I love camping, in tents, that is. One of the downsides of camping, or being outside a lot in most places, is the mosquitoes.

Last weekend my entire family was chewed up pretty bad by the little devils down in Yankton. We all did an adequate job of spraying repellent on our arms and torsos, but we slacked off on the legs and we paid for it.

Luckily, while searching for my shaving bag for the anti-itch cream that I suspect doesn't work very well, I found my secret weapon for mosquito bites. Underneath the toothbrush case, I found the old tube of Baby Orajel.

The tube I found is a formula they don't make anymore. It contained eugenol, which is an anesthetic. The current formula probably wouldn't work as well, just like DEET free bug repellent does nothing to repel mosquitoes, which is what caused my need for the Orajel.

In the past, I have used full adult formulas of Orajel that have benzocaine in it. That stuff really works well. It doesn't reduce the inflammation, but it numbs the itch so you don't want to scratch the bites until the nerve endings are gone and are left with gnarly scabs.

I'm no doctor, so consult yours before putting an over the counter mouth pain reliever on you mosquito bites, but mine told me "Wow, that's a great idea!"

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