9747 Insect bites

Watch out late afternoons, there are a lot of small, house fly ******s about in the garden, once they land on you , they hook on and start drinking, leave a really nasty lump, that itchies like ******y........antidote,,,,,the only one that I have found is not going into the garden.

If you are bitten and the itch is driving you mental - light a cigarette and put the lit end as close as possible to the "crown" of the bite without actually touching your skin and keep it there for as long as possible (about 3 or 4 seconds).

The high temperature will remove the itch - guaranteed.

If you can get friends in England to track down and buy some Mosiguard (cream or spray) it truly works and is a "gentle" and natural product. Boots no longer seem to stock it but certainly worth a websearch for it if all else fails. Rubbing in Citronella oil sometimes helps too and you can get that here in Italy.

Do understand your preference for natural products as repellents but sadly they do not work very well, deet is far more efficient and I find works very well against midges and mozzies, it's the main ingredient of Autan.
If you do get bitten then hydrocortisone cream 1% massaged in twice daily is the best. There is an Italian version with some local anaesthetic added altho' there are some reasons why this might not be a good idea. Sadly some people react very badly to insect bites and they have my sympathy.

you want a "clicker" dont know where in Italy you might get one but boots sell them in uk, its a small plastic thing bit like a cig lighter, hold it on the sting (whether it be insect or nettle) and click 4 or 5 times (bit like an electric shock) but it does'nt hurt..

I've been told that Vitamin B is good to stop you getting bitten. My husband takes it as it's also good for yur skin (allegedly) & he never gets bitten- however that could be because the suckers are too busy feasting on me! Watch out for the Tigre mosquitos- they're the worst. The bites swell up like mad, if it's near the joint the joint also swells up & nothing seems to touch it- you have to wait 4 days, then it goes down. Therefore I can generally be seen watering my veggies at the height of summer wearing trousers tucked into wellies, an old mens skirt tucked into the trouser, gloves & a hat- definitely more Margot than Barbara!!

"moved to italiauncovered.co.uk"

For those of us that visit the great outdoors on a regular basis and encounter the evil midge, the latest weapon to combat this fiercesome beast is a product from Avon, called Avon Skin so Soft, no one really knows how it works but, it used by a lot of the people who work outdoors in Scotland and has actually be tested by various establishments.

I don't know if it will work against other insects but it should be worth a try;

[url=http://avonshop.co.uk/shop/product.asp?pf_id=4982]AVONSHOP- Products[/url]

The reason "clickers" and lighters (I really wouldn't recommend that!) is due to the fact that an insect bites it anaethetizes the area so that the antibodies do not know it's time to get to work. "clickers" and flames create a small amount of "pain" in the area and set the antibodies to work which then reduces the itch

Chris

Tested J&Cs lighted fag antidote (OK more fool me). If anything 2 days later I still have a itchy red bite ,which is much more trouble than the others I received that night and which I treated with Allergan. They have all gone.
So road tested and it has failed dismally, was it a "joke " I now wonder, and I was silly enough to fall for it?
A

[quote=Angie and Robert;91351]Tested J&Cs lighted fag antidote (OK more fool me). If anything 2 days later I still have a itchy red bite ,which is much more trouble than the others I received that night and which I treated with Allergan. They have all gone.
So road tested and it has failed dismally, was it a "joke " I now wonder, and I was silly enough to fall for it?
A[/quote]

Absolutely not a joke - I would never encourage someone to do something like that if it didn't work. I have done this on myself a thousand times and although I accept it did not work on one or two bites from the thousands I have received over the years - it has worked very well on all the others since I was taught this method by a local in Jamaica. I am plagued by bites even if protected from head to foot, sprayed up and smelling like a brothel, nothing stops the little blighters from biting me and nothing is worse than the itch. I can only think you did not hold the heat close enough or long enough, but it certainly wasn't a joke. Sorry it didn't work for you.

[quote=Frederick3;91184]My wife is very susceptible to insect bites in the spring, summer and fall. Are there any natural products to help prevent this problem? We live in Le Marche.[/quote]

Try SOS Pelle (Dr Ciccarelli). Natural ingredients (no antihistamines) and we use it for all sorts of skin irritations.

Aloe Vera gel is very effective for any itchy inflammed area and is very gentle if like me you are also prone to skin allegies and hives.

Holland and Barrett have an offer £2.49 instead of £5 so ask your uk friends to stock up for you!

Marmite is supposed to work like vitamin b tabs but in Africa I found them useless!

Italy, Australia and Africa. Hairy men and delicate women in our family have all tested and found it works so why not google mosi-guard, as I have just done and get some as it works and is gentle. But I will try to buy the SOS Pelle here in Italy to see if it is as good.

