A Tale of Two States: from Frostbite to Bug Bites

Don’t get me wrong — I love living in Florida! But when we moved, I had no idea I would be trading New York’s frostbite for Florida’s bug bites.

During this season, the worst of all the offenders are the no-see-ums.

“What are no-see-ums?” you might ask.

Well, I’d show you a photo, but … uh … did you notice their name? These tiny little sand flies are so minuscule, they can pass through regular window screens.

They are practically invisible!

But believe me, their bites are anything but invisible. For some highly-reactive people, they can leave a rash of itchy, red, raised welts — definitely uncomfortable (and most certainly unattractive).

Without a doubt, no-see-ums have been the number one concern of all of my Floridian neighbors. Knowing I’m a homeopath, they stop me all the time to ask, “What can we do about these bites?”

So, this article is for you, my neighbors and friends! And, I have no doubt many readers who live in beach communities (or vacation there) will share in your interest.

Let me first say, I try to do everything I can to avoid toxicity.

So, you’re not going to hear me say, “Just spray yourself down well with a pesticide before you go outside.” I really don’t want my entire neighborhood sprayed willy-nilly with questionable (at best) insecticides.

There are essential oils that can be very helpful as a natural, non-toxic preventative. In fact, I wrote in my article “Mosquito Bites? Let Homeopathy and Essential Oils Help” about a natural repellent against mosquitoes. It should perform equally as well with no-see-ums.

As an aside, for those of you who worry the strong scents from these essential oils might antidote any homeopathic protocols you might be taking, let me set your mind at ease.

First of all, antidoting a remedy was considered a major concern when using classical homeopathy.

In classical homeopathy, you’re only given one dose of one remedy and then asked to wait 6 to 8 weeks for observation of its effect. In that case, you’ve got to protect that dose!

With the practical protocols I teach, doses are taken regularly, until very much better.

A strong essential oil scent will not negate everything we have accomplished. It doesn’t take us all the way back to the beginning of our healing.

It might stop the progress of our last dose — but we will be taking another dose in a relatively short amount of time. So, there is no need to worry our healing will come to a screeching halt because of a few beneficial essential oil scents.

Additionally, unless we are deeply breathing the essential oil scent directly into our nostrils, it would probably have no ill effect on our remedies anyway.

But, what if despite our best efforts, we inadvertently became a smorgasbord for a community of no-see-ums?

That’s when we lean on Ledum 200 to uproot the itching or stinging left by those evil little creatures, every few hours as needed (depending on the severity).

Some have also experienced that once they’ve taken Ledum, the next insect bites they receive don’t seem as severe. And although homeopathic remedies are not considered prophylactics, I think if I were about to head into the Amazon rainforest, I very well might take a dose of Ledum palustre before I started. I would most assuredly have it with me for afterward!

If facing a very severe infestation of bites that not only presents with itching but also with an allergic reaction accompanied by strong anxiety, I have used Arsenicum album with great success.

I remember having been in the Bahamas about 30 years ago, standing in water up to my ankles at sunset, talking to others. I began feeling little biting sensations and without realizing what was happening, I walked deeper into the water.

I kept moving deeper and deeper as the bites continued until only my face and ears were exposed.

About two hours later, I had a horrible allergic reaction all over my body (except on my feet, which had remained submerged the entire time).

My adrenaline level was off the charts in response. I was very stepped up and anxious — pacing. My heart was racing as though I had had 500 cups of coffee. My face, ears and neck were covered with welts.

I was freaking out!!

I took one dose of Arsenicum, and within minutes — as I stood in front of a mirror and watched — my face got super red and even more swollen then returned to normal.

Then a few moments later, a band across my chest also got super red and then recovered, then another band across my mid-section, and this continued down my body in horizontal bands in reverse order from the bites I had received.

Although I wouldn’t volunteer to do it again, I was fortunate to visually observe this miraculous example of Hering’s Law of Cure.

I fell asleep (which as we know in homeopathy is a very good sign we have chosen the correct remedy). When I awoke in the morning, my battle with the bug bites was over — and homeopathy was victorious!! No itching, no bumps, no reaction at all.

I bet you’re wondering what potency I used. Well, don’t forget that three decades have passed since then, so my memory is a wee bit fuzzy on the exact details. I’m fairly sure that I used Arsenicum 30, but Arsenicum 200 would probably have performed just as well.

I’ve given you both of the remedies I’ve used in free, downloadable remedy cards below. Don’t forget to add them to your collection!

And, don’t let the bugs scare you away from visiting Florida. There is so much to enjoy here … especially when you’re well-armed!

Warmly,

P.S. Tune into my Facebook Live event tonight at 8 pm Eastern. I have another “bite” story to share with you from my recent adventures in Florida.

If you’ve missed my previous Facebook Live conversations, I have stored them in my Facebook Videos section so you can watch them when it’s convenient for you.