Monster Mosquito Bites

Sorry so late in my response...

My youngest son is allergic to the bites and they just flock to him...
it almost sounds like that might be the situation with your family. I would get it checked out by the doctor... the older my son gets the worse it seems to becoming... :(
also there is a pen (like you use for bee bites) you can get that you apply right after a bite or asap - just don't scratch first -- and it helps a lot with the swelling and reaction. I would ask your doctor for the best one for your use. the pen is the only thing that helps my son...
Hope this helps some :)

1 mom found this helpful

Hi T.,

It sounds like you two have an allergic reaction to them. I used to as a child..and my daughter has a friend who is allergic along with her two siblings.

Their doctor told them USE BUG SPRAY WITH DEET... If you get them take benedrly and or use hydrocortosone cream...

GOOD LUCK!!! :)

A.

My daughter gets more bites than I do,and then do seem to be bigger than the early summer mosquito bites. I use desert essence blemish stick on a little square band aid, most of the time they don't itch the next day.
I think we'll try more b vit's too. Theirs a bunch in nutritional yeast, we put it on pop corn w/ parmesan cheese and a little salt. You can also get a sublingual B tab that just melts under the tong.

Good luck, A. H

Consult your dermatologist. Mine gave me a prescription for cream to put on my bites. It does help! Good luck and God Bless!

I have the same problem and I learned a few things recently...
1. First of all, apparently they are attracted to bananas - for up to a month after eating them! I don't know if this is really true or not....
2. I read that applying some roll-on antiperspirant (not deodorant) shrinks the mosquito bite in only 20 minutes (because of the aluminum salt in it) and my sister-in-law and nephew SWEAR it really works!
Good luck!

Hi T.!

Mosquitos love me as well as my children too. Our backyard WAS a haven for the darn things until we started to spray it. You can get the spray pretty much anywhere, got mine at Menards. I bought the brand Cutters and you hook it up to your hose and just spray your yard with it. It works! Believe me...we couldn't even begin to use our backyard until we started doing this. One application lasts for a month.

Then there's always Avon Skin-So-Soft. It really does work. My mom (none of use are Avon Reps)bought some from her neighbor and it's not the oil form, it's a smaller white bottle and it states on the bottle "Bug Guard" and it's in a lotion form. Used it on July 3rd and never got a single bite!

My daughter got bit in the middle of the night by one that got in our house and her lip swelled up two inches. She looked like she'd been in a Rocky movie. We were supposed to get family pictures done that day but had to cancel because of it. Took two days for the swelling to go down.

Good luck!

Start taking Vitiman B1 everyday during the season. They bite people lacking in this vitiman. They love my sons, niece, nephew and my mom. She starts taking B1 at the beginning of the spring when they come out after a few weeks they leave her and the kids alone. She just had my niece and nephew for two weeks the first week they got bites like crazy after that week it let up. I know it works with my youngest son after a few days.

T.,

My daughter has the same problem, so I read the responses to your request. Then I looked up the suggestions for prevention on "Snopes". Here is a link if you want to see what Snopes had to say about it. It is pretty informative. (Snopes is a site that researches urban legends, wives tales, etc.)

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp

In summary, it said none of the home remedies for prevention work, including dryer sheets, B-12, no bananas, etc., (though Consumer Reports did say Avon Skin So Soft works but only for an hour max), and that the only solution is DEET - the more the better. I didn't look up any of the treatments for treating the skin AFTER getting a bite.

I don't want to put chemicals on my 3 year old, but it's better than the alternative (and, by the way, Snopes said according to research DEET is safe to use).

This summer seems especially bad and I'm even finding them in my house! I came across this link yesterday, I hope it helps:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/47518/home_remed...

I grow Citronella plant in my flower beds and rub it on my daughter and myself whenever we are out in the eve. Smells good too. Works for us minimizes what we get. All natural.

2 of my chidlren get allergic reactions to mosquito bites, to the point that their whole body swells up and they have needed steroids. There is something about some people that attract the bites and they have an inflammatory reaction to them. Unfortunately, the only thing we found that works for us is DEET, and we have to go to an army naby surplus and get at least 23% deet, it also comes in 30%. The OFF has about 3% DEET and doesn't work as well. Make sure that they bathe after they come in from the outside so the chemical doesn't sit on their body longer than it has to. I hate mosquitoes.

Sounds like you need mosquito repellant. Cutter makes a fan that clips on your belt that emits the repellant (no smell or spray on your skin). Last year I found a coil bracelet that you wear, and it kept the critters away. There is also all natural (no DEET) sprays, if you can tolerate it. Cutter makes a nice lemon eucalyptus spray (and no, I do not work for Cutter!). Good luck!!

