I can't believe that someone else bought one of those electrified tennis rackets! Someone besides me, that is. My husband took it as an opportunity to make fun of me mercilessly--until he saw that it worked. And it does work. I use it mostly on pine borers, which are absolutely disgusting bugs with muscular calves. I hate them, and they destroy pine trees, so I feel justified in zapping them with my tennis racket.

I haven't tried the hair dryer for bug bites, but we do have a gadget for that, too. (I'm a not-so-closet gadget freak.) It's called a Therapik, and it works on the same heat principle. It's a little box, about as long as a pack of cigarettes and half as wide with a red circle that you center on the bite. Press a button and then count to fifteen. The skin under the light gets a dose of concentrated infrared heat, so sometimes you have to grit your teeth till it's over, but it works like a charm, for all kinds of bug bites. It does make eating outdoors possible. We always say that if we ever get divorced, the worst fight will be over who gets custody of the Therapik.

"---We always say that if we ever get divorced, the worst fight will be over who gets custody of the Therapik. --"

Will also cure the "Seven-Year Itch"? :-)

dcarch

I do a similar thing to itches but with a facecloth soaked in water as hot as I can stand to wring out. Press the hot cloth onto the itchy area and hold it for at least 30 seconds and remove. The area generally itches like heck for a few seconds, and then the itch goes away for hours.

For mosquito bites, those Afterbite sticks work pretty well if you use them right after the mosquito bites. I think the solution is essentially made of ammonia and baking soda.

Of course, it's better not to get bitten at all. ;D

The clear Benadryl gel, or whatever generic sold by Walmart/Walgreens/whatever works very well. Be sure to get the clear gel stuff. Works well.

Dcarch:
I use Hydrocortisone Lotion USP, 1%.

If I get a bite, I'll try heating it first brfore I apply the lotion.
Or do like Sushipup.

If we are sitting out on the deck at night, I'll turn on the backyard spotlight,
which is about 20 feet up and off to the side.

I'll also turn on the bug zapper, it is about 10 feet away.
LOU

For mosquitoes:

I have found that applying alcohol with a cotton ball as soon as you come inside works to PREVENT itching. I usually just coat my ankles/legs and my wrists/arms with the alcohol assuring I get them all.

I also have curly plastic bracelets that work pretty well to prevent the bites if I remember to put them on before I go outside.

I'm checking out the tennis racket thingy also.

Thanks.

jude

"Interestingly, this drug-free method works like magic. You just use a hair dryer and blow on the itchy area with high-heat setting as hot as you can bear. The itch goes away for four to eight hours. Works for all types of itch, including poison ivy burns. You will not burn your skin with the hair dryer because you are controlling the hair dryer. "

It's not magic - it's biochemistry. First, very hot water will desensitize the nerve endings dampening sensation. Additionally, the chemical that is responsible for the itching, histamine, is released from mast cells and basophils in response to a pathogen. Heat intensifies the release of the granules from these cells and it may take a few hours for the cells to repopulate. I have an awful allergy to poison ivy, in the summer I use a treatment both before and after potential exposure, but if I am exposed to the oils, I dry out the rash with ice cold compresses of water and vinegar, and take hot, hot showers. The heat is intense, but it does relieve the itching for a bit, better than any medicated cream I've tried.

AM

I got six new mosquito bites today. I already had a bee sting and a blister nearby on my ankle. Right this minute the bites are itching me to death. Excuse me while I go grab the hair dryer. Very timely info -- thanks.

I soak poison ivy in salt water. The salt seems to leach out the fluid from the blisters and it dries up faster.

Interestingly the hot treatment doesn't not numb your skin, it just takes away the itch.

This may have something to do with it:

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20071003/hot-chili-peppers-may-relieve-pain

dcarch

No, those are completely different biochemical reactions. Lidocain (a chemical derivative of capsian) works completely differently than the heat from hot water.

I don't have time for any more of a tutorial, final exams are fast approaching.

AM

I don't remember where I found this, but for mosquito bites, put some ammonia on a cotton ball and apply it to the bite. Hold the soaked cotton ball on the bite for at least 5 seconds. Apply a second time if you're inclined. It's been 100% effective for me. I think it helps to NOT SCRATCH the bite before you hit it with the ammonia. Aside from not being as effective, it will hurt like h*ll to put ammonia on broken skin.

dcarch wrote: "Interestingly the hot treatment doesn't not numb your skin, it just takes away the itch. "

I have a hard time deciphering double negatives. I'm not sure what this means. Although, taking a second look at this thread, it's probably not appropriate for this forum. Better off in conversations?

