Mosquitos...Help!--How To Stop the Bug Bites!

The mosquitoes love my 2-year-old son but I hate spraying mosquito spray on him. It's so sticky and no telling what kind of chemicals are in. I read on the internet that the dryer sheets work. I've just been putting a dryer sheet in his pocket or even the back of his diaper if he is playing in the water and it seems to work. I went for a walk last night and put one in my pocket and gave one for my dad to put in his. I even put one in the pocket on the back of the stroller. No bites. I just buy the store brand dryer sheets so it's an inexpensive, simple solution. You might even keep a few dryer sheets in their beds. That way, you don't have to try to remember to spray something on them at night.

As far as comfort, I usually put some topical Benedryl on the bite.

Hello J.,
My daugter also had the same problem with mosquito bite and I was recommeneded a spray called Silver Hydrosol which can be applied to the bite. Becasue of the spray neither the bite will swell nor the kid will feel itchy. The same is available in Whole Foods in Plano.
Here is the website for the same. www.sovereignsilver.info

Two of my kids are allergic to mosquito bites and get the same reaction to a bite. I spray then with Avon Bug Guard, which is also a sunscreen, everytime they go outside. For inside problems, I use Avon Skin So Soft Oil. It's good for their skin and helps to keep them bite free. My one son has been so swollen this year he has been on prednisone to help control the itching and swelling. These Avon products work really well and I can even help you obtain some since I am an Avon Rep. Call me if I can get you something. ###-###-####
Thank you,
J.

This is the best remedy yet! I found this in a health magazine of some kind.I had been inside in the summers at night for many years because mosquitos LOVE me. My husband has never been bitten. I now take B-1 every day. It is cheap and evidently it goes out through your skin and makes you unappetizing to them. It is great! I haven't been bitten in 2 1/2 years since I started taking it. It is not expensive and as a bonus, my nails are not breaking off anymore either! I guess B vitamins are good for that too. I have shared this with several friends over the last few summers and it has worked the same on all of them! Makes the whole summer night situation so great, you won't believe you suffered so many years with mosquitos.

J.,

Seems like spraying outside the house would help.

I use Garlic Barrier, a natural mosquito killer. It works great. It is non-toxic. Attach to hose and spray everything. KILLS THEM! Safe for people, kids and pets. Contains nothing but garlic. You need to reapply every few weeks. I order it online. I think it is now available through a company called Gemplers. Just google it.

I would strongly advise against any commercial product available at Home Depot or Lowes. These products are neuro-toxic, ESPECIALLY for children. Be careful.

There are also natural mosquito repellents available at health food stores. Aloe vera gel soothes the skin. So do other things like calendula. We have a natural product called Sting Stop.

But preventing the bites seems like a better route for the kids, poor things!

Good luck.

J.
I had a similar problem with flys about a month ago. The listerine didn't work for me. Below is the recipe that worked for me. I sprayed it all over my house, around doors, driveway & back yard. Also can be sprayed on dogs. I cut the recipe in half & mixed it in a plastic bottle & then poured it in a spray bottle.

Natural Flea, Fly, Mosquito & Tick Repellent
1 cup Avon Skin so Soft
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Eucalyptus or Citronella oil (health food store)
Shake well before each use.

We got the recipe from: www.alldogsgym.com

Best of luck. Let me know if it works for you too.

I am a believer of Skin so Soft so when we found this recipe I wanted to try it. Use skin so soft in the bath water just before getting out. I heard this keeps bed bugs & Spiders off also.

It's almost impossible to prevent any of these pests entering your home - they gain access by landing on someone walking in, or buzzing around the door and getting sucked in when it opens. If it is a persistant problem, make sure that you don't have standing water under your house, that they are not getting in some other way.

To prevent your kids from getting bit, you can use pure vanilla extract. Use it like you would a perfume - dab it on all of their pulse points (wrist, neck, behind the knees, crooks of the arms). Vanilla is incredibly effective, as is garlic - but the little ones don't always care for the smell of garlic.

