It’s mosquito season and I have buffalo sized ones zipping around the backyard as I type this.
Thanks to their first feast on my ankles tonight and an earlier comment from Kim, I was inspired to dig through every tip I had regarding mosquito bites and relief from the itching. Scritch Scratch.
I haven’t tried most of the suggestions below, but I’ll note which ones have worked for me.
Here are more than 40 tips organized in one neat file, each bullet point is a single method:
Quick Comfort From Household Items:
- Rub a bar of soap over the itch. I just tried this (Ivory) and the relief was near instant. I used a dry bar directly on the skin, but I also have notes that you can spritz with water first and then run bar of soap over area–or use a wet bar of soap.
- Place a piece of scotch tape over top; or dab rubbing alcohol or ammonia on the area first then stick on a piece of tape.
- Hot water: Take a shower, or bath, or cover with a compress. As hot as you can stand it without burning you.
- Ice cube, ice pack or very cold water
Dabbers
The quicker you can apply one of the remedies below, the faster the relief. These are topical suggestions, administer directly to the area.
- Nail Polish
- Strong tea mixed with rubbing alcohol
- Toothpaste (works for me)
- Mouthwash
- Vinegar (full strength or take a hot bath with 2 cups of vinegar added to the tub)
- Honey
- Underarm deodorant (solid or roll-on)
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Ammonia
- Bleach
- Use a tea bag or a cotton ball soaked in tea to dab on skin (make sure to have either choice as hot as you can handle without burning)
Paste Remedies
Mix these fresh with water (unless otherwise noted) then apply as soon as possible. The consistency should be nice and thick so it won’t run, yet will still stay in place on the affected area. You could also spritz the wound with water then administer grains/powders directly (generously) and rub them in. If in tablet form, crush first before adding liquid.
- Baking Soda (works for me)
- Meat Tenderizer
- Salt
- Epsom Salt (could also do this as a foot soak if it’s the ankle/foot affected)
- Tums Tablets
- Aspirin
- Aspirin – crush then combine with a few drops of rubbing alcohol
Commercial Product Lotions, Creams & Topicals
*Direct application
- Calamine Lotion
- Benadryl Cream
- Orajel
- Anbesol
- Caladryl
- Vicks VapoRub (works for me)
- Preparation H (works for me)
- Lucas Papaw Ointment
- Tiger Balm
- Bag Balm
- Gold Bond Medicated Cream (or the Gold Bond Medicated Powder)
- Mylanta (heartburn product)
- After Bite
Essential Oils
Use full strength or combine with olive oil. Edit: There are concerns about using essential oils on children and pre-teens, especially repeated use.
- Tea Tree
- Lavender
- Witch Hazel (astringent)
- Cedar
Leafy Antidote
*Crush the fresh leaves roughly then apply
- Basil
- Plantains (Plantago)
Fruity Treatments
*Use fresh fruit & apply directly to skin
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Slice
- Lime Juice
- Lime Slice
- Banana Peel (rub with the inside of the peel)
Whew! Big List! If I’ve missed your favorite, most effective curative, please add them below.
Notes
- If a remedy doesn’t soothe or provide quick comfort, don’t despair. Give it another try, sometimes it will take 2 or 3 applications before it kicks in.
- How long does the itchiness/irritation last? Usually about 3 or 4 days but can be up to a week! If things are unbearable and none of the remedies above provide any lasting respite, taking an antihistamine can help (both adults and children).
- The itch is a reaction from the saliva of the skeeter that it injects into you as it feasts on your blood. There are several dozen different species and you may react to some species bites more than others.
- Too match scratching (especially with dirty fingernails) can actually cause an infection (pus develops, redness surrounding blister, feverish). If a child can’t stop fussing with it and irritating things more, covering with a bandaid will help provide some protection.
- If large swelling occurs (like welts), contact a doctor or pharmacist for suggestions (especially if it’s a child with a strong reaction). It could be an allergy to the skeeter bite. It’s important to watch the throat for swelling, nausea and changes to breathing. Seek professional medical treatment without delay.
Update: You’ll find tips on repelling mosquitoes here.
I tried the deodorant treatment and it actually worked…for about 4 hours. And then the itching started again. I made the mistake of scratching the deodorant covered bug bite. The deodorant ended up under my fingernails and since it has a waterproof quality to it, it wouldn’t readily wash off my hands. It was a bit of a mess.
I’m thinking of trying OraJel. Any thoughts?
The hot hot methods (like the spoon mentioned above) work for me – living in China, I pour always-available boiling water into a Nalgene bottle and hold the bottle against my mosquito bites until it feels prickly. I discovered this out of sheer desperation, but it’s working like a charm.
After Bite works really well for me (although I think it’s just overpriced ammonia in a little tube), but I never seem to have it on hand when I need it. I think I’ll try the soap method, and I’ll see if I can get my hands on some vitamin B pills. Thanks, all, for the tips!
My pharmacist recommended Campho-Phenique, which is a painreliever you rub on the bite. The first time I tried it immediately after I got the bite, the bite virtually disappeared. The second time I tried it an hour or two after I was bitten and it didn’t do much. Benadryl works temporarily too. For ant bites I usually rub in a water and baking powder paste – its a bit abrasive, but it usually takes care of the bite. These all work best if applied immediately.
I have found that if I cut a postage stamp size piece of a Salon Pas (pain relieving) patch and place it on the bite, the itch goes away in a few minutes and the bite is gone in a few hours. I don’t know why it works, but I think it is the anti-inflamatory action of the patch. I have heard good things about Vick Vaporub too, and they share (most) common ingredients.
