Off, Cutters, and other manufacturers make products both with and without DEET. DEET is the most effective insect repellent, but it is usually not recommended for children.
I have heard that some folks don't think Skin-So-Soft bath oil works, but it's always worked just fine for this Florida native. Dilute it 50-50 with water.
I'd be very reluctant to take a prophylactic dose of benedryl. Benedryl is great stuff, but it makes me sleepier than I want to be...which can be dangerous if you're driving for example. And I don't like to take any medicine unless I absolutely need it.
I'd prefer insect repellents and various brands of sting swabs/topical sprays/lotions if I get bitten.
If you really need benedryl, it's fairly quick-working so I doubt taking it beforehand really adds much.
The other downside is that allergic reactions worsen with each exposure, so taking benedryl instead of using repellent is actually probably making future reactions worse...even though the current bite doesn't itch as bad as it might have.
Just FYI, all insects carry some type of venom. Welts, pain, rash, and itching in the area of the bite are all normal reactions -- even big painful welts. That's just your immune system working normally. You will react differently to various bites. I get nothing but a little itch from mosquito bites, a burning small welt that goes away in a matter of seconds from most wasp bites, but a quarter-sized knot that hurts for hours from a horsefly.
An abnormal reaction to any allergen includes a red rash (hives) away from the envenomation site (usually the abdomen) and tingling, numbness, or swelling of the tongue and/or lips. Either of those signs can indicate a real emergency and the person needs medical attention immediately.
I've never seen an abnormal reaction to sand fleas or noseeums (or mosquitoes, for that matter), but I guess anything's possible.
