I am eaten by mosquitoes and other flying insects in the night, how do I prevent it and soothe the bites?

Question

I am divebombed every night!! I sleep under a net and sheet, I have plug in things, burning things, and a fan in the hope it blows any insects off me and fly screens on every window, I use creams and sprays but still I get bitten. Last night I got bitten on my eyelid, which is now closed it is so swollen, I am covered in red marks around the bite, which is hot, swollen and itchy. I look like I have been beaten up! Now my daughter says I look like a drug addict due to the marks all over my body!

I feel so miserable. Does anybody have any more ideas that will prevent them attacking me and give me some relief

Thanks

Answer 1

The greatest thing I've found to prevent mosquito/bug bites is bug spray with deet. The higher the percentage of deet, the better, only problem is that the higher percentage of deet = higher cost, but believe me it's worth it! Since you already have the irritating bites, try taking benadryl. Depending on your size and age, you can take 25-50mg every 4-6 hours. This should help with itching as well as with the swelling on your eye lid. But, be careful because benadryl can make you very sleepy. Another thing to try is calamine lotion. Put some on a cotton ball and dab it on each of your insect bites (except of course the ones on your eyes) as needed to help with itching as well. Good luck!

Answer 2

If you're still getting bitten with that lot, it may be a plan to check your house for other sources of the bites - fleas, bed bugs etc... May sound a little extreme, but at least it'd rule it out.

Products that contain Citronella seem to work fairly well at repelling the things.

If you're reacting that badly to the bites, it's probably worth seeing the doctor, sounds like you might be getting the beginnings of allergic reactions to the bites.

As for something to soothe the bites, the best thing I've found is a cream called Eurax. First discovered it in France (it's also available in the UK, and probably available elsewhere int he world too) when camping as I managed to get over 200 ant bites overnight (REALLY uncomfortable and itchy!). Rub some of that on, the itchiness and pain goes really quickly (within about 10 mins) and it lasts for HOURS - I really only needed to use it morning and evening until they'd settled down.

Answer 3

Eat Marmite or Vegemite - the yeast and vitamins in it make you skin unattractive to insects. I have also heard that a strong brew of camomile tea rubbed on to the skin can also repel mosquitoes.

As for soothing the bites - I use a genius little gadget called a 'clicker'. It looks like the top of a washing up liquid bottle and you put it on the bit and click it 5-10 times. It gives you the teeny tiniest electric shock which numbs the bite (don't ask me about the science of it). It totally works. I used to wear my clicker on a string round my neck so I could instantly click on a bite to soothe it. This is a wonderful gadget and the inventor deserves to be a millionnaire. You can get them at Boots or most big supermarkets and they only costs £3-£5.

Answer 4

Gosh! It's like my complaint. I presently live in Bihar, India and it seems like all the insects have taken a vengeance to digging their various biting implements into my flesh!
I've worked out a system which is so good, visitors remark about the near absence of mosquitoes in my house.
Of course, there's netting on the windows.
My secret trick is that I get a 'mosquito mat' and bend it slightly and place them over the small lights [the incandescent variety that are zero to fifteen watts]. Whenever these are switched on, they work as automatic insect repellents.
I also use coils, the ones that emit low smoke on the terrace.
Lemon grass and citrus fruit plants are conveniently placed around the house, wards away mosquitoes naturally.

Answer 5

Some people are just more appetizing to biting insects than others... Menstruating women are the most at risk. The only repellent that works is deet, used liberally. don't bother with the organic or health food store crap. and the electronic repellers don't work.

There are some people who report that eating raw garlic or onion seems to keep the little buggers away... you could try that..... but it might just be that your metabolism produces a lot of octozol..... which is mosquito 'come-hither'.

Answer 6

Not sure if you have done it but there is a treatment you can dunk your net and clothes in I know it as Peripel, it lasts on your clothes for about 6-8 washes and you would probably have to dunk your net every 4 months or so. The other thing is for yourself to eat garlic tablets, it keeps them off me when I am away and I have been to many tropical countries. you will also probably benefit from taking anti-histamines to take the swelling of the bites down Zirtec/Triludan is great if you can get it or simple piriton will do.

Answer 7

Where the devil are you woman? Do you live in a swamp? Anyway... take a vitamin B1 supplement, it is a natural proven bitey bastard repellent. I take a High strength combined B vitamin supplement all year round and I never get bitten, not even just before my period.
Also invest in a little bottle of citronella oil. Mix it with what we call a 'carrier' oil which is almond or grapeseed oil and dab onto ankles, wrists, backs of knees, anywhere exposed where you can see veins under the skin. It's important you mix the citronella with a mild carrier oil so that you don't have a reaction to the strong citronella oil.

There you go. Natural simple solutions all available at your local health food shop or large chemist.

Answer 8

First have the yard sprayed for the pests. Get rid of the mosquitoes and then they won't be around to bite you.

Get an effective mosquito attracting trap. There are traps that use a propane burner to create the CO2 which mosquitoes are attracted to. These traps are a bit expensive,but they work. You might be surprised at the weight of the collected mosquito carcases each night...

Just spraying your yard with a mix of dish soap, Coca Cola (or equiv) and "tobacco tea" can cut the amount of pesky bugs AND it acts as a fertilizer for the plants. (can totally eliminate fleas)
AND its not harmful to the environment.

Recipe:
1 cup dish soap
1 can cola
1 cup of "tea" made by soaking 2 oz tobacco in water for a day.
Put in one of the hose-end sprayers and spray the lawn.

Answer 9

Try not to smell so sweet, use non-fragranced products, however tea tree oil is effective.Yeast tablets do something to the blood which the b*ggers dislike, they also hate garlic. What about finding a gauze for the windows on the web? The only thing that managed to sooth my bites came from the Dr's - it was a steroid cream, speak to him/her. Some scientists say that "sexy hormones" do it for the mozzies too!
Good luck, its a horrible thing to go through!

Answer 10

Natural Insect Repellents

To kill roaches/ants - Lay out bread crumbs/honey and mix with boric acid (be careful b/c this stuff is poisonous) and aspartame _ THIS IS A TRAP!

Ants: Dried cucumber slices, Soapy Water in Spray Bottle, mint tea, cayenne pepper, citrus oil, lemon juice, cinnamon and coffee grounds

Roaches/Waterbugs: Lay small bottles of boric acid on the side and put on top of cabinets or corners, catnip (they hate it), soapy water in spray bottle will kill them almost instantly, bay leaves in the cracks, dried cucumber slices, and hedgeapple

Mosquitoes: Eucalyptus oil w/ 70% cineole, citronella, and neem oil. Also mix some garlic and water and rub on your skin. At BBQ's sprinkle rosemary and sage on the charcoal to repel the mosquitoes, and give your food some flavor!

Flies: Mint, Bay leaves, and eucalyptus oil

Moths: Soak some cloth in cedar oil and hang it up, dry lemon peels in closets and other places.

Good Luck!