Make sure you've eliminated all standing water sources to cut down on the breeding in your yard - front and back. We play outside a lot, and use either jars of minced garlic (scatter around the play area) or granulated garlic - like you would get in the spice section of the store (Tones). There is also a product called Skeeter Defeater - you attach the spray bottle to the hose and spray around the perimeter of your house - this is an all natural, organic, safe product. We use it whenever we are having barbeques or outdoor parties and need more coverage.

Also - there is a product on the market called "Cactus Juice". It comes in both a lotion and a spray and is great for kids because it is not toxic, but it works like a champ against all biting insects (and has a natural sunscreen in it as well). We use this on our little one when camping.

Biggest thing to remember - all of the OFF products have neurotoxins in them and are danerous and toxic. These are alternative that are very effective, but most importantly - safe for you, your children, even your pets.

my 3 year old when biten, the bites would swell up the doctor said this an allergic reaction, I would give her benadryl for the swelling until I discovered some good stuff at Whole Foods which is all natural. For the bites I would use Nelson's Sting Gel and we would spray on her Jason's Quit Bugging Me to prevent the bites and it works very good. These are all natural products that are not sticky or have that weird smell, I would stay away from the toxic junk, our kids are so young and do not need exposure to chemicals.

Hi J., In the past I have used CORTAID on the bites and it has taken the sting out of the bite immediately also if you live near a feed store like MARSHALL GRAIN on Lancaster they have a product that is used in barns around cows and horses that help get rid of flies and mosquitoes,you put it around the porch or play area [it is granular] and it keeps them away from your yard. That's great for when you have BBQ's too. Always check to see if you have any standing water in or near your yard which is just what you don't need because of breeding .Hope this info helps! S.

There are so many great ideas here. I didn't see anyone mention the item we use for bites though. We get a product called StingEze. You purchase it in sporting stores or in the camping dept of Wal Mart or Target. I like the gel stick because it is less messy but you can't always find it - it sells out quickly. There is also a liquid. It dries fast, so it's not that bad. It is a miracle worker. My husband and daughter are human bug lights - all the mosquitos swarm to them. We've used StingEze for a few years and it stops the itch right away. We never found anything else to work as well.

Hi J.,
I came upon a remedy accidentally. The mosquitos usually bite me regularly, but I have been using Organics Bulgarian Lavender hand and body lotion and I have not been bit! The lotion is 100% vegan and contains essential oil of lavender. You can find it at your local grocery store (except Wal Mart) in the specialty section of lotions and potions. It costs about $9 and lasts a long time, plus it smells wonderful!
H.

There are several gardening/plant companies that have "shoofly" plants that supposedly discourage mosquitos. Try Burpee or DirectGardening.com - they look like Geraniums - maybe in pretty pots on either side of your backdoor would help a lot. It's worth a try! (I searched for an example - here's one: http://directgardening.com/detail.asp?pid=1099)

For the poor babies who are so sensitive to the bites, definitely offer oral Benadryl. Diphenhydramine is very effective and pretty much impossible to overdose on (but follow the dosing instructions, obviously!). Also, I bought a set of jewelweed products a few weeks ago when my 8-year-old had poison ivy that took FOREVER to clear up (set included soap, salve, spray). It helped her quite a bit, and it's supposed to work on lots of other skin problems - incluing bug bites - just as effectively. I got mine from a company called Alternative Nature (altnature.com). The website is amazingly informative, and their shipping is ridiculously quick.

FYI, I have NOTHING to do with this company! I am just a customer who found their products useful.

Here's a link to the page that lists the products: http://store.altnature.com/poivre1.html. There is a 2oz tin of salve for around $10-$12 that will probably last until the end of time! It comes with a free sample of the soap (best to use them together). Poke around a bit, there is coupon information. Try this: http://store.altnature.com/enthincocobo.html

And best of all, this stuff does not smell weird or nasty or sting the babies' skin (hopefully they haven't scratched the top off any of the bites)!

Hope some of this helps!

