Thanks to Bob Lusk's article in the current issue of Pond Boss, I have finally learned the true cause of the incredibly intense itching that I had been experiencing. I say "had" because a few years back, thinking that some sort of mite from my pond water was burrowing into the skin of my forearms, I found relief by using permethrin, a 2% solution of which is now in Bengal Roach Spray. All of you label readers know that Bengal's original exotic formulation, which gave me itch relief for years, was changed a couple years ago and that original solution is no longer available, although it might be still made for the military. While that "old" Bengal was better, the new 2% permethrin still works for me. I have found that while a soap and water wash is a great preventative, it won't help after the little parasites have settled in. The steroid cream, ice compresses and all that other stuff only gives you something to do while you itch and scratch, and scratch, and continue scratching. Of course, I'm not suggesting that you use permethrin, but unless you're sensitive to it, you'll probably be EXTREMELY happy if you decide to try it. Ahhhhh. Blessed relief at last. (if you decide to try Bengal, to prevent a freeze burn, hold the can a few inches from the site you're spraying)
