Midge Hell

Photo credit: CDC PHIL

While we were anchored at River Heads, we were attacked by sand flies. Sand flies aka midges or no-see-ums in other parts of the world, live in mud flats and mangroves, their reproductive cycle is linked to the moon and the tides and love the absence of wind. This was this exact situation we were in: mud flats & mangroves, full moon and absolutely zero wind. The day that was the worst we opened up the hatches and it was like the midgees were all waiting to be invited in. We made a tent out of a sheet and spent the morning hiding out. To no avail as I got completely devoured.

Photo credit: Toby Hudson

Before getting prescriptions for something stronger, I had been using apple cider vinegar to relieve the itching which worked ok. This is combined with larger doses of antihistamines allowed me to mostly sleep through the night. Turns out all of my bites were a great conversation starter as everyone shared their remedies for stopping the itching. Here are just a few of them:

• Lavender Oil
• Dettol & Eucalyptus Oil
• Frequent showers 
• Tiger Balm 
• Paste made from baking soda and water
• Soov (a cream found at the chemist)
• RID (both as a deterent and to stop the itch)
• Oragel (Bonjela)
• Vegemite

I haven’t tried many of them and fingers crossed don’t have to but they are great ideas to store away if necessary. I’ll have to admit that the idea of smearing vegemite all over my body does not sound appealing at all but apparently it works. I did find short term relief from the tiger balm, baking soda and showers. The baking soda made a massive mess everywhere though.

What home remedies do you have for stopping bug bites from itching?