This might sound crazy but this idea was sent to me by a friend who I told about the mosquitos around here and how painful their bites are. Take a spray bottle and fill with original Listerine. Spray the outside of your doors and windows. It will not stain. There is something about the smell that keeps them at bay. Also make sure there are no standing areas of water around or close to your door or windows. With the listerine, you can use it daily if you want. As for the bites, I have given my children benadryl itch sticks. They take the sting of the bite away almost immediately. It helps to keep the swelling down and help with itching.

We have been there! We use Off Skintastic-Family care.(not the one with DEET but with Picaridin)to repel the mosquitos. It works very well. On rare occasions where I forget to spray my daughter and she gets bitten, we use hydocortisone cream on the bites to prevent them from swelling horribly. We also use oral Benadryl if necessary and Tylenol or Children's Motrin for pain and swelling if needed. Usually if we get the hydrocortisone cream on the bites right after they happen we don't need the other meds as much. This is what her doctor told us to do. My daughter reacted so horribly to bites in the past that we had to take her to the doctor for the resulting pain and swelling. Her entire arm or leg would swell up, turn red, hard, and hot, and hurt her terribly. We also bought Deep Woods Off but we do not use that one regularly. We only use it if we are actually near the woods and I usually spray just her clothes with that (and her skin with the other one) unless the mosquitos are really swarming. We used to use Skin so Soft from Avon. It works fairly well when there are just a few mosqitos around, but I once used that alone in a forested part of South Florida on a summer night, and was horrified to see my daughter literally covered in the bugs within seconds of stepping outside. She got covered in bites. That was the worst time yet. 16+ bites on her arms, legs, and face within a minute or two before I got her back inside and applied the Deep Woods stuff. I am very careful since then about which products I use. If you do use any Benadryl sticks or creams on your children's bites, make sure that you do not also give them any oral antihisamine medicine while you are using those products. That includes Benadryl itself, as well as many cold medicines for children. If they are getting Benadryl on their skin and orally too, they can overdose on the antihistamine. We don't use anything but hydrocortisone on her bites, and that can be combined with oral Benadryl if necessary. That's just our personal choice. I hope this helps.
Best Wishes,
E.

Hi J.-

I was at a campout in early May near Joe Pool lake and
everyone was getting eaten up by mosquitoes. We sprayed
children and adults with Arbonne Awaken Body Mist and not
one more mosquito or bug entered our campsite. It was amazing. The great thing is that the body mist is natural oils from clover, ginseng and and birch extracts- no chemicals or DEET, so it's safe for kids.

If you are interested, I can order it for you.

J. S.
Hm: ###-###-####
____@____.com

Sol-U-Mel, Tough&Tender and T36-C5 Works wonders and is safe for the family and environment. Let me know if you have any questions. I don't distribute the products, but I do teach others how to shop in a way that is healthier for their family and the environment. There are great specials this month. Let me know if you are interested.

H. M.

I am one of those people that the mosquitos will bite no matter what! Everyone around me won't get a single bite, but I get gnawed on! Anyway, I use Off and it helps. I know that's not the politically correct answer, but it works on me. As for the bites...the absolute best stuff I have ever found is BURT'S BEES BUG BITE. It's a green stick, looks like a thick chapstick and runs $5 at Target. I am so sold on the stuff that we have 2 sticks on hand at all times and I have told every family member about it. They have all since tried it and gone out and bought their own! It takes the itch right out. I'm also allergic to ant bites and it relieves the pain from those. Good stuff!

We spray our entire yard with: Cutter Bug Free Backyard. http://www.cutterinsectrepellent.com/ProductCategories/Ba... Attach it to your hose and cover th whole yard especially any bushes or places that will stay damp and cool. It's used every 30 days, but it works so well that I can keep my doors open to my patio area - where I keep my house plants - and we rarely have an issue. You'll find it at Home Depot or Lowe's.

To prevent mosquitos you can spray your yard and doors and windows with some kind of bug stuff, for the yard I have even heard of people spraying skin so soft from Avon on their yard, and bathing their kids in it, to keep them away. If they do get bit it sounds like their allegic and may need benidril to feel better.

