Insect bites...?

i've just come back from a weekend of camping in the lake district and i'm covered in bites.

i've got about 30 bites all over my body (including my ears, which is very itchy and sore) yet my boyfriend hasn't got a single bite

why do they go after some people and not others?

what can i do (or take) to prevent this next time?

Thanks

Take vitamin B6 they won't stop you being bitten but they will reduce the reaction that you have.
Invest in some Insect Repellent - Boots have a good range.
Some people say that taking Garlic Pearls can help - make sure you buy odourless ones.
I was camping in the Lakes at weekend as well - I have never seen so may midges!!!

garlic tablets are supposed to be effective at stopping the little blitters from feasting on your blood. Take them about a week or two before you travel.

Eat marmite. Mossies dont like the smell.

mosquitos love blonde people. but also if your body puts out alot of heat they are attracted it it alot more. the next time you go camping cover yourself in OFF. and bring it with you as well..

Apply TCP to your bites and start taking odourless garlic tablets. I was advised to do this before I went on holiday to Cuba and it worked a treat! Didnt get bitten once!

I bet you got yourself a mess of chiggers. There are all sorts of rural and urban myths about what you can eat to prevent them from eating you, but the science doesn't bear any of them out. DEET works pretty good for mosquitos but even though they advertise that their products work against ticks and chiggers, that too is far fetched since them boogers don't target you by a gas emitting signature, but by opportunity. Therefore, you can either avoid them by avoiding where they are, or you can put something on your body so caustic that the health issues are worse than the bug, or you can deal with them after they get you. You should always do a good tick check on one another, think of it as post camping foreplay. Be sure and check all the little nooks and crannies, as these are the favorite bed and breakfast spots for them. To relieve the painful itching, go get some Epson Salts, and dump about 2 cups of it into a really hot bath. Then get in there with a book and a glass of wine and sit till the wated gets cold. Shower off and the itch will be gone and little sores well on their way to healed.

They've got this incredible stuff that you can spray on yourself that makes the bugs leave you alone (for the most part).

Bugs do tend to prefer some people over others - probably based on scent, etc.

Now that you have a bunch of bites - treat them with rubbing alcohol - put it on a q-tip, and dab each bite. If you've been scratching them - it might burn for a few seconds, but then it will feel much better.

Get some 'Off!' or other bug spray the next time you go camping. It's teh shiznit!!!

prevention is the key...there are many insect repellants on the market today...(you could possibly find a natural one), with lemon grass, peppermint, clove, & citronella oil...(it is very effective).

and, for the bites you now have, go to the local pharamacy and get some anti-itch clear gel...it will help.

I think perhaps because you have more delicate skin than your bf is why you got bitten up so much. (or perhaps you have alot of sugar in your blood)..

There are a couple of issues here, there is a difference in bite- ability, women for example are bitten more often than men. It is thought to be something to do with pheromones in their sweat.

The bigger issue relates to the reaction to the bites, or more precisely to the insect saliva, some people have virtually no response and even if bitten many times are unaware of it, others have a strong allergy response and a single bite can produce marked redness, itchiness and swelling.

There are a number of options available from any good chemist to act as insect repellent, none however are 100% guaranteed.

I think it's well-known that insects seem to prefer women to men (I think it's a hormone thing). I've had great success using Avon's Woodland Fern Skin -So -Soft shower gel and body lotion (don't ask me why!)
Hope this helps next time

I've heard that they don't like people that smoke as well as those that do. Of course there is the issue of the sweetness of your blood and medications that you take. My daughter never gets bitten but I get eaten alive. She doesn't smoke but takes a lot of medications. Insect repellents with DEET are supposed to work the best and the Avon skin=so=soft also repels them. Wear clothing that also covers your body more. Good Luck!