Alaska is famous for its voracious mosquitos, whitesoxs, and no-see-ums which appear shortly after the snow is gone and hang around until the first frost. And although there are advertised products which claim to help relieve the sting and itch of a bug bite, most have varying results depending on the person.

Mary Mize, from Sterling, passed this bug bite treatment tip to me last year and I'll tell ya it works great on my body. Others might find similar or completely different success. The magic "balm" is just plain old, over-the-counter, Hydrocortisone Cream. When I get a bite around the yard or house and the tube of cream is handy, I'll dab a bit on the bite and rub it in real well and within a minute or two the itch is GONE.

For young kids that tend to scratch bug bites until they bleed or get infected, this may be a good way to keep them more comfortable after they have been bitten.