My daughter is allergic to mosquito bites. We have a prescription anthistimine that helps after she gets bit. Her peditrician also recommendeds that we buy Sarna Lotion available over the counter. This lotion really helps the itching.
As far as keeping them out I'm going to try the Listerine and the plant. Anything to keep them out!

Hi J.,

Mosquitos are bad in our area, and they seem to get bigger every year. I use a spray I purchased from a Wellness Company that is natural and is free of toxins that we receive warnings about with over the counter products. You may want to check it out; the products have certainly come to my family's rescue many times.
http://www.ahealthcafe.com/reports

Hope this helps,

D.

Poor things! My mother in law go us started on rubbing a bar of soap on the bites. It really takes the sting out of the bite. We like to use the small soaps from hotel stays. Just wet the soap a bit and rub the bar directly on the bite. That should make them feel better. :> I have also tried taking benedryl and applying ice packs. Hope that helps!

J.,
I'm not sure how to keep them OUT..but if they do get in or your kids are outside & prone to mosquito bites...I have found the Arbonne Awaken Aromatherapy Spray is AWESOME at keeping them away. It smells great, botanically based, SAFE for the kids. Just spray on arms/legs/ & even face..with eyes closed of course. It is also great for adults..wakes you up for the day & "set's your makeup!!" Give it a try.
Val
V..myarbonne.com

This happened to my son. A lone mosquito struck in the night about 15 times and all the bites swelled up big and red and he even got a fever. We took him to the doc and got a cortisone (prescription cream) to put on it and it really helped! Benedryl will stop the itch too. As for the mosquitos getting in, I don't know what to say on that except the obvious...go in and out of the house quick, etc. Hope this helps!!!

Not so sure on how to prevent them from coming in but... I use skin so soft at night to help keep them away from my daughter. She is allergic (as am I) and they seem to find her more than anyone in the house. She seems to be covered in bites already and summer just started. I use Aveeno cream to stop the itching, or cortisone cream and then give Benedryl as needed when they get really swollen. My daughter is 2 and she will scratch them until they bleed (as did I when I was young) so the doctor said to keep an eye on them and if they get too bad I should bring her in because they could get infected. We are on constant watch and she always gets covered in Off or some other bug repelent before she goes outside.

It doesn't help now but it will get better as they get older. I was the same way when I was little, once they are able to control themselves from scratching (mind over matter) than they won't be so bad. Until then keep ALOT of cream and Benedryl around, I have it in every diaper bag and my purse so I am always ready.

The hand held Raid spray for mosquitos, spray the screen doors insides and tops of the outside entrances doors and underneath on the outside of the doors up and down ..so you won't have to inhale the poisons
We once had fleas on the inside and we had to out to visit out of town relatives or kill just several hours away and let the defogger type spray go and then turn the fan on immediately on arrival the central air unit to fan only for awile to gyrate the smells.
Sincerely,
Mrs. B.

We have the same problem with mosquitos. We spray our yard a couple times during the spring and summer and it seems to help alot. I'm pretty sure its call otha max it kills alot of other insects as well. I have my husband spray at night so by morning the residue is gone and my animals can go outside.

One thing to keep in mind is that mosquitos only travel 100 to 200 feet, so if you own your home (or rent a home) you might want to prevent them from developing to begin with. They only need about 1/2" or less of water to breed. My daughter gets humongous welps when they bite her too. If you use anything to kill mosquitos, the all natural way is best, as the toxic chemicals could be worse for the kids than the bites they are getting.

Hi, I know it's miserable. My daugher cries, 'why do the bugs always bite me?!' ... Maybe you could spray them with insect repellant even in the house if the problem is bad. And I use anti-itch creme to ease the itching.

Avon has a product just for that!

not sure what to do in your exact situation...however, I've heard recently that if you use dryer sheets and rub them over your legs and arms etc. that the mosquito's don't like it....friends do this when they go camping.

