Wow, I've never heard of heat treatment for bites, but like you, I react with huge welts and horrible swelling, so I'm willing to try most things (these days I'm stuck with spending most of the summer indoors . . .)

Thank you for the link - I'm going to research this a bit more! At least it won't look as odd as my net suit, for the garden . . . :)

I think this works just like a really hot compress. The heat deadens the nerve for awhile to the area of the bite and uses up some chemical that causes the itch.

I think it is based on heat, but it doesn't *feel* hot during the 20-second use. Weird.

I read years ago that 110*F neutralized the saliva (that's what we are reacting to), and found that a fifteen minute soak does indeed eliminate the itch although the swollen area still remained for several days. But I've never been able to maintain that sort of heat in a compress, and who wants to take a steamy tub bath for one skeeter bite?! especially when it's already hot and humid outside.