Bites (mosquitoes, flies, chiggers)
Avoiding Mosquito Bites Naturally
Summer fun is easily ruined by insects. Ask any dermatologist how to avoid mosquito bites and you'll be told that DEET is the answer (New England Journal of Medicine, July 4, 2002). Pediatricians who …
Be Prepared for Summer with The People’s P…
When was the last time you updated your first aid kit? Now that summer is in full swing, it is high time to make sure you are well equipped for any contingency. Besides all the normal equipment, we ar…
Beware Skeeter Syndrome: Mosquito Bites That Won…
We’ll bet you’ve never heard of skeeter syndrome. That’s because most people react to mosquito bites with a red spot and itching that only lasts for a few minutes. At worst, a really nasty mosqu…
How to Prevent and Stop the Itch of Mosquito Bit…
Some people are mosquito magnets. They attract mosquitoes like honey draws flies. A bunch of people can be sitting around the back yard enjoying themselves and not being bothered by mosquitoes. That…
What Are the Risks of Sunscreen and Bug Repellen…
If you spend time outside in the summertime, you'll probably reach for the insect repellent. After all, you don't want to feed bloodsuckers like ticks or mosquitoes. In addition, sunscreen can keep yo…
Do You Need a New Insect Repellent?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worries about diseases carried by mosquitoes and ticks like chikungunya, dengue fever, Zika, Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The best way t…
Show 1174: What to Do About Skeeter Syndrome
Have your summer evenings outside been spoiled by the whine of a mosquito coming in for a bite? How do you deal with the resulting itch? Mosquito bites usually itch for a while and then go away, but s…
Bug Bites that Blister Respond to Hot Water
Most people get itchy bug bites. Mosquitoes, chiggers, fleas, flies, lice, midges and mites can all trigger an itch for a few days. Some people are so sensitive to the saliva of biting insects, howeve…
The Right Clothes Can Protect You from Ticks
Avoiding tick-borne diseases starts with preventing tick bites to the extent possible. Outdoor enthusiasts are turning to a new tactic: the right clothes, which are those coated with permethrin. Testi…
Will Coconut Oil Protect You from Mosquitoes and…
Preventing bites from mosquitoes and ticks could mean side-stepping a serious infection such as West Nile virus or Lyme disease. So it's no wonder people are on the lookout for ways to avoid these bit…
Can You Make Mouthwash Double as Bug Spray?
When biting critters like mosquitoes and ticks carry dangerous diseases, as they often do nowadays, people need to pay close attention to keeping them away. The gold standard for bug repellents is DEE…
How Can You Keep Mosquitoes Away?
Summertime, and the livin' is easy, or so the song goes. (Here's the magnificent Ella Fitzgerald singing it.) But summertime also brings its share of biting insects, and keeping them away is not alway…
Ticks and Mosquitoes Responsible for More Diseas…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes are becoming far more common. New data from 2004 to 2016 shows that such vector-borne diseases…
Licorice Oil Calms the Heat of Fire Ant Stings
What do you do for fire ant stings? As fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) push further north, many more people will have occasion to treat the pain of their stings. Some readers are enthusiastic about vin…
Who Is Right About the Best Mosquito Repellent?
The concern about Zika virus is an excellent reminder that mosquito bites can transmit disease. Even where Zika has not arrived, there are infections such as West Nile virus that is currently very wid…
Unorthodox Home Remedies Ward Off Chiggers or Ea…
Chiggers are the bane of berry pickers, hikers, gardeners and farmers. These tiny, almost invisible mites hang out in grasslands, forests, parks and around berry bushes. They have been called red bugs…
Hot Spoon Soothes the Itch of a Mosquito Bite
Q. I must be especially tasty to mosquitos, since they attack me and leave other folks alone. I have read in your column about hot water to stop itching. I've got a different solution: warm a spoon in…
Joint Remedy Wards Off Fleas
Q. I have always been the one in any crowd of people to whom bugs would flock for a meal. I always thought I just tasted good to them. After an automobile accident about a year ago I started takin…
Catnip Wards Off Mosquitoes and Ticks
Q. Recently you discussed how to avoid ticks and other creepy-crawlies in the summer. Some studies show that catnip oil is as good as DEET in repelling mosquitoes, and geranium oil likewise is effecti…
Tick Bite Leads to Scary Allergy
Tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are quite frightening enough. Since the turn of the 21st century, doctors have begun to recognize a new hazard from tick bites. I…
Hot Peppers Ease Itch of Chigger Bites
Q. I had 38 chigger bites on both my feet. I thought a little burning would be much better than the monumental itching. Capsaicin ointment worked, and there was absolutely no more itching, which somet…
Don’t Trifle with Tick Fever
Q. You have written about ways to remove ticks. My advice to anyone who pulls off a tick is to save it. If you have symptoms, remember to take it to your doctor or the ER. I forgot to take my saved ti…
West Nile Worries Feed Mosquito Phobia
Q. Whenever I turn on the television and see another report about West Nile Virus it scares me to death. I live in Florida and play golf at least three times a week and also work outside in the yard. …