I use regular personal repellant without Deet. I put a bit in my palm and rub it onto my neck, forehead and ears - works well for me. As you know, we have misquitos, chiggars, gnats and noseeums as big as airplanes down here!

I use Off, either the spray or the little wipes and it works for me....My DH needs nothing, the bugs never go near him...He always said, that was from drinking beer but he hardly drinks...I think he's just lucky....
I'm sure there are all kids of tricks....

I've read that spraying the area around where you will be with Listerine works as a repellant.

I take Benedryl at bedtime for several days till the bite goes away and use the Benedryl spray right away. Bug bites get huge and red and hot if I don't.

Cutter Yard spray is good; it's a hose attachment and does a good job of clearing the area of nasties. I also like to just put a dab of ammonia on any bite....works very well.

If we are sitting outside I set up an oscillating stand fan to blow where we are sitting. If we're moving around and playing, I'm at a loss. We use a bug spray on our skin, but we get "bugged" anyway. Taking a cold shower when we come back in after getting some bites helps keep the itching down.

What's the thing for flies? Something about a baggie of water with coins or aluminum foil? I don't remember. I'd like to know b/c the flies are bad around our community pool. We spend hours there and take snacks and the flies are nasty.

Thanks Stephanie for the reminder.I did the bags with foil and water one year and they did help,don't know why i didn't remember that as we get those darn hovering flies on our patio.
When i did it i just used the bags the newspaper came in put in some water and a good size piece of foil,tied them up and hung on the patio.Now i'll have to use zip locs as our paper no longer comes in a bag.
Kathi

Our newspaper ran an article about a week ago on mosquitos and vitamin B1. Apparently they don't like the scent your skin gives off when you have extra vitamin B1 in your system. It is a water soluable vitamin, so any extra flushes from your system.

Also, a friend told us about a product called Therapik for the itch relief. I googled it, and ordered it for a total of $14.95. It uses intense heat applied directly to the bite as soon as possible after bitten to disperse or eliminate the chemical in the bite that makes you itch. I haven't needed to try it yet, and it only came yesterday. You can use it on bee/hornet/wasp stings also. I'll let you know after we get back from Michigan if it works!

Tami

Luckily I don't get many bites, and I use a generic of Caladryl Clear lotion when I do. Woke up with an itchy bite on my knee this morning, put a dab of lotion on it and the itch is gone.

I wonder why some people get more bites than others. Is it perfumes, etc that attracts the bugs?

Sue

Afterwards, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply and let dry. It does take the pain away.

We have had a record number of skitters this year but the culprit I'm dealing with at the moment is ant's in my garden...on the peas especially ...I have to wear gloves to pick them and yesterday I didn't have any close and so today my hands are itching like crazy and I have a half dozen bites...Oh and to answer the question...I use OFF it works good for me...I hate the gnats too.

I find that almost anyone I'm with acts as my repellent. Skeeters are so busy eating them they leave me alone. Used to go camping with friends and they would cover themselves with bug sprays and potions and still get attacked.. I still rarely got bit.

Now when I was a tot I had a sand flea "allergy". I was cover with weals and hives on a regular basis. Maybe I paid my dues back then with my immune system or something.