So itchy I am getting a perverse pleasure from scratching, driving me insane can anyone advise on solutions or treatments Thanks
Sandfly bites How do I prevent and stop the scratching Any info would be appreciated
Sandflies or midges, at least the ones I've had experience with in SE Qld, Aust. (Culicoides molesta) dont tend to bite as much if you have oil or sunscreen on your skin.
I mostly used coconut oil on my skin before venturing into places where midges were bad.
it seemed to reduce the nuber of bites and the severity of skin reaction to them.
some folks would swear by various mixes of Lavender and dettol and baby oil, but I couldn't give you quantities of each that are used.
In a baby oil base a smidge of eucylaptus and a few drops of tea-tree oil help , but this needs to be re-applied evry hour or so
I have noticed that when bitten my mosquitos, if you apply eucalyptus oil to the skin soon after being bitten, the bite will not itch. This will probably apply to sandfly bites too. Up here if you come across sandflies, they are ferocious.
I take it you don't want to use an insect repellent with DEET. I would be using that.
something that I find handy to use on bites (by midges, mozzies or ants) is Aluminium sulphate.
its the active ingredient in 'Stingose' .
I find that a styptic pencil is a more handy, compact form of it.
They're available at some chemists , and are used to stop bleeding of minor cuts as a result of (careless?) shaving.
a deodorant stone (also a form of alum) can give a bit of relief.
Avon Skin So Soft bug guard............also contains sfp30 sunscreen...stops midgies biting and will leave your skin feeling as soft as a babies bum....
sounds as if you have it serious
my old mum had the same and had to go to the doctors to get treated - not sure what she got - but she was allergic to the bites and it got worse the longer she went without treatment
go see a GP
Sandflys and mosquitoes love me and can find me any where and I get big itchy lumps.
I've been taking Vitamin B1 for about 2 years (its about $4.50 and lasts for about 3 months)
Since taking it its not as bad,but I can still get itchy,but a lot less.
I use a bit of aloe and it seem to work.
I try not to be in mozzie and sandfly areas at dusk and dawn and if its not windy.
I also have a citronella scented geranium near where I cook which I give a brush before I start.
I plan on planting cuttings of this in strategic places around my house.
I'm also going to build micro bat boxes
Tansy leaves crushed and rubbed on the exposed skin will repel most bities.
If I get bitten by any insect, the first thing I reach for is cider vinegar. Ordinary vinegar works well, but cider vinegar seems to work a bit better.
Don Hansford
Permaculture Design Warwick P/L
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Light travels faster than sound: This is why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak!
There's a new product that is a patch that transfuses vitamin B1 across your skin that is supposed to repel mosquitoes. It's called the Don't Bug Me Patch (I have no connection with this company; in fact when I sent away for my free trial I never received it, so I can't even tell you firsthand if it works). Don't know if it would repel other biting insects.
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