Kitchen Garden Forum

I keep a bottle of malt vinegar on my allotment and at the first sign of a sting from insects or nettles I splash vinegar on the site. It stings like hell for a few moments and then the pain goes away along with the itching. It's sometimes necessary to dab more vinegar on later in the day, but often one application will do. This has worked for everything up to wasp stings.

I find that eating a lot of garlic keeps all sorts of pests away

Inlcuding the 2 legged kind I should think to Chantel!!!

Good tip about the vinegar I shall remember that one. - thanks.

Beryl.

Chantal wrote:I keep a bottle of malt vinegar on my allotment and at the first sign of a sting from insects or nettles I splash vinegar on the site. This has worked for everything up to wasp stings.

The only problem is that I haven't felt anything bite and the bites only start to itch some hours later usually once I am home again.

I always remember being told to remember AB and VW (ammonia for bee stings and vinegar for wasps). Something to do with neutralising the sting acid for a wasp and alkali for a bee sting.

I'm itching like mad reading this post.
Regards & scratches, Gerry.

Hi,
You are not alone out there - I am bitten from head to toe and it means that when everyone else is baring their legs mine are covered. I did read somewhere that Avon - Soft and Fresh Dry OIl Bondy Spray is meant to be very effective - even the Marines use it! Not sure if you can still get it. Frontlined the dog and cat again and even considered doing myself!
Apart from midges and everything else we have a plagued of horseflies and of course I have been stung twice by wasps this year alread. Thank god for Piriton.
Hilary

Hi Glallotments,
Our way to remember how to treat Wasp and Bee stings is Bicarb for Bee's and Winegar for Wasps!
JB.

Sounds like me remembering warp and weft, weft goes from weft to wight.

Johnboy wrote:Hi Glallotments,
Our way to remember how to treat Wasp and Bee stings is Bicarb for Bee's and Winegar for Wasps!
JB.

Probably smells better than ammonia too! Good job bees don't tend to sting!

Who's going to be the first to mention stalactites?

Not sure why this one wasn't forwarded to me.

Reply from Boots - I don't have to strip off to apply the insect repellent - they say its just that it sometimes stains fabric - so why didn't they say that on the tube?

I guess it's fear of being sued - everyone is frightened to death of that. Don't know why they sell anything just in case! Soon the packaging will grow to enormous proportions to allow them to print the disclaimer - then they'll be taken to task for excessive packaging!!

If you miss the early vinegar application, I find that Olbas Oil, liberally applied to the bite will take away the itch for a good long time. I always have Olbas beside my bed for those little emergencies

Olbas sounds short for something.

Insect repellent DOESN'T WORK if anything it should be called insect attractant - I've even more bites since I started using it.

I'm going through buckets of Witch Hazel balm!

Olbas oil - is that the same as used as an inhaler?

oldherbaceous wrote:Olbas sounds short for something.

Only Likes Biting At Sunset?

Whatever's biting me can strike at any time of day or night! At the moment though, breakfast seems to be its main meal of the day!