If you are bitten the itch can be cured almost instantly with a cream in a tube, from the Farmacia, it's called FARGAN. It smells of lavender!

I tried the Avon "skin so soft" and got thoroughly bitten. Maybe it is good for midges and English gnats but I don't think anyone had told the Italian mozzies it is supposed to work on them!

I've used the clcker in the UK when I've been bitten and it works a treat. I bought one here in SELF (DIY store in Piediripa). It was with all the outdoor candles etc. I have seen them in a ferramenta shop, I can't remember where, but again it was with the citronella candles etc.

My husband got bitten/stung by what we think was a scorpion yesterday and had been really unwell with flu-like symptoms and muscle & joint ache near where he was attacked. I gave him anti-histamine and he is lot better today. Unfortunately he didn't see what got him so we can only assume it was a scorpion that had sneaked into his t-shirt and was still there when he put it on.

Has anyone else been stung? If so, what were the symptoms? I'm a bit concerned that he is allergic to them or is this kind of reaction normal?

Hope your husband is feeling better today Penny, I think it is difficult to guage what a normal reaction might be, Robert was stung by a scorpion, and said that for him it was like a small wasp sting, which itched a bit and was then fine. But for others there may be a much more serious reaction.I understand that centepedes can also cause a strong reaction and have seen some pretty large ones here. Will concentrate the mind and shake out shoes and clothing before I put them on.
What I did get stung by and what did leave a lumpy painful reminder for a few days was a small black fly type thing that seems to inhabit the orto but is not found up on the terrace, heaven knows what that might be.
A

Skin so soft works for me and if I have missed a bit and get bitten, I dab the bite with cotton wool soaked in ammonia (bottles of it sold in most supermarkets). My OH was stung by a hornet on the eyelid and treated immediately with Antisan cream and a Piriton tablet. The swelling went down quickly but apparently it still hurt like ***k!

In my experience, the worst bites are from tarfani (horse flies), vicious creatures with jaws that are designed to lacerate the flesh to obtain maximum blood. A steroid cream gives relief, but I found that I gradually developed an immunity and the bites that caused extreme swelling, infection and pain for a week at first, subsided in their effect. What I don't yet know is whether said immunity carries over from one season to the next or whether I have to start the process again this year. Horse flies prey on dark-coloured moving objects, preferably horses or cows. But, as I have learned, a runner in dark coloured tights seems very attractive to them. And the tights are no impediment to their jaws.

I have found skin so soft works well & is suitable for small children & babies (unlike many products) - we used it when the children were young & we were in SE Asia & they got no bites form mosquitos. Need the original fragrance though - not the new ones (it's in a bluey green bottle). You also need to be careful getting out of the bath as it makes it VERY slippery. Haven't tried the body oil sprays but they probably work the same way.
Bath Oil is currently on offer on Avon website.

Chris

[quote=HelenMW;91295]... Therefore I can generally be seen watering my veggies at the height of summer wearing trousers tucked into wellies, an old mens skirt tucked into the trouser, gloves & a hat- definitely more Margot than Barbara!![/quote]

I now have visions of a lady wearing wellies, trousers, a kilt and a hat, dodging mosquitoes whilst watering the plants... :smile:

Have just come home from Lunigiana and my legs look like a war zone - bites galore. I'm so pleased I'm not the only one - have read all the comments, and will try some of the remedies. Rosie

I'm afraid the only thing that works for me is antibiotics regardless of the sting/bite.
Been bitten/stung in Greece, Italy, Canada, England, Spain etc. (redheads a must) and the only cure has been a visit to either hospital or doctor for a prescription. Came back from Canada and first stop was the hospital and an injection and course of anitbiotics. In Greece ended up with what can only be described as a punch in the eye after being bitten by a horse fly - never felt a thing, but my eye was so swollen the owner of our accommodation thought my husband had lamped me one. Sun glasses were needed for the next seven days.
Lorraine

[quote=Noble;91645]If you are bitten the itch can be cured almost instantly with a cream in a tube, from the Farmacia, it's called FARGAN. It smells of lavender![/quote]

My wife is very allergic to zanzare and gets large marks that are raised, red and feel hot to the touch. We tried various products and for her nothing worked to prevent the bites but for me to go around the house swatting the bugs. If she got a bite, after much trial and error and lots of visits to the farmacia, we found only Fargon works and must be put on soon after the initial bite.