Skin so soft bath oil from avon cosmetics will help keep them off the kiddos. Just rub it on them like lotion.

You could get those sticky strips that you hang from the ceiling, and if they land there they stay. These are extemely sticky so be careful when you hang them, don't let your hair get tangled.

Look outside for the source of the mosquitos, maybe there is some standing water somewhere that could be dumped. Garbage cans, flower pots, obviously swimming pools and boats, even tarps can hold water and breed a bunch of bugs.

Best of luck, W.

Lysterine, is a great mosquito repellent, try putting it in a spray bottle, and spraying it around doors and on body it is non-toxic... but, be sure to keep it out of your little ones eyes.

I received something over the internet about spraying Listerine around the outside door facings and windows. I don't know if it works, but it is a cheap method of trying to help. I don't have any of the mosquitoes (yet) but the fleas are about to drive the dog crazy.

Hi. Mosquitos have a very small geographic area where they travel. You need to remove all sources of standing water by your house. Look at pot saucers. If you have a lot of ground cover or dense overgrowth, get rid of it.
Check all your screens and keep door shut.
Hope this helps!
S.

When my daughter gets bites they are miserable and swell and she can't sleep ... you know.
Anyway, at bedtime and naptime I give her baby ibuprofen to keep the swelling and itching down (for her it hurts when it itches) and the rest of the time I treat the spots with an antihistamine anti itch cream whenever they bug her. Yes, I do have to keep a tube in my pocket but if I keep her from itching then she doesn't scratch and the spots heal so much faster.
Oh, you might pick up a couple of cheap fly swatters at the store, one for each kid, and let them run around "smacking bugs." My daughter loves this activity and feels like she's getting some justice for the bug bites. She has actually killed some bugs, too.

use skin so soft bath oil by Avon. take a cotton ball and wipe around your doors and window seals. It works great. There are over 100 uses for the bath oil. email me if you would like the list www.youravon.com/suzannewebb

my 5 year old daughter has the same reaction as your kiddos! This is very frustrating. I ended up having to take her to the Dr. because her bites would get infected and then we really had problems. They gave us a prescribed cream that has cortisone in it. We can only use it up to 2-3 times per day when needed. It is very good. I have heard of several things to help get rid of the mosquitos too. I think one of the best is using Avon's Skin so Soft. It seems to repels the pests and is not harmful at all to children. I have also heard, but not tried, putting Listerine in a spray bottle and spraying it around, especially outside. I hope this will help you some.
B.

I learned this from a physician.

Mosquitos don't like the taste of Vitamin B -- so take V-B regularly, and you won't be bothered. They seldom bite me, but just eat my husband alive. He takes V-B, and it really works.!! Your urine will be a darker yellow -- no problem, just don't be alarmed.
A. Evans

Well, you have more than enough advice. A good natural skin repellant is vanilla. Just put on the key points like behind the ears, wrist and behind the knees. Keeps the pest away and your kiddos smell good enough to eat!

I don't know why but just like with a bee sting, you can make a paste of baking soda and water and put it on the bite. Instant relief.
Try putting eucalyputus branches around the house. You can find a bundle in the fake flower section of WalMart for like $5.00. I am guessing it will work for mosquitos. I know it works for spiders if you put the branches in your window sills and around your doors.
I hate creepy-crawlies. I have eucalyputus everywhere.

It is my understanding when they swell and are warm to the touch that is like an allergic reaction.

We were having the same problem. We put up a screen net across the entrance to the porch. We have just a little 5x5 area in front of our door so it worked great for us. I was also told to give my kids lots of vitamin E. The mosquitoes don't like the way it smells when you sweat. I haven't started the vitamin e yet so not sure how much to give them.

D.
About me: Mommy to 4 boys 16,12,5&4 and a baby girl 2.

Mosquitos love my son and I as well. To help prevent mosqitos, spray your yard (with a hose end sprayer) with brown listerine whenever you water the lawn. To soothe a bite, put Mentholatum on it--the itch and pain disappear almost instantly, and the swelling goes down faster. Good luck!