I am one of those individuals who every bug on earth wants to cozy up to.   As a result of this, I have learned that herbs and essential oils are very helpful indeed when venturing out of doors.  Energy medicine can also be useful: The liver energies of the body, for example, as well as large intestine, can contribute to the bite-worthiness of an individual, so it is worth contemplating a few sessions prior to a camping trip.

Some essential oils assist in repelling insects, such as catnip, thyme, bergamot, lavender, lemongrass and peppermint.  I have found the most relief, however, in having something to apply immediately upon being bitten.  One of the premier bug/mosquito bite remedies is, interestingly enough, a "weed" you probably either have in your garden or lawn, or can be found close to you.  It is Plantain (Plantago lanceolata, or buckthorn plantain, and Plantago major, or broadleaf plantain).  These grow almost everywhere in the U.S. and southern Canada, and are from six to twenty inches tall, with a flattened rosette of dark green leaves on the ground (narrow for buckthorn, wide for major), with tall wiry stems with flower spikes at the very top, tiny greenish white flowers.  It may be considered a pest plant, but if you remove a leaf from the plant, chew it slightly, and stick the resulting mass on your bite, you will be astonished at the immediacy of relief.  Jewelweed, or wild impatiens, is also an excellent bug bite remedy when mashed and applied to the skin.  Lavender oil applied neat will draw the venom out of bites and promote healing, and lavender mixed with thyme is even more powerful although thyme oil should be used carefully when applied neat. 

Unless you are very allergic, bee stings can be effectively dealt with using homeopathic remedies, either Apis or Ledum.  It is always a good idea to have a supply of benadryl on hand as well, just in case.

I have also found that herbal soaps are good bug bite resources, and I make a few for that purpose.  Just email me if you have any questions!

Kelley Rico is a trained herbalist and aromatherapist, and a certified Flower Essence and jin Shin Jyutsu® practitioner.