MOSQUITOES - THE LITTLE SUCKERS

I do not like mosquitoes but they sure as hell like me! For as long as I can remember I have been prime meat for mosquitoes to sink their little proboscises into & draw out a little droplet of my blood. I suppose it has something to do with my skin being fair or easy to pierce or I'm just really susceptible to them. Our unusually hot fall has the little buggers out in force.

The damn little things seem to land on me & bite me without my even noticing. I rarely feel anything when they do their damage. BUT shortly thereafter, the god awful itching will drive me almost insane. I'm guessing I'm a little more allergic to them to most people because the first couple of days I form half inch welts where each bite was made. Hell, that's way bigger than the little suckers that do the biting!

Okay, this description of what happens when a mosquito bites you kind of freaked me out. I had no idea it was this creepy. Here is what I found online: "The mosquito truly is a blood-sucking machine. The thin tube the insect injects into the skin, what's called the proboscis, is actually comprised of six different needles that all work in tandem to extract blood from the body. The first two needles act a bit like teeth. The have tiny ridges at the end that help the mosquito puncture through the skin. A second pair of needles act like clamps during the blood draw, holding the skin's tissues apart to allow the last set of needles to do their work. Among these is a needle that acts like a homing beacon; it finds our blood vessels by detecting the chemicals they give off, and then slurps up the tasty blood inside. The last needle is the real jerk: it injects chemicals into our vessels to stimulate blood flow. But it's also what makes those itchy bumps appear after the mosquito gets its fill and leaves. All of these needles are shielded by a flexible sheath called the labium."  EEEEWWWW!!!!

Now, I know why my mosquito bites itch so damn bad, but I'd sure like to know how to relieve that incessant itching. Years ago I had a tube of ointment called Caladryl that seemed to help ease the itching but I can't find it anymore. It was pink & I'm assuming it was a combination of calamine lotion & Benadryl. I dug around in the cupboard until I finally found the tube. Unfortunately, the little bit that remained was hard as a rock.

Normal hydrocortisone cream only gives minimal relief at best. I bought some liquid Benadryl specifically for insect bites which advertised instant relief from itching - NOT. It turns out that my mom's old remedy of a baking soda & water paste is still the best relief. It doesn't last long but you can keep putting it on as often as needed.

I just looked up "home remedies for mosquito bites" & found lots of things to try:

Oatmeal - it contains potent antioxidants, known as avenanthremides, which reduce inflammation and may calm itch.

Ice cubes - the brain can only process one sensation at a time, hold an ice cube on the bite & the itching will stop as you feel the intense cold.

Yogurt - a great inflammation reducer & the probiotics have skin calming properties.

Aloe vera - squeeze the gel from the leaf onto the bite for its anti-inflammatory benefits.

Honey - apply it directly to the bite for its anti-inflammatory & anti-microbial properties.

Aspirin - dissolve it in water & apply the paste to the bite to calm the itching.

I found our bottle of honey & put a dab on the bite on the top of my foot. It seemed to help slightly but then I accidently rested my opposite foot on top of that one getting honey on the bottom of it. When I walked into the bathroom to wipe it off my foot was sticking to the floor. And I certainly couldn't go to bed with honey on my foot.

The ice cube thing did work temporarily. We'll see how long it lasts. I have an aspirin waiting to be soaked in water & dissolved as the next attempt to stop the fricking itching. It amazes me how a stupid, little flying insect can disrupt your life for a few days!

Does anyone else have something that will ease the crazy-ass itching?