We sympathize. Here are 10 tried and true Russian home remedies to take the itch out of those bites:
1. Ice. Hold an ice cube on the bite as long as you can stand it. Cold acts as a temporary anesthetic.
2. Mix baking soda and water into a paste and slather it on. Messy but effective.
3. Mix one part 9 percent vinegar (standard Russian cooking vinegar) with three parts water (or less, if the vinegar doesn't irritate your skin). Dampen a cloth in the mix and hold it on the bites.
4. Hold a damp black-tea teabag on the bite, and the tannin will pull out some of the toxins.
5. For a drippy treatment, slather on sour cream or kefir.
6. For a hippy treatment, slather on tea tree oil.
7. For a zippy treatment, slather on Tiger Balm ("Zvyozochka").
8. For a weird treatment, slather on mint toothpaste.
9. For a stinky treatment, dampen a cotton ball with household ammonia and hold it on the bite.
10. For a clean treatment, cover the bite with hand sanitizer.
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