Insect Bites

didie said:

Usually I'm an insect magnet and get bitten to pieces every summer and end up looking like a swollen balloon because I react to bites.

However this year so far *touches wood* I have only been bitten twice, despite being outside walking with the dogs for at least 2 hours a day.

I can only think it is because I have wrestled my diabetes into submission and no longer taste nice and sugary anymore.

Anyone noticed this happening to them?

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Not really.. I go hunting quite a lot in the evening, and if i forget to take the jungle formula then i will be bitten all over

I try to limit this by covering well, but this is difficult when its hot

I haven't had as many bites as usual, but nor are there so many flies about. I think it's down to the cold weather, really. Whenever it's warm our local midges are back - in force!

There aren't any butterflies, either :shock:

Viv 8)

viviennem said:

I haven't had as many bites as usual, but nor are there so many flies about. I think it's down to the cold weather, really.

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Have to agree, this time of year my wife is usually covered in insect bites but this year she's been fine, I've never had a problem even when my control wasn't very good.

Before diagnosis, and until I adopted ultra low carbing, I used to dread summer and the attendant insect bites. Since getting control of my BG levels - 3.7 Min to 6.2 Max - I rare get a bite and when I do, it's tiny compared to the whoppers I used to get.

This has been the situation for 3 years now, not just this er, summer?

Owain

Hi what are you using to bring down the bites. My partner also a t2 has had a lot of bites this year, and they are very red and sore growing to about 50mm in diameter. They are also taking well over a week to go down.

Any ideas please

Hi Paragliderpete
I suffer seriously from anything that bites but have picked up a few tips along the way

The first thing is that Brewer's Yeast (contains various B vitamins ) puts the little blighters off biting you, I don't know how it works, but it does. You (or affected person) need to take 2-4 tabs per day (more in mosquito weather, less when it's more comfortable) from early summer until late autumn, but they are quite cheap and don't affect anything else that I'm aware of.

The second is that Oil of Cedarwood will put them off your home/hotel/car/caravan etc. I read an article suggesting that you put a few cedar wood balls in a dish and sprinkle with the oil so tried it out on my next holiday in Scotland, putting them in the ashtray on the hotel window ledge. We had the window open, TV and lights on, and ponds outside with all manner of winged critters. You could see them mosey up to the window, and then move on to dine somewhere else; not one came in, and effectively, any kind of wood will do. I never leave home without it, having once forgotten and suffered the subsequent bites for a month. Again, I don't know how it works, but it does.

Some of the commercial repellants are better than others; I had one called Mosquito Milk which was very effective protection while out and about, but haven't seen it recently, so I normally use the Jungle range. Oil of Cedarwood is not very pleasant to use on your skin/hair etc but in an emergency I smear it on window frames/ledges and the car-freshener.

Wishing you luck, it's miserable being devoured

I take a garlic tablet each day to prevent stings and bites, my dogs also take them as a flea prevention and so far, touch wood, no fleas on dogs and only a couple of bites on me!

Lorna

Been eaten to death on recent days especially on my hands, urgh.

Ali

Anti-histamine to reduce the swelling.
Toothpaste on the bite to stop the itching.

I've been bitten less the last couple of years but don't know if it is diabetes, climate, old age or what.