Not sure if this pertains to many of you or not ... i do not get bug bites - sometimes - but not normally - my husband does ... he claims he gets bitten at night, while sleeping and when we are out - i dont know what to do for him - we've vacuumed the mattresses - examined them too -- it's weird that they like him so much and not me .... the thing is - he has gotten so many over the last few years - he scratches and has scars and it's stressing him out --- tonight we were outside for 25 minutes to see fireworks and we got in the car and he felt like he was totally eaten up ...... i would love help with this .... is there something he could eat that they dont like - is it really that some people are prone to this ---- i need to help him .... thanks!!
Insects - especially mosquitoes - LOVE me and 2 of my kids, and ignore my husband and other 2 kids. So annoying.
Taking a vitamin B1 (not a multivitamin or B Complex) every day really helps. It makes people smell less yummy to bugs.
Vitamin B2 and garlic has helped me the most . . . I have the same problem as your husband.
Chemical makeup is what attracts them, we're each different and some people, like your husband, unfortunately smell good to bugs.
Poor guy, has he ever tried Skin So Soft bath oil in the original Woodland scent by Avon? It truly has something in it that repels bugs and insects of all types, it repels bees and wasps from me so it's highly effective, yay! I have it in a spray bottle and spritz myself and rub it in when I'm going to be out where their might be buzzing insects, works great for repelling mosquitoes as well. If the oil is too much for him have him try the lotion, it has the same basic ingredients and may provide enough to keep them away.
You can purchase it online if you don't know a representative:
http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?src_page=product_l...
I am the same way as your husband. Have been since I was little. My parents never believed me that I wasn't really scratching my bites, because they oozed so quickly and scabbed up. I looked like I had chickenpox all summer long....every summer.
Now my youngest is the same way. She was bit on her sweet little cheek early May. I can still see the bite. She never really scratched it.
I've heard B12 works for mosquitoes, and I do eat a LOT more garlic than I used to. I have about 80% less bites than I used to.
I also seem to get more bites at night, but we have a year old mattress. I wonder if he is bitten and they swell overnight or he is carrying a bug in with him.
I've also been told that the scars that are left will dissopate over a year or two and are not true scars. Thank goodness. I'd have more than you could ever count.
Perhaps your husband should visit with a dermatologist and nutritionist.
Lots of people say taking B vitamins helps to ward off bugs. It has worked for me & Mom. We went zip lining in the jungle where there were lots of mosquitos and not a single bite. I've another friend who said it didn't work for her. It's worth a try though.
Also, if spraying toxic DEET all over his skin isn't up his alley - essential oils like lavender (so manly), citronella, and I think tea tree oil are all good for warding off bugs. Get the purse EO and mix it with a base oil like Olive or Almond oil and then just spread it on like he would a lotion. Lavender can be applied 'neat' - meaning directly on the skin. You can also get a spray bottle and mix a little EO with water and spray it on the skin.
Tell him to start eating garlic, bugs don't like it. You can also pick up some tea tree oil and/or lavender oil and mix a few drops (each or together) with a once or two of water and spray it on him.
Bugs are attracted to your scent so they must like him. The typical bug sprays make us invisible to bugs. The problem is that they are loaded with chemicals. There is a bug repellent from California Baby that is all natural and Coleman (the camping gear maker) also makes one that is mostly natural.
Your hubby needs to eat some more garlic! It's a natural deterrent because bugs don't like the smell! Bugs are attracted to smell, and yes, some people absolutely smell more delicious to them than others (my husband gets bitten a lot less than I do). When you're out of the house, make sure he has bug-spray, but in the bed and such, garlic is a good treatment.
Well I put OFF on the bottom area of my legs to start with. nats etc love the grass and go after your lower legs. Vinegar will take the sting out so put a bit of that first.
Cortisone cream. I'm battling fleas right now and both my daughter and husband are apparently delicious. I on the other hand seem fine...maybe they don't like pregnant ladies?
For after the fact, you'll see the welts, my daughter's looked like she has chicken pox some nights, I usually just spot treat with the cream at night, during the day she get's pink polk-a-dots and gets to run around "nude" in the "safe" areas of the house. Calamine lotion is her preference. You can try to prevent the bites, an Avon Skin-so-Soft bath before you do an outside activity could help.
Good luck.
It may be that you eat something that repels the bugs so they don't bite you. It may be that you wear socks that come up higher than his. Who knows?
I think if he is getting so many that he is getting scars he surely needs to take a 1/4 to a 1/2 dose of Benadryl. I would not take a full dose each time, half a dose should stop the itching enough to make it tolerable. Not enough to stop all the other stuff and knock him out every time just enough to stop or reduce the itching enough to make it livable.
Sounds like there is something going on in the bed though. I would cover the mattress with a plastic mattress cover that zips then put a new mattress pad over that and freshly washed sheets that were washed in super hot water, bleached, and then dried on high.
It might prevent him from getting bitten again. When he is feeling the bites i would grab a flashlight, flip back the sheets, and see what is in the bed.
It may be time to consider buying a new bed too.
Bugs love me and our son. Our daughter got hubbies blood so she's pretty safe from bites. Our son on the other hand swells worse than I do and ends up with huge blisters. I feel awful for him when he gets bit. I will use off if we are outside at dusk to keep mosquito's away. If we do get bit then I put deodorant on the bite, it totally takes the sting/itch out. My mom read it on Ann Lander's in the 70's. It's worked for me my whole life, almost 40 years. =)
Mosquitos love me too. And chiggers. And anything else that bites.
For the skeeters, I suggest getting an OFF! Fan. They're WONDERFUL. I love mine and use it all the time. I hate spraying on stinky bug sprays. This works and doesn't smell.
For in and around your home....call an exterminator/pest control expert. Have them come out and do a full treatment of your home, inside and out. Usually one treatment is enough to last half a year (regardless of what they tell you or try to sell you). I do barrier sprays around the house and then they spray for mosquitoes outside (in bushes, trees, grass, under patios). It makes SUCH a difference and it's SO worth the cost.
Once bitten, treat with Cutter Bite MD for mosquitoes: http://www.amazon.com/Cutter-Insect-Relief-Stick-HG-95614...
Or Campho Phenique for chiggers: http://www.amazon.com/Campho-Phenique-Antiseptic-Pain-Rel...
