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Bug Bite? Reach for the toothpaste.

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Summer is coming, and so are all of the little annoyances associated with it. But if you prepare yourself with a few simple home remedies, you and your family can enjoy the summer weather, and avoid the sting from bug bites.

Relief can be as close as your own front yard, or even your spice rack. Many herbs, including some we consider to be “weeds,” have medicinal properties that can help take the “sting” out of insect bites. Here are just a few:

• Mix a dilution of 5 percent tea tree oil with aloe vera gel. This mixture will soothe bug bites and rashes, and will also help prevent infection.

• Dampen a Tums or Rolaids tablet and rub it on an insect bite or sting.

• Rub a paste made from commercial meat tenderizer and a little bit of water on a bite. This neutralizes the poison in just a few minutes.

• Apply fresh crushed parsley directly to an insect bit to neutralize the poison and stop the pain.

• Apply a paste of table salt mixed with water to the bite.

• A fresh cut onion quickly applied to a sting will prevent swelling and redness, and will stop the pain.

• Regular flavored toothpaste, when applied to an insect bite (especially fire ant bites) will immediately relieve itching.

But what about stopping bugs before they bite?

Aside from using a natural mosquito repellent, foregoing perfumes, colognes, and other scented products will help some.

Knowing when your body is most vulnerable is also a plus. Carbon dioxide attracts mosquitoes, as does moisture, including perspiration. That means mosquitoes may find you extra-tasty when you are hot or have been exercising.



Tags: stings, bug bite remedies, itch cures