Ok, so being summer, I have been attacked by bees, fleas, and the worst of them, fire ants...OUCH!!!!
They sting, they itch, they keep me awake at night.
I have discovered a few home remedies that work, and decided to make this thread to share various remedies...so if/when it happens...we can say, hey...Jenn has a Caedes thread, let's refer to it, and see if there is any remedy posted that will help now.

So...
Bees= remove the stinger, get a smoked cigarette (you don't have to be the one smoking it)pull it apart at the butt, empty the unused tobaccao onto a wax paper cutting, liberally mix with your spit, and pack it on the sting until it dries and flakes off.

Fleas= rub Neem oil on feet and legs, allow to dry. This is a fairly decent preventative, but may hurt animals, so keep it away from them/don't let them lick you.

Fire Ants= as far as I know, this only works well withing the first 5 minutes-24 hours...Bleach. I mix half and half bleach and water and keep it in a small travel size spray bottle (found at WalMart for about a buck)...liberally spray the bite area...If you can wash with HOT water and soap first, even better. I have heard that Listerine and Vicks VapoRub works too, but haven't tried it.

Please post any remedies you have...for whatever...be it Lice, Bites, Burns, Sunburns...whatever you have used that works well.

Sunburns= Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with cool water, sponged over the burn, allowed to air dry, followed by Aloe always worked well for me growing up in Hawaii (eventually I just started tanning and stopped burning)...this works really well for BAD burns that may blister. Using a soft sponge or washcloth, soaked in the vinegar mix and dabbed on rather than rubbed works best.

Cuts= not deep as in, you removed a finger...wash with warm water, apply pressure to stop the bleeding, pour honey directly on the cut, allow to dry, then bandage. Honey is one of THE BEST natural antiseptics ever...and was used in Egypt for just about everything...even Plato or Socrates or one of those guys wrote about the many medicinal uses of honey.

Zits= M.O.M or Toothpaste with Peroxide and Baking Soda in it. A weekly Milk of Magnesia mask will help keep blemishes away (cover face, allow to sit for 20 minutes, rinse with warm water). For that just before an important date zit...ice the zit for 10 minutes, then apply a Baking Soda/Peroxide Toothpaste to the spot, keep on overnight, rinse with warm water the next morning. In a pinch...make STRONG Lipton tea, add 10 crushed aspirin (not Tylenol, real aspirin), pour into an ice tray, freeze. When a zit pops up and you need it reduced FAST, grab the Lipton/Aspirin ice cube and hold it on the spot for 10 minutes...do not rinse, just wipe off.

I have heard the one for zits and it works...

On of mine is peppermint tea for a cold...drink hot sipping and it helps with sinuses and sore throats.

Welcome back, btw! :)

I find aloe vera works for quite a few things, I mainly use it for gnat bites as it has really soothing qualitites and stops the want of ripping skin clean off from itchiness. I have to use it quite a lot, as the gnats seem to have set up camp right down by the fruit trees at the end of my garden, and I love the greengages we grow waaaaay too much.

Hey, they're in season soon!

*prepares the aloe vera*

A swift kick in the rear will cure most kids of those "stay home from school" ailments

I'm home from school right now, don't kick me in the rear. I had some massive nosebleed that just wouldn't stop, and I have a cold, so it's pretty likely that I'll sneeze and the whole thing will start over again. My mum made me stay home. Kick her.

Oh yea, I forgot to mention, sushi appears to have great healing properties. California rolls cured my headache and my sore throat!

high temperature.. put the soles of your feet on a cool damp towel, and one around the back of your neck.. brings the temp down fast.. ;)

sore/irratated throat.. grab a cup/glass of warm water, dissolve a teaspoon of salt and gargle.. kills off all bad things and eases the redness..

Sore throats seem to heal more with warm drinks, if you have pleghm avoid milky drinks, a warm glass of blackcurrant juie does the trick. Hot chocolate is my favourite remedy, and I also find that warm milk with honey mixed in works and tastes lovely even if you're not ill.

Scotch for everything cures all my ills!

I'll drink to that, and say it's curing my cold!

*drinks to that and says it's curing her cold*

*Thassh mi gurl*...Hics!

*walks into a Welsh duck*

For coughs...chest colds...slice a yellow onion, crush some garlic cloves, mix together, drizzle lots of honey over and set at room temp for an hour, pour off syrup and drink 2 teaspoons every couple hours, by next day cough/chest cold almost GONE.

For asthma attacks and no wiffer around...start drinking LOTS of coffee (the lighter the bean roast, the more caffeine=better), also take a cool shower and inhale deeply...it at least works for me...obviously if it is a really bad attack get your butt to ER

for splinters= slice a potato (or Potatoe if you're Dan Quayle) and press to splinter, keep on for 5 minutes...usually removes splinter in 5 minutes or less, also works for stingers I have been told.

Not quite a home remedy ... however, you did remind me of another use for toothpaste.

This comes from David Letterman, to credit the source ... squeeze out little swirls of a minty toothpaste ... let harden ... serve as an after dinner mint. :oP

Virgin olive oil. (<--- There's a joke in there somewheres. :oD )

Apparently amazing stuff for cuts. Keeps the skin supple, so no cracking and edges to get caught up on things as the wound heals ... and it is antiseptic/sterile.

Annnnd ... that's all folks, for now ... g'nite. :o)

or give that after dinner mint (soft way) from Les a roll through the cacoa powder and you have a truffle to serve if you have a coffee or tea party...smile...:))

but for the one who has bin to long in the sunshine and will have sunburn just take slices of cucumber and lay it down where the sunburn is, really it helps!!!!!!!!!!

Heyyy ... I think I made a mistake with your instructions.

