lots and lots of hydrocortisone on? I had three tubes last summer - one in my purse, one at the office ,and one at home. Extra strength.

ETA: What Haven said, about DEET. I love going to foreign countries and buying bug spray there if I'm going to be doing outdoorsy activities. And by that, I only mean countries that will sell me bug spray with a super high concentration of DEET. Worries about harmful long-term effects later, worry about bug bites...much more immediate!

 

[treefrog]

Date: 7/1/2010 2:13:22 AM
Author: Haven
I was a sleepover camp kid, so I was basically covered in bug bites every summer of my life between ages 6 and 19.

We used to put a dab of toothpaste on the really big bites. And of course you know not to scratch them, but if there was one that we really couldn''t resist we would make an X in the bite with a fingernail. That scratched the itch, but didn''t make the bite spread.

Bug repellent with DEET is what works best of all the repellents, in my experience. However, nothing beats longs and longs--as soon as the sun sets, run to your tent and put on long sleeves and long pants. Otherwise, they''re gonna get''cha!

And . . .

STOP SCRATCHING!

Yikes! I''m not sure I''d have seen year 2 of that camp!

I grew up in the boy scouts. Lots of hikes and camping. I''ve slept in tents enough times to truly value the meaning of this saying... I''m not sure the source of the quote:
"If you think you''re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a tent with a mosquito."

Treefrog

 

[joflier]

Date: 7/1/2010 2:13:22 AM
Author: Haven
And . . .


STOP SCRATCHING!

I CAN''T!!!!!!

I''m pretty sure these are chiggers, and worse yet, those bites can last up to 10 days!!!
That''s why I never felt myself getting bitten, and didn''t start itching til a day or 2 later.

 

[treefrog]

Date: 7/1/2010 9:30:38 AM
Author: joflier

Date: 7/1/2010 2:13:22 AM
Author: Haven
And . . .

STOP SCRATCHING!

I CAN''T!!!!!!

I''m pretty sure these are chiggers, and worse yet, those bites can last up to 10 days!!!
That''s why I never felt myself getting bitten, and didn''t start itching til a day or 2 later.

I was going to suggest putting band-aids over them to prevent the scratching from doing anything bad but then remembered we''d be talking a couple of boxes of band-aids!

My 12 bites are still with me too.

Treefrog

 

[laine]

We always put clear nail polish on chigger bites. It seemed to stop the itch and it was always satisfying to peel the nail polish off later.

 

[Haven]

Date: 7/1/2010 9:16:44 AM
Author: treefrog

Date: 7/1/2010 2:13:22 AM
Author: Haven
I was a sleepover camp kid, so I was basically covered in bug bites every summer of my life between ages 6 and 19.
We used to put a dab of toothpaste on the really big bites. And of course you know not to scratch them, but if there was one that we really couldn''t resist we would make an X in the bite with a fingernail. That scratched the itch, but didn''t make the bite spread.

Bug repellent with DEET is what works best of all the repellents, in my experience. However, nothing beats longs and longs--as soon as the sun sets, run to your tent and put on long sleeves and long pants. Otherwise, they''re gonna get''cha!

And . . .
STOP SCRATCHING!

Yikes! I''m not sure I''d have seen year 2 of that camp!
I grew up in the boy scouts. Lots of hikes and camping. I''ve slept in tents enough times to truly value the meaning of this saying... I''m not sure the source of the quote:

''If you think you''re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a tent with a mosquito.''

Treefrog

I love that quote, Treefrog!

And, sleepover camp was a magical place. I am so very grateful to my parents for scraping together the money and scholarships to send me there every summer.

And, I don''t even scratch my bug bites anymore, I''ve gotten so adept at ignoring them!

 

[Haven]

Date: 7/1/2010 9:30:38 AM
Author: joflier

Date: 7/1/2010 2:13:22 AM
Author: Haven
And . . .

STOP SCRATCHING!

I CAN''T!!!!!!

I''m pretty sure these are chiggers, and worse yet, those bites can last up to 10 days!!!

That''s why I never felt myself getting bitten, and didn''t start itching til a day or 2 later.

Oh, no! I''m so sorry, Jo. Is there some activity you can get yourself wrapped up in that will help you ignore the itching? I don''t even know what a chigger is, but they sound awful.

 

[joflier]

Date: 7/1/2010 12:19:34 PM
Author: Haven

Date: 7/1/2010 9:30:38 AM
Author: joflier

Date: 7/1/2010 2:13:22 AM
Author: Haven
And . . .

STOP SCRATCHING!

I CAN''T!!!!!!

I''m pretty sure these are chiggers, and worse yet, those bites can last up to 10 days!!!

That''s why I never felt myself getting bitten, and didn''t start itching til a day or 2 later.

Oh, no! I''m so sorry, Jo. Is there some activity you can get yourself wrapped up in that will help you ignore the itching? I don''t even know what a chigger is, but they sound awful.

Their itty bitty outdoor mites that you can''t see, and they latch on to your skin for a couple days to feed. Today hasn''t been quite as bad. I layed out in the sun for awhile, thinking that perhaps I''d burn the itch away. Which, actually has seemed to help. Now pretty soon I can whine about sunburn.

 

[mousey]

Horrible Horrible horrible. About two weeks ago I got 20 of them on one foot. I counted five on my big toe. They swelled up and started weeping- it was vile.
I recommend a hot bath (weird I know- but apparently it does something to the histamine in your body) followed by a cold shower, followed by rubbing vinegar all over them, followed by putting toothpaste on them. I know this sounds weird, but it worked for me!
They say drinking tonic water, taking B vitamins and eating garlic helps make you unpleasant food for the bugs.