Hello T. I have the same problem with my daughter but none of the other members of our family. According to our pediatrician the only kind of "allergic reaction" is anaphylaxis where your throat swells shut which is rare from a mosquito. When people(kids and adults) get the severe swelling after a bite its because they have a higher histamine response not that they are allergic so it needs to be treated with an anti-histamine like benadryl. For my daughter benadryl was not strong enough so she actually has to take prescription Atarax which is a much stronger anti-histamine. Also hydrocortisone cream works well sometimes you will need a prescription for a higher strength. Aveeno baths work well too. We use after-bite for kids right after she gets bit and sometimes that helps. I know with my daughter they have gotten infected very quickly so watch for signs of infection-increased redness, warmth, oozing from the bite and a temp. Best of luck to you and I hope that this info helps. Talk with your pediatrician they will have suggestions because this is a pretty common problem this time of year.

Try not to wear any perfume's or spray. We used bounce dryer sheets, rub on skin, and I carry one on me, the mosquitos seem to stay away, hope this works for you too, have fun camping.

HI T.,
My name is A.. My youngest (7), suffers from insect bites and stings also. She has the same reaction you do. (So sorry). I two things one- I always keep a few teaspoons(mis- matched so they aren't missed)in the freezer.I have her put it right on the bite(s),while she is doing that I mix cornstarch and water to make a Thick paste.This was recommended by her Dr. Dr. Schnur from Rochester Hills. I put the paste on her bites and with in minutes the itch is gone. The swelling takes a little longer. It does not get as big as it would have without it.The paste draws out the venom from the bite.I put a band aid over it(paste still on) to get the most out of it. It does form a white powder as it dries. I Hope this works as well for you as it does us! Good Luck!!

A little about me:

Mom (43)of 3 beautiful girls,15-12-7. I am married to my soul mate.We live in Rochester Hills. We have a shirt business we run out of the house "LandsharkPrintwear",15yrs.

LOL. They LOVE LOVE LOVE me too! I feel your pain or itch rather.

Receently I learned that they are attracted to people's scent. So if two people are standing next to each other they will head for the one who sweats more, or has a stronger odor. This is why the especially like feet! I know gross right?

I find that aloe helps with the itch also, I got a benadryl stick last year...easy to take with you and works pretty well. Nothing will make the itch stop for good but even temporary relief is well recieved. Also, as soon as you nitice you have been bitten it helps to clean the area asap. Camping limits your options but a baby wipe or hand sanitizer should be good enough. The reason you want to clean it is becasue they go to the bathroom on you that's what you are reacting to. That's what I've been told anyway. I do find that it helps though. I don't seem to get as swollen and itchy if I can clean the spot right away.

Make sure you bring long pants, long sleeves and socks and shoes to wear at night. If you can handle it...wear 'em during the day (or whatever time they start to attack). Sort of counter productive if you will be sweating though! LOL But it really does keep them away better than repellent alone. That's the other thing...wear repellant but not too much. A light spray all over even on clothes should be enough to last a few hours.

If you can...bring some baby wipes and before heading into the woods or hanging out for the evening wipe yourself and your son down...asif showering with a baby wipe (especially feet and between toes and areas that sweat). This should help minimize your "scent" so they aren't too attracted to the two of you.

I have also read something about light or dark colors...not sure which they are more attracted to so I would google it if you can.

Put all this to good use and hopefully you will have a fantastic camping trip with miminal welts from those little guys!

Have fun and good luck!

To add to the other responses I use acne fighting astringent with 2% salicidic acid on my bug bites. It takes away the itch almost instantly and gets rid of the bite as well.

My kids get huge red welts from mosquito bites, and my mother-in-law read somewhere to soak a cotton ball in vinegar and place on the bite. We did that for my 6 year old and it really helped! We actually bandaged the cotton balls on her bites, but I don't think that would have to be necessary.

I have a similar allergic reaction to the bites. They love me too and I take all kinds of vitamins (including B) which doesn't seem to make a difference for me.

I would recommend Sportsman's OFF which has 30% DEET. If you look at an outdoor place like Cabelas you can find even more potent stuff - almost 100%. We have something that you can put in when washing your clothes that repels mosquitoes and ticks - very handy - can also be purchased at cabelas. Might be good if you're camping. That in combination the Off works well. None of the homeopathic stuff works for me at all.

I also found if you treat the bites soon after they will not get as bad. I just use the Benedryl spray which is easier to carry than a cotton ball soaked with something.

I don't know how you guys are, but after I've been bitten and get a few huge bites I seem to build up a tolerance and they don't get quite so big...Good luck!

This may sound weird, I was not a believer at first. My youngest son was always getting eaten alive by mosquitoes while they barely bothered the rest of the family. My mom said it was because he didn't have enough B-1 vitamin in his system, so we started giving him a B-1 tablet every day, and within a week, no more mosquito bites. Don't know if this would help you guys out, but it's worth a shot.

Try taking some vitamin B before and during the time that you go. Mosquitos don't like the taste of a human that has alot of B in their system. Also limit your sugar. If you do get alot of bites, put some vingar on the them. It helps withthe itch and the swelling. Happy Camping!

