For chiggers, we have used apple cider vinegar with great success. Reapply when it itches, in a few days itching stops.

I'd take a benadryl and if it's not better tomorrow, go to a walk-in clinic and have it checked.

Thank you. It wasn’t chiggers, I had them before, they didn’t hurt. I will keep the vinegar in mind for that though. My daughter had them two years ago and about went crazy. She used the Vick’s mixed with salt. Made for messy sheets and didn’t work that well.

I have used vinegar and it stopped the itch. Have no idea what caused the bite. If you are itching try the vinegar, if that does not work in 10 minutes try the baking soda. Neither would cause a problem. Maybe a few ice cubes in a zip bag for a short time would make it feel better over all.

If it's itchy and seems like an allergic reaction, take the recommended dosage of an antihistamine for a few days.

take an onion and slice it, like in to onion rings. Put it on the stinging part, secure with a bandana or something like that. Really helped me, but I sure didn't smell nice. LOL

Friend of mine suggested bleach, when it first happens, but I had used vinegar, which seemed to help. But later, I was swelling and itching and the onion helped tremendously.

Moni

The only vinegar I have at home is the white one, so I will try the onion next. Going to take a Benadryl at bed time if needed, that’s the only time I can take that stuff. Even the non drowsy knocks me out. I honestly can deal a lot better with pain than itching. Thought about taking a bucket with vinegar, stick the foot in, add baking soda and let the volcano do it’s work. Done whining now. I think.

When I was stung behind the ear by a black and white (bald-faced) hornet, my public health nurse friend said Advil, Benadryl (swallow both, don't rub them on) and ice - and she added do it right now! Right now was already a few hours after the fact, I wasn't feeling especially well by the time I called her. Next time I'll know.

Or rather, next time, I bit the bullet and called a pest control to come and remove the nest from my cherry tree. I did not feel like risking an after dark climb up a ladder to attempt it myself, and the nest was hanging directly over where a friend often chooses to park in our circular drive.

Wet tobacco. Odest son got into a yellow jacket nest, his head was covered. My brother put wet tobacco all over his scalp no signs of stings after that.

I don't find that Xyzal or Zyrtec make me sleepy but everyone is different. Benadryl (a very old antihistamine) definitely has this effect, we used to give it to our kids to quiet them down for car rides and plane flights.

A paste of baking soda (a base) and water neutralizes the formic acid in bee stings. Bases neutralize acids. Leave it on the sting and keep it wet for at least 15 minutes.

Ammonia will neutralize a mosquito bite.

Antihistamines regulate your body's reactions but do nothing for the chemical injected into your skin by the insect.

Teri Lynn, where does one find wet tobacco this time of the day? I should really stock up on some stuff. I am outside for hours every day in the garden. I do wear mosquito/ tick repellent, but otherwise everything else has been nice to me.

Iris, what is your general location?

It's ' red, swollen, and warm from the ankle to the knee' ? Spider bites sometimes affect me like that. My first ever fire ant stings did that to me, too.

Get to a doctor tomorrow unless considerably improved. Please!

I use a meat tenderizer with papain or bromelain, mixed with water and applied immediately to the sting or spider bite. The enzymes dissolve the toxin proteins but needs to be applied promptly.

Rhizo, Georgysmom are right. If red from ankle to knee, please go to the doctor very soon. My mother had cellulitis from an insect bite and was the sickest she had ever been, very high temp and red as you describe. Can be very dangerous!

Hope it doesn't happen again, but if it does immediately snip a piece of your Aloe plant and smear it on. My son got in a nest of wasps when cleaning eaves of pine straw, and was bitten terribly on his thighs, We quickly smeared them with fresh Aloe juice, and it was all over in just a few minutes.

I went to the Dr. the day after I was bitten. A friend was very insistent. I was humoring her but didn't plan on going. I'm not one to act immediately on things. I finished lunch and was heading out to do some errands but for some unknown reason, I turned around and headed to Urgent Care. Good thing, because my friend was right. I had cellulitis (never heard of it before). Since my experience, I've heard of many instances. My friend said her husband waited about a week and when he went to the Emergency Room he said do something, cut off my arm if you have to. That's how painful it was. I had no pain, just very red and itchy but it was caught early. You do not want to wait. If it's red and swollen go immediately to the doctor!

Thank you all for the advise. Still itchy, the swelling is down some. 2 sting/ bite marks showed up overnight. Didn’t see them before. Will see how it is tomorrow. Didn’t think anybody is interested in seeing my pale legs, otherwise I would take a picture.

Two sting marks close together....like the fangs of a spider?

No, just some yucky pimple looking things about 3 inches apart.

Sounds a little better then. If those bite marks get red, or the area around them starts to look rashy, or blistered - you will call the doctor though, won't you?

Warning, pale leg picture coming up. I really think it’s not too bad anymore. Just itchy.

Could it have been a spider bite?

I really have no idea. I walked around the grass (more like weeds) when there was suddenly kind of a burning pain. Kind of shook my leg, then rolled up the pant leg, but didn’t see anything. Went inside, washed it and put Benadryl cream on.

Iris, I don't know if you were being sarcastic or really asking. Get a tin of tobacco, wet it as needed and apply to affected area.

I don't think Iris was being sarcastic. I don't even know what "wet tobacco" is. And, I smoke! (Trying to quit ... again!)

Just put a cigarette into water, make a paste, and apply?

Are you referring to a tin of chewing tobacco?

Iris, the bite on the inner part of your left shin looks identical to my brown recluse bite that happened in the spring also. They are out and about in the lawn breeding during late spring. Please do have it looked at. I have a large pit left where my bite was and it took months to heal, even with antibiotics.

For stings and bites, we always used "black salve" which is actually Ichthammol Ointment. It draws the venom out of the bite and eases it almost immediately. We put a bandaid on it only to keep the salve in place and keep it from getting on clothing.

I haven't seen it mentioned in the above posts, but for itching of bites, there is a product called "After Bite" available in drugstores, Walmart, etc. It works wonders for the itching.

Iris, I asked about your general location for a reason, wondering if you live in fire ant territory. Your reaction and the pimple-like pustule are symptoms of fire ant stings. Fire ant stings are painful, from the initial stabbing for several hours after. The itching can be awful.

I don't react like that anymore, but vividly recall my first experiences, when my leg swelled up like crazy, the sting site became red and hot. I developed a slight fever for a day, as I recall.

Shortly after that first encounter, I was told about the meat tenderizer treatment and have never been troubled since. I use it for mosquito bites, too.

Terilyn, I really wasn’t sarcastic. Hearing leaf I automatically think plant. I have Jewelweed growing for Poison Ivy, so that’s where my mind went.

My father was driving my grandmother back to Arkansas in the days before AC in cars. A bumble bee flew into the car and stung my father on his bald head - VERY painful. It's a wonder he didn't wreck the car. He was smoking a cigar at the time, and my elderly old "country" grandmother, too him to bite off a piece and hand it to her. She chewed it up well and then took a hanky and put the poultice in the hanky and told my father to put it on his head. He did so and the pain went away, no swelling or any other affect later. Don't think I could have done that, but at one time said grandmother did "dip snuff".

Anglophilia, what a great story! Rhizo, sorry, I didn’t notice that for some reason the location that is usually showing up after my name disappeared. I am in Upstate South Carolina. I get ant bites often, but other than odorous and Carpenter ants, I can’t really tell them all apart. Probably didn’t have the fire ant bites before though. The ones I get just itch for a little while and just a tiny bump.