Regina,
I found the best product that seems to work for my family at Avon, it is from skin so soft series and it is called Bug guard plus Gentle Breeze.It also protect against the sun, in the mechanical spray version (very convenient)it has SPF 15, or in lotion version it has Spf 30 (good for the summer). I can not use just any repellent, my skin becomes very itchy or it just smells bad. This one feels like I have nothing on my skin, and it smell kind of nice.
My son does not object to it at all, and I use it on him all the time. I like the fact, that it is two in one (with the bug also the sun).
I believe they have a sale in spring on these (two for one price, for 4.99, instead of 10$), I always stock up for the whole year.
Check it out.
Veronika
http://www.amazon.com/Avon-IR3535-Gentle-Breeze-Sunscreen/dp/B000FQFSDI/ref=pd_sim_hpc_img_3

Yes Regina, I second Veronika's suggestion. Avon's Skin So Soft will do the trick. Years ago I bought a large bottle of the stuff and also have their handy towelletes.(Like wash and drys) It smells very nice too, kind of like citrus. It's oily, yet effective.
Good luck,
Sue.

Veronika's suggestion is great. It's not the regular oily Skin So Soft, which smells great but has never kept bugs off of me, but a product designed specifically for your needs. I'd try some and see how it does on your granddaughter. (Try in a small area first, to be sure she doesn't react to it.) Treating the entire yard is risky because it usually kills good stuff as well as "bad" and also, the treated grass, etc, can be very irritating to tender skin, too.

Marcia

Hi Regina,

I wonder if perhaps just a lightweight long sleeved shirt, leggings, and some special gardening gloves just for her while she's "working" might be a simple solution? Well, at least until July. Perhaps she is brushing up against something that's irritating her baby skin?

Naomi

Hi Regina

My son is 4 and has this happen to him, and I usually am not biten. We have tried a lot of different natural things on him(Buzz Off, Bull Frog-deet free, rubbing garlic oil on, etc) and haven't had much luck. His mosquito bites swell right up and sometimes almost feel hard. Is this what happens with your grandaughter?

I'm going to order what Veronika suggested and see how it works for him.

Cathy

But don't order from Amazon. Regular Avon store, or a Avon distributor will be able to get it for you for the sale price.
That should be about this time, I have to go and find out, to replenish our repellents for the year as well.
Veronika

I have tried lemon Balm (the leaves)rubbed on my skin and it works but for a short time.
Our Yankee relatives were down for Easter and they were all attacked but we were left alone. Guess they prefer young fresh blood.

Thank you, I will certainly try it! Last time she was here, she went home with big welts on her legs and today I noticed at least a dozen bites on her legs. I feel so bad but can't keep her out of the yard.

Perhaps it's building up an immunity in her. If it's not bothering her too badly, maybe it's a good thing.

Skin So Soft lotions have worked well for us here too.
Nice oil, keeps the skin so soft.
It does repel mosquitoes too.

I started using skin so soft when Veronika suggested it to me at a swap.....we love it...it smells good and you can be sure every part of you is covered because its a lotion.

I agree with Treefrog on this one.

I remember having this conversation with my parents and grandparents over 35 years ago.

I mentioned how I could remember being tore up with mosquitoes bites as a child... but when I got around 7-8 years old the bites stopped itching and welting . We all agreed , don't make a fuss over the bites( tell the kids to ignore it and it go away )

They will be better of in the long run..... getting bit and building immunity.

But if you must use something the avon product is best.

It's easier to ignore mosquito bites on a child when there's no such thing as West Nile virus lurking in the background. I agree that a certain amount of bites are inevitable and children will build up a tolerance, but I think it is wise not to let the child get bitten very badly. Not only is there a risk of virus in some areas of the state, but the bites can get badly infected if scratched too much.

For me, the best approach is using common sense. A few bites, no problem. Too many, and protection of some sort is needed, be it a gentle repellent or protective clothing. That's how I approach it when outside with my granddaughter, and it seems to work for us.

Marcia

As I was cleaning up my old emails I forgot about this mosquitoe deterrent remedy. I haven't tried it but it's certainly worth the effort.
Good luck,
Sue.

Mosquitoes-Tip...

The best way of getting rid of mosquitoes is Listerine, the original
medicinal type. The Dollar Store-type works, too.

I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting
everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine,
and the little demons disappeared.

The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat
whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a
picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing
area, and the standing water nearby.

During the summer, I don't leave home without it. Pass it on.

OTHER COMMENTS:

I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it
killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89.
It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as
expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes.
So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on
a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around
the window frames, and even inside the dog house if you have one.

I have to try this Listerine idea, and see how it works. That sounds like a great idea. But still, I would protect the little once with the skin so soft.
Veronika

sleeve shirt.

I spray OFF on my clothes and wear a hat as well, do the same for my 4yo dd who likes hanging out outside and picking "flowers"(weeds!).

I break out from just about anything, so I just have me(and my kids) always wearing long sleeve shirts and pants when bug season comes around...we use cotton so it doesn't get too hot and I am never out in the sun after 10am-4pm and have just taught them to stay out as much as possible.

There is some stuff to put on your lawn that they say works to repel just about any insect out there, but I have not tried it.

teeka

There have always been disease ... I think the old timers called it swamp fever.... but you need to use common sense.

As much as I love to watch the sun set , that is usually the worst time for the nasty little bugs.
They chase me in every night ! LOL

I have spray bottles of the Avon repel all around my yard outside. I am like a baby with biting and stinging critters. This stuff is excellent and smells nice. Regine, if the babe gets bitten, use a Q-Tip dipped in plain old amonia. It will avoid swelling and remove the itch immediately. I also keep amonia and Q-Tips all around my yard too for immediate action. Regine-it is so wonderful your granddaughter enjoys the garden with you, I just wish our grandkids were closer than Chicago! Here's Christiana helping me pick radishes for her grandpa last month.
{{gwi:834385}}

Thank you Cindeea for the ammonia advice. I forgot about that. Sue,I will certainly try the Listerine. We go camping a lot and that will make us the freshest site in the campground. I know the bites bother her. She already knows which medicine I use for her itching and brings it to me! I need to find an Avon Lady. Thanks everyone!

Regina

Regina,
I'm confused. Everyone has been talking about mosquitoes, but you said welts. While mosquitoes could cause allergic welts they usually just cause small bites, as you know. Also, if they were that numerous, wouldn't you notice them buzzing around even if they didn't bite you?
I was thinking more about a plant allergy, something she brushed against. If that, the repellent sorta helped
may have more to do with its 'protective barrier', like mineral oil or sunscreen, against the plant toxin than repelling bugs.
Just my 2 cents.

I don't think it's mosquitoes that are biting her because it's been dry here ,I don't have any standing water and I haven't seen any buzzing around. The last time she was here was the worst I've seen. She went home with redness,swelling and itching on the backs of her legs like you would get from bug bites. Two days later when I saw her again, the swelling was gone but there were numerous bite marks there so I don't think it's an allergic reaction.

Regina