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Throw In The Kitchen Sink Salve
Having received a good amount of very nasty blackfly bites this weekend I set out to make a ' Throw in the kitchen sink salve' last night.
In a double boiler, I put a handful of plantain, comfrey (wilted and chopped), dried calendula blossoms, and on very low heat kept it on the stove for about 3 hours. Than added some SAW oils, EOM's of helichrysum, chamomile, lavender and tea tree.
It took the swelling down right away and curbs the urge to itch. But the itch returns regardless find it amazing how easy we forget every year how nasty those buggers are and darn it, every year I get zapped before I learn to put stuff on myself before I go out, so I won't have to deal with it afterwards.
I keep a pot with wormwood right by my back door and when going out, pick a few leaves, rub them with my hands and swish them over the exposed parts of my body and hair, but only learn that lesson after I had a few good bites.
Also make a 4 thieves vinegar that works pretty well, when misting on every so often while in the woods. Best on my bursitis.
On Lake MIchigan in summer we get very nasty flies, that look like houseflies and bite our ankles.They bite right through the shoelace holes of your sneakers and have on my body an affinity for the top of my hands, ankles and top of my head. They like to live close to the beach and if you see someone beachcombing wearing a goofy hat, leather gloves and plastic breadbags over their ankles, that's me! Good thing is that when applying the 4 thieves vinegar the bites about vanish in their itching capacity.
Bugs, they need to be there to become food for the birds...but they surely are a nuisance.
C-M