I rolled some cucumber slices in cocoa powder and put them on my sunburn.

Now, I look like a leopard. :o|

*decides to have an after dinner mint ... or two :oP ... and reread the instructions once more*

*watches as Les lazes around in a tree licking himself clean from the cacao powder*

Les... it's spelt cacao. It was mistaken for cocoa by English traders who introduced it in England as cocoa, and nobody could be bothered to correct them apparently.

That looks more like ... 'poo' though, when spelled that way. :o|

*goes back to his childish world and continues the conversation he was having with his imaginary friend ... Albert*

'See? Would you not agree Albert, that it looks more like 'poo' when spelled correctly?'

Alberts' response:

'... .'

o_O

'Predictable, Albert ... very, very ... predictable on your part.'

At least he never lies.

are you sure about that Gem ...???

Loneliness - alcoholic beverages, baby oil,and a vivid imagination.

^^^Guys have it SO easy^^^
I'm jealous.

allergy eyes= 1/8 teaspoon borax, 1 teaspoon honey, distilled water...heat water, add borax/honey...simmer, cool and pour into a sterile bottle. When eyes act up, put a drop in each.

and.... if we should mistakenly "view" Rosie O'Donnell? can the solution be used in a stronger dose? :P

*shudders*

I wouldn't allow you NOT to.

It's true. Guys do have it easy. Although I can make it so Margaret Thatcher (as she is NOW) pop into their heads.

*laughs manically*

Lol ... uhm ... I think Gem meant to say 'maniacally'.

Maybe??

:oP

And hey ... since this is the thread for it ... how's 'bout a home remedy that allows men to read womens' minds while you're at it?

*walks off muttering something about ... 'easy? easyyy?? ..' ...*

!! HIJACK TIME !!

Just kidding.

Small burn on your fingers from touching something a lil' too hot?

Pinch your earlobes. Absorbs and dissipates the heat. True say here. My grandma taught me that one. :o)

so you you are walking with a blister on your earlobes...chuckle
....

or not....?????????

if you have ink on your shirt, just dip it in the milk and leave it for a while then washed it and the ink will be gone!!

Can't hear you ... my ears are swollen from all of the burns. :o\

Can't read what you wrote either ... I, uh ... used Jenn's home remedy for allergic eyes and think I made a mistake with the recipe. I cheated a little ... not a good idea, methinks.

Borax, bleach ... bleach with borax ... not the same thing. :o|

:oP

Hungry?

Close your eyes, imagine some food and spoosh, the universe will give it too you (well, so "The Secret" says, and we all know we can trust that :P)

i watch too much of the Chasers War on Everything :D

Yes you do.

And yes I did.

And you don't want to read my mind. It'll drive you insane.

Most of it is me singing the Witch Doctor over and over again, but there's stuff in there that could take the cute off a baby bunny.

Warts= go on the Atkins, or is it Adkins diet, I was on it for 2 weeks and the wart I had on my finger for a few years just vanished, as well as most of my brain cells.

Headache= Rub lime juice on your head where it hurts. Haha I read something like this in an email I am pretty sure that it what it said but I've never tried it.

Headaches= peppermint essential oil and lavender essential oil...mix equal parts into a small bottle, dab onto fingertip then massage into temples. OR...use fresh sprig of mint crush between fingers and rub onto temples (fingers with int oil, not the crushed mint sprig).

For Hangovers - if you have the strength to peel one and eat it, it will help:)

o_O

C'mon now ... don't hold out on that all important ingredient ... peel which or what exactly?

I ... uh, have a 'friend' that might, might be in need of such a home remedy.

:oP

Quick! Tell me the remedy! Arghghghghgh!

an raw egg ofcourse with milk together in a sheaker and then sheaked and drink it I think that is what she means....if not this will help to for a hangover....cheers....

suffering from a headachey type cold or flu?

brandy and port in equal measures...

Makes you feel a lot better. A seaman's cure apparently.

Then, when you wake up ... AHHHH!!!! *explodes*

'Tis a short term remedy Andrew :P (or so it seems)

I've found out the reason that the people who owned our house before we did and planted masses of garlic in the front was to keep out the ants.

The huge ant hills that I now have after I yanked out the masses of garlic...*sigh*

Lauren...baby powder sprinkled along doorways and windowsills also help to keep the nasty bugs outside. Also if you powder your feet and ankles while working in the garden it greatly reduces your chances of bites from ants.

Sweet, they always seem to find their way in whenever we make fudge or peanut brittle. Shall remember that.

Baby powder ? Seriously ? Inside or out ?

Baby powder on both sides of your windowsills, and outside the door...or use sidewalk chalk and draw a nice fat line across any entry points, including under kitchen sinks...ancient chinese secret (I learned it from my accupuncturist)

I've heard that if you have your children eat off the floor from an early age they develop rock-solid immune systems .. and all of this home remedy stuff becomes just a bunch of hoooey

Peppermint oil also works on keeping ants out. It is safe for babies and pets as well '=)

Yeah well, now that we've put poison down in the front yard to kill the ants we have to keep the dogs out which is a good thing cuz they're killing my grass. Now I need a reason to keep them off my side & back yard too !

What??? I've had my kids eat from the floor all their lives!!! You mean to tell me NOW, that it's all hooey??? I don't believe it. I think you are making it up. They DO have great immune systems...but perhaps, it could be all the dirt I send them outside to eat that's doing it....
;D

Gary sez I should take the dogs for more walks & let them kill the neighbors grass too. He's such a giver, always thinking about others. :o)

Beer:
It turns idiots into scholars, beasts into beauties, problems into...what was I talking about again...?

What don't kill you will only make you stronger. Hopefully wiser.

Then beer's not the answer... the question maybe but definitely not the answer.