AM

A couple of 200 mg ibuprofin tablets magically removes the itch...like magic. It's an anti inflammatory.
Yes this thread is definitly off topic for the cooking forum. Belongs in conversations.

Absolutely should be in conversations.

Believe it or not, fingernail polish on a mosquito bite works. I guess, living where chigger bites are rampant (I've never had any?!), I was desperate enough to try it. Clear would be best, but I settle for anything that gets it to stop itching.

I agree that this probably should have been posted in Conversations, even though it's tangentially related to food in that it has to do with eating outdoors and making that less troublesome. But the same could be said about the threads on achy feet or hostess gifts, and yet some of the same people complaining about this thread are posting on those without a word about moving them to Conversations. So is it the topic of the post or the identity of the poster that's the real problem? (A rhetorical question, I think.)

I used to buy afterbite, and then started using just ammonia because it's cheaper. I agree that it works best before you scratch and get it all irritated. If I swab my legs just after coming inside, the itch usually doesn't bother me, even if I jump right in the shower. I wonder if it breaks down the mosquito saliva. That hair dryer trick is good to know for really nasty ones or if I miss the ammonia window. I hate being itchy!

I haven't posted on the other threads, but I had the same thought as you. They can all be moved over there, it'd be ok with. I don't see having them yanked or admonisments, but moved.

Anyone have good suggestions regarding moths or weevils in the pantry in rice and other grains and cereals? The only thing I do is periodically discard everything, clean and start over. But moths and weevils come back in sooner or later with restocking. Apparently all those products always contain a certain amount of insects or their eggs.

Jim

The reasons for posting this thread here in "Discussions" were:

1. I thought controlling moths in imported rice was a major issue (for me at least) and germane to cooking.

2. I saw many threads talking about picnics, eating outdoors, cooking outdoors and I thought that insect control as well as itch control would be useful information.

3. I thought itch management without medication is a consideration for all, and critical for some and not too many would visit the "Conversations" section of this Forum.

I am sorry, but not surprised, that my thinking turned out to be flawed. I thank those of you who are always so vigilant, and pointed this out to me.

Thank goodness we have "Conversations". I hate eating moth eggs.

I will skip later to "Conversations" to clarify one minor point regarding this topic.

Please wait until I get there to continue this inappropriate "Conversation".

See you there.

dcarch

Nail polish works on chigger bites because the chiggers are actually still IN YOUR SKIN and the polish suffocates them. I don't know if it works on mosquito bites but if it does, it won't be for the same reason.

Well, human blood is food for mosquitoes, so the topic definitely has to do with the preparation of food. ;-)

So what do you think the reason is? Because nail polish absolutely works. Maybe blocking the ambiant air (Oxygen?) and whatever the mosquito bite "injects"? EW! I live on the water (and almost three months ago, in the water!), and we have more mosquitoes than most anyplace I know.

I still say, try the alcohol. It's cheap, painless and it never fails me if I use it as soon as I come inside. Mosquitoes adore me.

jude

Kind of makes sense to me. . . in the lab, a lot of things are dissolved pretty well by several different organic solvents (acetone, alcohol, benzene, ammonia, whatever). There seems to be a lot of overlap, and there are probably solvents in nail polish that act similarly to alcohol and ammonia.

Ah. Ok, I'll buy that Jessica. I have tried the alcohol (it's great for poison ivy! Especially if you wash with drying soap beforehand), but as soon as it evaporates, it can start again. The fingernail polish has more staying power. I only need to remove it the next day; most of it comes off in the shower anyhow.

What is the name of the tennis racquet bug swatters? My kids would love those...

"Posted by blueiris24 ---What is the name of the tennis racquet bug swatters? My kids would love those... "

If you seach eBay "fly swatter" you will see hundreds.

It makes a very gratifying "pop" sound when it fries a fly. Kids like that very much.

Just make sure they don't eat the BBQ fly.

dcarch

For house flies, which tend to get into places which protect them from being swatted, such as window frames, curtains and lamp shades, a Dust Buster is a good weapon. Just hold it near them and press the button.

Jim