Thank you. My husband is fine now but we did have to go to the hospital as the sting site turned black and looked like some type of necrosis. Very horrible. Interestingly he has now turned from someone who was never allergic to anything to having had two other allergic reactions to ordinary stings and plant sap. It must have left him a bit weakened.

I was stung by a nasty bee at Montefegatessi a month ago. I still have a mark on my leg. It was horrible! But I applied alcohol on and it helped. But for a while the sting site also looked like some type of necrosis.

I got bitten twice by a horse fly after a thunder storm at Lago Trasimeno last week - I too didn't feel anything and then the bites swelled up and turned yellow. I just kept applying ice and anti histamine cream. Ice always works the best for me - it takes the heat out.

I keep Vape Magic plugged in all night to keep the zanzare away but I've recently heard that keeping a geranium plant or a basil plant in the room will keep them away! Anyone willing to put it to the test?? :nah:
I've been using fargan cream for more than 15 years- it's great !!

Fargan is good for the after affects, also is the pure alcohol they sell here for the limoncello. It eases the sting.
Citrinella insense sticks for the garden work well, so it you have a small pot near to the door , put on in the pot and light, similar for the windows, if you leave them open.
Also now they sell an outdoor spray that is meant to keep the area free up to 8 hours from flies mozzies etc. cost about 6 euro a spray.

Hope this helps

gill

Some bites are worse than others, and can last for days. After 3 years in Italy we have decided that Germolene is good, ( boots do not stock it anymore).
Also I agree with the member who suggests Vitamin B . Brewers Yeast is very cheap in the UK, so take some tablets before going where you know the " diners" are waiting for you.
Not very happy to try out the lighted cig method - The italians all say do not scratch the bite -very difficult. My husband swears by vinegar, so smells like a fish & chip shop.

Sympathy to all the suffers! :eeeek:

I'm also getting eaten this summer (though thankfully no horseflies yet this year - I had to get rushed to the doctor last year after a nasty incident!).

My sis picked up a tip when on hols in the far east to avoid scratching your bites. Dig your nail into the bite to make a deep line through it, then again to make a cross.

Hope that helps!

[quote=pjay;92814]..........I agree with the member who suggests Vitamin B . Brewers Yeast is very cheap in the UK, so take some tablets before going where you know the " diners" are waiting for you............[/quote]

I always thought the vitamin B thing was an old wives tale - but my daughter was being bitten [camping by Lake Como] until the day she started on the marmite sandwiches - no problems after that.

me? - i'd rather be bitten than go anywhere near marmite!!!

.

Didn't have any cigarettes handy but we found that if you put a teaspoon in boiling water then just touch the tip lightly against the bite for a second the itch disappears within twenty minutes and doesn't come back for 24 hours. Honest. Good luck.

I was at the hairdresser´s and I read an interesting article in a Spanish magazine about insect bites and genetics. I had a search through Google and I found this article, which I find interesting.
Apparently, one in ten people suffer more than the others because of their genes. Also, to have high levels of cholesterol in your blood attracts insects.
Have a look at this:

[url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s240403.htm]Lateline - 31/1/2001: Genetic solution to mosquito bites? . Australian Broadcasting Corp[/url]

Saw this on the tv the other night - haven't tried it but it could be worth trying.

[url=http://www.lessmosquito.com/]Less Mosquito[/url]
Karen

[quote=fudgieoto;92793]Fargan is good for the after affects, also is the pure alcohol they sell here for the limoncello. It eases the sting.
Also now they sell an outdoor spray that is meant to keep the area free up to 8 hours from flies mozzies etc. cost about 6 euro a spray.

gill[/quote]

Are you telling us that we can spray the air around us with a product that will stop horseflies biting us? If so please name the product.
Horseflies are now following our hot car from our gate to our parking area, so we have a large plastc jar filled with a pongy liquid hanging from a tree, which traps them but can't hang such a thing by the swimming pool!

[quote=Noble;94256]Are you telling us that we can spray the air around us with a product that will stop horseflies biting us? If so please name the product.
Horseflies are now following our hot car from our gate to our parking area, so we have a large plastc jar filled with a pongy liquid hanging from a tree, which traps them but can't hang such a thing by the swimming pool![/quote]

If this works, I'd be amazed - but you could try one

[url=http://www.bitingflies.com/]Horse Pal® Horsefly Trap - Newman Enterprises, Omro, WI - biting flies, horse fly, deer fly, yellow fly, greenhead, horsefly, deerfly, fly bites, fly trap, bitingflies, horsepal[/url]

If you click on the picture of the trap [top right of page] it gives the instructions -
[ this was where I got worried, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of prose about 'inflating balls, screwing, and tightening nuts' - still, I suppose the flies need something to aim for].

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