What is the best remedy for itchy insect bites?

Toothpaste.
Serious.
A dab of paste directly on the mosquito bite; minutes later and the itch should be gone.
Works for me anyway.

Worth a shot!

Waiting for results…

Thinking about taking a Benadryl tonight.

A friend introduced me to Rhuli gel, made by Band-aid. It’s a clear gel, so no staining, and it stops itching almost immediately. Rite Aid and Walgreens usually carry it. May the itching go away quickly!

Thanks. Usually I can deal with a bite or two but this has been a full court press. A close by friend just said she’s been getting them too so I don’t feel so alone. :-)

I like the Benadryl spray for bites. I get very good relief from the itch. It might have an antihistamine or cortisone in it (I don’t remember) to actually reduce inflammation. I think it has some sort of numbing like agent, you don’t feel numb, but takes away the itching.

I use cortisone cream if I have nothing else, because I always have that on hand.

For very large areas I would consider old fashioned Calamine lotion.

I like topical benadryl, it does the same job without the sleepies.

Yes. I think I’m going to go to the drug store right now and get Benadryl cream..

I like the spray, I’ve never tried the cream. The spray dries and I don’t worry about it getting on my clothing.

Tea tree oil. Just make sure you test it on your skin first. Don’t put too much on. And just in case you thought you won’t use it for anything else, here is a list of its other great uses. I always have some in the house.

Couldn’t really feel if the toothpaste did much but the Benadryl cream seems to have eased the itching some. I’ll try the tea tree oil next.

Sand flies and mozzies are evil creatures. Try not to scratch the bites, they can become infected.

Yeah – I have a couple of welts from nocturnal scratching.

We use the medicated liquid named Six God. Very effective to reduce the itch and smells refreshing.

Are the bites above and below your knees?

If they’re almost entirely below, it could be flea bites, unless you’ve seen at least a few skeeters dining there.

Along with @Pied_Pfeffer, I also recommend Rhuligel.

This may be a bit extreme for you, but what I did when I used to get flea bites, was scratch them until they bled or secreted histamine(?), dab them with rubbing alcohol, and then apply the gel. The application onto and into the open welt will allow the gel to seep down through most if not all of the bite, and provide some majorly deep itch relief.

I’m going to try to get the Rhuli gel today – the Benadryl isn’t really helping.

@Brian1946 I’m trying to avoid breaking the skin. I don’t think it’s fleas because some are higher although most are around my ankles. And my girlfriend who lives a mile away was also complaining of bites.

Have you recently seen any mosquitoes on the skin around your ankles?

Unless you plan on letting your eventually cooler weather resolve this pest problem, try to occasionally examine your ankle areas. If you see what appear to be tiny dark dots there, and especially if those “dots” move or jump if you try to touch them, then those are fleas.

@Brian1946 No fleas. It’s either no see ‘ums or sand flies .

@Brian1946: Fleas normally won’t stay on humans. They don’t like human blood the way they like animal blood. On a human, they’ll jump on, bite and then jump off. (Fleas are what brought me to Fluther and I did a ton of research on them, in addition to living iwth them for a few weeks until I hired an exterminator, as no home remedy worked).

@jca

Fleas at least occasionally stayed on me long enough for me to see them, especially when I wore lightly colored socks, or didn’t wear any.

I’m going to the doctor this afternoon. Nothing is working except a Benadryl last night allowed me to sleep. More bites seem to be coming out but I don’t see any bugs but some fruit flies in the kitchen.

It’s so uncomfortable being so itchy. I’m glad you got a little relief. I tear open every mosquito bite I’ve ever had I think. I always say I won’t. Are you protecting yourself from getting more bites? Make sure you have your body covered at dusk either with clothing or repellent spray if you’re outside. I swear I think I got a bitten through my legging pants a few days ago.

Did you check for bed bugs? You travel a lot and could’ve picked them up

@chyna I researched bedbugs when my son had them some years ago and this isn’t presenting like them – thank God! Bed bug bites are three or more in a row and bigger.

@Jleslie Yes, trying to avoid getting more.

Make sure there is no still water around your house. That’s where mozzies breed. And put a fan in your room, they don’t like air movement.

Doc didn’t know what kind of bites but he said I have hives as an allergic reaction and that’s what is spreading. Relieved it is not that I am getting more bites. He gave me a prescription strength steroidal cream and told me to take Claritan by day and Benadryl at night.

Glad you got it looked at and hope the medicine helps.

Thanks!