country living... bug bites

[stumpfield]

How do you deal with bug bites living in the country? Is this something you have to live with? During the summer months, every time we visit, we always come back with bug bites all over our arms, legs, neck and all exposed parts of the body. We didn't notice any mosquito or anything obvious. Just after a few days, the bites will show. I hate to spray stuff all over my body and not sure if that of any help. Any sugguestions???

 

[Bird]

I don't know about your part of the country, but around here that would sound like chiggers, and spraying insecticides such as Deep Woods Off or permitherin on your shoes, socks, pants legs, etc. will usually keep them off.

 

[tallyho8]

I agree with Bird but I prefer Repel to Off.

 

[EddieWalker]

Deet is the active ingredient that keeps them all away. I read the label for the highest percentage of it, then buy that brand.

Keeping the grass mowed really short helps, but until you get a good freeze, nothing short of chemicals is going to help. Usually allot of chemicals!!!

Here, we have fire ants, which I'm told killed off all the chiggers, but when I've been down towards San Antonio, I was hit hard by the chiggers AND fire ants.

My current first aid solution is Gold Bond. This changes, and I'm not sure why that is. After awhile, what I've been using doesn't do it for me anymore, so I start trying something new.

Wasps are worse!!! Here, we have several types of wasps and they can be pretty scarry. I got hit by one a few weeks ago right between my eyes. I knew the nest was there, but had sort of forgotten about it until I saw them. Even after a dozen of them started flying around, I tried to get closer to see where the nest was. One of them came right at me and got me good!!! By the end of the day, tha pain was gone and I had pretty much forgotton about the sting. Then the next morning, I woke up with the skin under my eyes swollen up so bad that I could barely see. By noon, that was down and I was able to get to the job I was working on.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[stumpfield]

I don't know about your part of the country, but around here that would sound like chiggers, and spraying insecticides such as Deep Woods Off or permitherin on your shoes, socks, pants legs, etc. will usually keep them off.

Thanks Bird. That's it. Chiggers. If we live there full time, we can't be spraying ourselves with insecticides everyday do we? Is this something you get use to and the body becomes immune to the bites? The local neighbors don't seem to get any bites and they hang around the same area we do.

 

[PILOON]

My next door neighbor (passed on) was research director for Union Carbide and as such he held over 200 patents.
They have the patents for raid, deet amongst other products.
Over a 'coolade' he once told me that their research showed that vitamin C was most effective, but could not be patented.
His recommendations were to rub the rinds of orange peels on the exposed skin as well as to take doses of Redoxin the night before.
Also NEVER to use scented soaps, perfumes and wash hair with non scented shampoos.
Also wearing light colors helps immensely.

Works for me!

Note that at that time we were mainly discussing black flies, skitters, horse and deer flies.

 

[cowboy357]

This is a fairly lengthy read but well worth the time IMO . Bob

Chiggers!

 

[MossRoad]

Thanks Bird. That's it. Chiggers. If we live there full time, we can't be spraying ourselves with insecticides everyday do we? Is this something you get use to and the body becomes immune to the bites? The local neighbors don't seem to get any bites and they hang around the same area we do.

We don't get chiggers unless we stand around in tall grass with shorts on. That's just asking for it.

We have a big mosquito problem. During the day out in the yard you only see a couple now and then. But if you go to the edge of the yard where it meets the woods, you will see more. And in the evening, when the breeze settles down, they move out of the woods and bushes and come into the yard around the pool and deck. So, if you want to go outside, you have to either wear long pants and long sleeves(don't forget long socks) and sit near a bug candle or put on some bug spray.

We found this brand of OFF Insect repellent for outdoor protection from bites by OFF! that actually smells pretty nice. The spray can is only 15% deet and it works pretty well, but doesn't last more than an hour or so on you skin if you are sweating. If it is on you clothes, it works for a long time. They also have it in a pump that is 30% deet. We send that with our daughter that is on the golf team (she hits into the ruff a lot ). The other night my youngest daughter and I sprayed down some hooded sweat shirt jackets with this stuff, then sprayed our legs, zipped up and tied the hoods and went black rasperry picking. She was amazed that the mosquitos would be flying around and if she moved her sleeve towards them, they flew away.

 

[MossRoad]

One other note....

Listerine. My goofy brother-in-law who works as a heavy equipment operator says all of the laborers have started taking Listerine mouth wash, opening the bottle, putting their finger over the opening and wetting it, then touching a drop to each shoulder, elbow, wrist, chest, stomach, butt cheeks, thighs, knees and ankles, then one on top of their head. They swear it acts as an insect repellent. They say the mosquitoes fly around them but do not land.

Has anyone heard of this? I think they may have bee drinking it!

 

[Kays Supply]

I work in constuction and in the yard. I have been plagued with chiggers forever. My son's girlfriend is a hair stylist. They sell a line of men's products made by Redken. She got me started using it one Christmas as a present. I noticed that my father would be covered with chigger bites after a day in the yard. I wouldn't have a bite. I got to checking and the soap contains citronellol. After getting on the web I found it was one of the best natural insect repellants. I have since really put it to a test and so far not a nibble.
I may be crazy but my athlete's foot problem has gone away as well.

 

[dmccarty]

This is a fairly lengthy read but well worth the time IMO . Bob

Chiggers!

Some of what is in the link has not been my experience. I think chigger's prefer to bite where its warm, dark and moist not where the skin is thin. Failing to find a dark, warm and moist spot they will just bite you. I have had hundreds of bites all over my legs. Not thin skin where I got bit. I don't know if chiggers move around but I surely have seen where a nest of them had collected and then gotten on me.