One of our health care professionals told us that if our young son, the one that got bit 10 times more than the rest of us and ALWAYS had hyper-responses with giant, painful swellings that stayed around for a long time, craved carbohydrates (he'd live on toast if he could), that it was probably a thiamine deficiency (one of the B vitamins). We got a liquid B from Indigo Forest in Ann Arbor (www.VisitIndigo.com) and in his case, in about 24 hours his reactions (and lower tendency to get bit) was just like the rest of the families - MUCH less. Since B vitamins are 'water soluable' I wasn't worried about experimenting with them (body excretes what it does not use, but ps. you will pretty much always have your pee turn bright yellow when you take B's). Indigo Forest also has 'Sting Stop', a homeopathic gel that works to stop the itch and pain almost immediately. They also have an essential oil called 'Purification' which you dab on and it neutralized the poison (it's also been great for bee stings.) The Homeopathic remedy 'Apis' is great (orally) for the stings. Different healing modalities to some, but mild and wonderfully effective!

We also live in the woods and have lots of bugs around. We use low or no scent products in most ways (laundry soap, deodorants, shampoo, etc), and we've found that we are much less likely to get bit that our guests that use a lot of highly perfumed products on their body or clothes. My skeptical husband found this confirmed on the web. Apparently the mosquitoes are highly attracted to the perfumes, not so much to 'nothing' or good 'ole normal body smells. There are some great bug sprays that do not use highly dangerous (for kids) DEET, see my favorite place above for some choices, their specialty is all natural products that are also MORE effective than the non-natural ones.
Good luck!

T.
when my girls get bit by mosquito i wipe them with sea breeze it works great

Mix water and baking soda together. Too much water will make it too runny. Not enough will make it too hard. Work with it to make a soft consistancy. Rub into the bite.It will take the sting and itch away. I've heard eating a rich garlic meal will keep the mosquitos away also.

T.,

Ouch! My little boys bites do the same thing. The Off brand repellant with "clean feel" works great. I love that it doesn't feel sticky or heavy but still does the job.

When we have gotten bites we use a little Gold Bond Cream on them to stop the itching. It works great.

Good luck and hang in there. But, don't forget the bug spray...like I sometimes do. :)

For one your not the only family. All humans give off a certain scentthat attract mosquitos. mosquitos are really bad this year. they feed on dampness. We have had so much rain there crazy. keep lots of bug spray make sure you spray and than cover over the spraywith pants socks and shoes. Make sure you keep your tent closed up so they stay out. Use citronella candles too. Having camp fires help smoke them out. Oh ya use calahmine lotion to ease the itching and redness.

You have an allergy to mosquito venom.

make sure you have several types of skeeter spray...and use it often.

After you've been out you will need to wipe any bites with either Tea Tree Oil (straight...don't dilute it) or you can use Listerine (yes mouthwash) These liquids will break down the enzymes in the mosquito venom and stop the allergic reaction.

I would also take topical and oral benedryl to reduce the reaction further.

First I would get to Whole Foods or Better Health and get a topical cream for the bites.
Secondly I would find a distributor for Nature's Sunshine (I can give you a number if you want) and get some HistaBlock. Its name pretty much says it.
Lastly, get a spray bottle and some Listerine. Spray the Listerine around yourselves, around outside where you're doing anything. It kills the mosquitoes.

I knew it was good for SOMEthing!

Its amazing how mosquito bites now affect us more than they ever did. I would suggest using the mosquito sprays for children/family. We get our yard sprayed during the summer months because my children and husband are allergic and break out from these little critters. Wash the bites with soapy water. It seems to help dry them up. Good luck.

Lots of interesting suggestions on the board! I personally have found that simply using rubbing alcohol on them clears them up real quick! Good luck!

I have the same problem! I am anxious to see what advice you receive.

Yay Char!!!!

I too take Vitamin B (complex). Not only do the bugs not like the taste, but it also curbs your zen for alcohol!!!

Have a safe and fun camping trip!!!
<3 D

To help stop the itching, we use a roll on deoderant on the bites. Roll on deoderants have a chemical....alum something or other that is the key to stopping the itch. I found that trick on the web and it really works nice.

Make sure you use a spray to keep from getting chewed alive in first place. Myself and my kids are mosquito buffets as well :( I really like the Off that goes on smooth and dry.

BUG SPRAY!!!!! Burts Beeswax makes a natural bug repellant that works and a big bite stick that helps alot. My 2 year old gets like that from the mosquito bites, use the bug spray. She recently had to got to the ER and was not too far off from being admitted on IV antibiotics and drain tubes in her arm from 1 mosquito bite. That 1 bite got infected in about an hour and her whole arm was very swollen for about a week and a half. Other than that you can also use benadrly and cortizone cream to reduce the swelling and help the bite go away. I understand that some parents do not want to put the chemicals of bug spray on their child, but when they are allergic the benifits far out weigh the risks. The dr at the Childrens Hospital said that she should have bug spray on any time she is in an area with mosquitos. Good Luck!