Hot water…as hot as you can stand without burning yourself. Makes them itch like hell for a few seconds then the itch will stop.
Works everytime.
You may have chigger bites. I got them last summer after a walk in the woods.
NOTHING has caused me to itch as much as those chigger bites did! And it took about 3 weeks for them to go away.
The only thing that made me feel better for a little while was Burt’s Bees Almond Cream. I got it at the local Whole Foods Market (but it’s available elsewhere.) I used hydrocortisone cream and it helped me a little, but not as much as the Bee cream.
Good luck –
Archergal (never again going into the woods without Industrial Strength Insect Repellent)
I USE Deep Woods Off on my legs every morning. As much as I hate dousing myself in chemicals, I hate the bites more. I think I made the mistake of heading downstairs BEFORE spraying, which is how I got the current crop.
Tried tea-tree oil. Smells great, didn’t stop the itching.
I am taking notes. Should I get more of these bites, which is inevitable, I will try a bunch of this stuff. I know I’m not the only one who has problems like this around here, to judge by the sheer amount and variety of bug repellent and bug bite stuff you can get at any drugstore.
If the weather cooperates and we go see the fireworks tonight I think I’ll just bathe in Off first. 
I grabbed some of that Deep Woods Off (green aerosol can) on the way up to a camping trip on top of a mountain. Didn’t work a bit.
OTOH, I normally use Off Skintastic (spritz bottle, orange cap), which works great.
In addition to whatever good drugs you can get your hands on, try cold baths. I spent the better part of one summer in a cold tub with a book. It doesn’t stop the itching when you get out, but it soothes it while you’re soaking.
Another remedy that may work…
I have a rash of some sort on my knees and elbows; that, or a whole bunch of little tiny bugs decided to bite my there. Itchy and bothersome, especially trying to get to sleep at night. So, last night I was rubbing some Tiger Balm onto saddlesore thigh muscles, and an Idea hit! Tiger Balm contains menthol, and gives your skin an intense icy/hot sort of feeling. Would this work on itches? Only one way to find out.
Rub Tiger Balm onto itching knee. Wait, teeth clenched, for Magic Tiger Balm Action to kick in. (For those who have never used Tiger Balm, it takes a few minutes for it to soak in and start working.) Hmm… feeling the coolness now, and- yes, the itch is going away! Yes! Wait some more. Ooh, the intense part of the Magic Tiger Balm Action is starting. Well, at least it’s drowning out the itch. Turn onto side. Mistake; this rubbed the Tiger Balm off the itchiest part of the knee. Feel around in the dark for Tiger Balm can, smear some more on. Lay on back this time. Ahh, better.
The smell is quite strong, and I don’t know how the Magic Tiger Balm Action would react with Bug Bites From Hell. I would suggest trying it on only one bite to start with; if it works, do 'em all. Oh, and if the skin is broken at all, do NOT apply Tiger Balm! Let us know how everything goes, okay?
AfterBite[sub]TM[/sub]
I’m a bug buffet. It’s a skin and blood thing. I can wear unscented everything, light colored clothing, etc. and every fanged-and-stingered critter will flock for miles to munch down on my carcass. A routine mosquito bite swells bigger than a quarter, then inflames, itches and then seeps. It’s a quick, dire, technicolor flare-up that fades very quickly but lordy…
I don’t know what’s in AfterBite[sub]TM[/sub] though it smells suspiciously like ammonia. All I know is that it comes in handy, pencil-sized containers and it works. In summer I literally carry it in my purse, brief case, etc. I don’t care what it smells like. I dab it on and it puts out the fire, even through nylon hose in hot weather. It may sting on first application but it sure beats twitching and clawing my skin out from pure misery. The bites tend to heal up faster too, probably because I’m not clawing at them.
Good stuff.
Veb
SkinSoSoft. Every mother in the South probably has a few bottles under the sink.
It helps before you get bitten, of course.
It sounds like they might be mosquito bites. The reason you rarely see a mosquito biting you is because they have a “local anesthesia”, so that when they puncture your skin, you don’t fel it. Afterwards however, the bites start to itch. The worst thing you can do is scratch a mosquito bite. This apparently makes the itching worse, due to some chemical left by the mosquito.
I don’t THINK they have sand gnats in LA, they have them in GA but not in TX. Mosquitos really are the most likely.
If you’ve been bitten by chiggers, you have been in the woods, or foolishly playing with Spanish Moss. These usually leave red “dots” from what I remember being told as a child.
~J
Apparently I am very tasty to bugs. Every summer I get eaten alive. The thing that takes the sting and itch out of the bites for me is to cover the bite area with a little vinegar and water. It smells really bad but it feels so good. My father swears that if you use lye soap bugs won’t munch on you. I can’t stand by what he said as I never found lye soap to try it out but it’s a thought.