I was wearing trousers treated with Permithren and which killed the chiggers. I stood and watched them die and fall off. I admit I took great joy in watching their demise.

I have seen ticks sense me and follow me. They don't just sit and wait. I was taking a break one day on the gravel road. I saw a tick moving towards me and every once in awhile the tick would stop and rear up and wave its front "legs" It then would move towards me again. This went on a few times. I then moved 90 degrees out of the way to see what Mr. Tick would do. Mr. Tick was confused when I moved but he waved his little legs and eventually found me again and started moving after me. I moved the chair again.

He found me again.

I smooshed him between two rocks.

Benydrel both the gel and the pills helps. The gel really helps since it is easy to spread over large area of chigger bites. Frankly, scratching the heck out of the bites seems to reduce the itch. Infection is a worry but the itching is unreal. Ya gots to do something. For me once I have scratched the heck out of the bite it leaks white fluid. Once that happens the itching seems to decline quite a bit.

Later,
Dan

 

[cowboy357]

Some of what is in the link has not been my experience. I think chigger's prefer to bite where its warm, dark and moist not where the skin is thin. Failing to find a dark, warm and moist spot they will just bite you. I have had hundreds of bites all over my legs. Not thin skin where I got bit. I don't know if chiggers move around but I surely have seen where a nest of them had collected and then gotten on me.

I was wearing trousers treated with Permithren and which killed the chiggers. I stood and watched them die and fall off. I admit I took great joy in watching their demise.

I have seen ticks sense me and follow me. They don't just sit and wait. I was taking a break one day on the gravel road. I saw a tick moving towards me and every once in awhile the tick would stop and rear up and wave its front "legs" It then would move towards me again. This went on a few times. I then moved 90 degrees out of the way to see what Mr. Tick would do. Mr. Tick was confused when I moved but he waved his little legs and eventually found me again and started moving after me. I moved the chair again.

He found me again.

I smooshed him between two rocks.

Benydrel both the gel and the pills helps. The gel really helps since it is easy to spread over large area of chigger bites. Frankly, scratching the heck out of the bites seems to reduce the itch. Infection is a worry but the itching is unreal. Ya gots to do something. For me once I have scratched the heck out of the bite it leaks white fluid. Once that happens the itching seems to decline quite a bit.

Later,
Dan

I agree dmccarty , I dont go along with some of the info as well. I,ve never had them above My knees . I,ve allways sat on the edge of the tub when I came in & applied bleach with a wash rag ( Which They said is a myth ) . It seemed to take care of them rather quicklly & not much itch after the fact. But you have to catch it Pretty quick from coming in from out doors .

Also keep You clothes seperate untill there washed real good . I also spray My jeans & socks with deet & eat plenty of garlic. . I haven,t had a problem in quite sometimes . Bob

 

[jimmyj]

This is a fairly lengthy read but well worth the time IMO . Bob

Chiggers!

Yeesh. Yuk. Glad we don't have chiggers up here (nor many ticks until the last year or two we had zero it seems).

We got lotsa mosquitoes and deer flies, and black flies in the spring of course. Deet is the only thing that seems to work besides thick clothing. You kinda get immune to mosquito bites after a few years.

 

[jrepp44]

My treatment for chigger bites: cover the bites with a rag soaked with rubbing alcohol (90% type) for about 30 seconds, next apply 1% hydrocortisone cream. Your mileage my vary.

 

[LBrown59]

How do you deal with bug bites living in the country? Is this something you have to live with? During the summer months, every time we visit, we always come back with bug bites all over our arms, legs, neck and all exposed parts of the body. We didn't notice any mosquito or anything obvious. Just after a few days, the bites will show. I hate to spray stuff all over my body and not sure if that of any help. Any sugguestions???

I've never seen a bug that could read a city limit sign.

 

[tallyho8]

I was wearing trousers treated with Permithren and which killed the chiggers. I stood and watched them die and fall off. Later,
Dan

Dan, either your chiggers are much larger than ours or your eyesight is much better than mine, because I can not see our chiggers without a magnifying glass.

The best product I have found for relief of insect bites is AfterBite. It comes in a small rub-on tube and is sold at Walmart and other stores. It is great for all kinds of bee stings and is also good for ant and mosquito bites as well. I carry a tube on my tractor and one in my truck and golf cart. I find it works much better than benzocaine when applied right away.

The most important thing is to apply it IMMEDIATELY after you get bit. The sooner you apply it, the better it works.

 

[Frosty2]

When I was a kid Mom always put nail polish over chigger bites.Anyone heard of this?

 

[Bird]

When I was a kid Mom always put nail polish over chigger bites.Anyone heard of this?

Of course. Chiggers burrow in and a spot of nail polish cut off the air to the chigger and it suffocated. Or at least that was the theory, so my mother used that method, too. You hoped she had some clear nail polish 'cause it could be embarrassing to go to school with little red spots showing.

Another home remedy was a bath in a tub of water with some bleach in it, but I don't recall the ratio; i.e., how much bleach.

 

[Tig]

Deet was a big no no, not so long ago. It's as bad for you as it is for the mosquitos. They only difference being that it doesn't get rubbed ob the mosquitos. Even the manufacturers web sites had quite clear warnings for children. Then along came west nile and now I'm not sure which is worse.

 

[Frosty2]

Bird,thanks for the reply.I was glad that she used the clear.My Dad woudn't have gone for girly colors.Funny how mention of chiggers brings back the great childhood memories of summer vacations in Southern Illinois.I was lucky to have great parents and relatives w/farms.Great times I tell ya....