I spent the weekend outside….the upside, my garden has a beautiful new split rail fence surrounding it….the downside….my face (specifically my chin and neck), arms, legs, scalp and even my back (biting through my shirt) are covered with the itchiest swollen welts you have ever seen. I am a bug magnet — I take it for the team….my husband who was by my side the whole weekend, has but 2 bites that he got late Sunday afternoon….Ugh.
I have optimistically plunked down over 70 dollars to buy a whole case of crocodile insect repellent made just north of here in Keene, NH. I am hoping this is the non-DEET savior that I seek. Besides the fact that OFF simply didn’t work against the Black Flies this weekend, the stuff horrifies me…I don’t like the smell, the way it feels on my skin or the thought of loading myself and my little people up with unknown and probably harmful chemicals. I was spurred by the list of testimonials on the crocodile site and by this impassioned reference from About.com editor Dawn Hawthorne the Florida travel guide….she should know right?
I will let you know if it is all it is cracked up to be….but I am hopeful that the extract of Rosemary, Sage, Feverfew, Wormwood, Lavender, and Thyme in Eucalyptus, canola and caster oils will be be as good as it sounds. In the mean time, does anyone have a good remedy for two day old (and worsening by the minute) black fly bites on your face?
I am a bug magnet, too, and get 10 bites for every 1 someone else gets. The BEST thing I have found that always works is taking garlic oil supplements. They have to be the gel pills that have actual garlic oil in them — NOT the tablets that promise “no odor” — as the point is to stink a little.
Evidently mosquito’s don’t like the smell/taste of the garlic oil that is secreted through one’s sweat glands into the skin. I personally don’t mind the smell of garlic at all, and neither does my husband, so this is a great solution for me. Bonus: taking garlic oil supplements is good for you. Oh, and I believe it repels vampires, too. =*)
Just a tip in case the crocodile stuff doesn’t work out or proves too nasty to deal with.
BTW, I have recently discovered your blog and am loving it; we’re in the process of figuring out a hardscape for our backyard and the stuff you share has been really inspirational. Thanks!
Gina
Oh, and one more thing — put Neosporin on your wounds; I find it helps immeasurably in bringing down the swelling. That, though, is for mosquito and flea bites — I am not familiar with black flies (I’m a Pacific Northwest girl). The aforementioned garlic is also for mosquito bites, but after doing a quick Google search it appears garlic is also effective against black flies too…evidently it is the sulfur garlic contains that acts as a natural repellent. Good luck!
Thanks Gina! I will have to give that a try!
Take the sting and swelling away with this remedy for mosquito and black fly bites.
Make a poultice of basil leaves in the palm of your hand by crushing and rubbing them until the juices are exuded. Rub this poultice on your bites. Voila. You couldn’t get more natural and it works like magic. I even use it on my pets.
Not that this helps you now, but for mosquitoes, I’ve also heard that taking B vitamin helps. it’s the same theory, that the smell repels the bugs.
A wonderful remedy for bites (and for beautiful skin!) is hydrated Bentonite clay. Just spread it on skin and let it dry, then wash out.