I am moderately allergic to those skeeter bites, but have good results by taking one B1 vitamin a day helps to deter those little pests. It does seems to keep them away, and the vitamin is probably good for you too!
I’ve heard of taking a garlic pill everyday works to keep them from biting you but I have never tried it so I dont know I think it will be the next thing I try though.
Apparently the mosquitoes are attracted in the first place by the smell of our feet so I find a peppermint or lavender foot rub liberally applied on feet and lower legs BEFORE going outside really does deters the little blanks!
My doctor suggested taking Vitamin B tablets to change the smell of ones sweat but that didn’t work for me.
Regards from England.
Vicks is a lifesaver!!
I also reccommend elevating the bitten area to reduce swelling. Reducing the swelling should help the bites to dissappear faster.
I especially like aloe vera gel with lidocaine. The aloe cools and sooths and the lidocaine numbs the skin to stop itching. I usually take benadryl at night (sleepy, sleepy!) I also wear seamless (or inside-out), close-fitting, knit (stretchy) cotton clothing. The layer of cotton prevents irritation when the arm/leg/etc comes brushes against anything and doesn’t brush against the bites, as it generally stays put. I do the same for hives.
Wearing clothes inside out!?!?! GENIOUS! Although my massive mosquito welts are on my heals and ankles, I will keep this in mind for my future sanity if I ever suffer like this again. Perhaps I’ll through on some socks tonight.
Normally I am able to suffer it (the itch) out and ‘walk it off’ so to speak – the bite usually disappears within an hour or so. if it’s about the size of a dime, I put an ‘x’ in it with my fingernail, spit on it and sprinkle some salt on top (my papa’s remedy), although that usually spreads the mosquito bite first for a short time.
This time? Not so lucky!
Perhaps I developed a new allergy! Great!!!
Thanks for this fantastic blog! It’s already been added to my favorites, and I plan on using any and every remedy it takes until I can get on with my life.
Stupid mosquitos!
You’ve definitely figured it out. There is no single cure all. You have to try all the suggestions until you find the one that works.
Growing up, spit (my own) and dry bar of soap (in those days it would have been Ivory) worked. As I’ve grown older and my skin has changed (along with the rest if me), I’ve had to try different things.
A few nights ago I was bitten. The itchiness spread from my ankles up to my knees, along with swelling and small hives.
Tonight, I tried the hot compress (damp washcloth heated in the microwave and kept in place for 60 seconds). Relief was instantaneous, but after a few minutes I felt it begin to return.
Next I tried the basil because I have it growing in my yard.
I took about 12-15 large leaves and crushed them with a mortar and pestle until the juices ran freely. I used the pulp like a sponge and painted both of my entire legs.
An hour has gone by and still no itching and the swelling has greatly diminished.
Bottom line: try each suggestion until you find the one that works for you. And don’t be surprised if sometime down the road you have to repeat the process and find a new remedy.
Grandma, you’re so right. I appreciate all the suggestions here. I have also used holy basis liquid that seems to calm them down.
I meant holy basil.:)
Me again. The deodorant cure has partially worked. It muted the itch enough that I am not scratching like a flea bitten dog. I don’t know if it would work at night when my itch response is the strongest. I’ll let you know.
I have 11plus mosquito bites on my legs. I was desperate and discovered this site. Thank you all for your suggestions. I started with the Vicks and hand sanitizer together and that provided relief for a moment. I then tried toothpaste and gel deodorant and that helped for a moment too and my legs smell great, I have now added a topical itch relief gel on top of all the others (I did nt wash off the other remedies) and now I have relief. Can’t tell you which one worked for sure but I am itch free for the moment.
I had forgotten about salt and water paste, salt draws out fluids. I was going insane and needed something really fast. Thanks for all of the suggestions! I was close to asking someone to hit me on the head and knock me out!!
We’ve rid our area of mosquitoes but no-see-um are even worse!!!!!
Do these remedies work for those miserable pests also? I’m starting with the deodorant cure. How about the machine with the mild electric current?
Sea Breeze. Works every time.
I finally found an acceptable public domain picture of a real mosquito (via wikipedia), who knew that stock photo sites would have false mosquito pics to download? ;).
Thanks to those who pointed out the error, you weren’t ignored and I appreciate the feedback :).
Bleach. Always works for me.
This also works with wasp & bee stings!
Apply directly ASAP with a q-tip or cotton ball. I usually let it dry, then wash it off.
I wouldn’t do this if you have scratched it and broken the skin first though, or on a child too young to understand not to taste it.
I grew up in Africa and can attest to the effectiveness of a product manufactured by Rhone Poulenc pharmacuetical named Anthisan (Active ingredient Mepyramine Maleate). Provided you get to the bite quickly, this is 100% effective. This product is not available in the US but can be bought online from UK pharmacies. I am never without it and do not fear the mosquitos in the Georgia woods
A tip I learned a few years ago and have sworn by ever since:
1) Put a mug of water in the microwave for a minute. It should be very hot, maybe a little steaming, but not boiling.
2) Remove the mug. Stick a metal spoon in the water for about 10-15 seconds. The metal on the spoon end will get hot.
3) Take a deep breath, and place the hot end of the spoon onto the bite. It will sting like hell for about 5 seconds, but after that, no more itch forever.
It’s a little masochistic, but it works.
From what I understand, it just burns the saliva of the mosquito away. Poof! No more itch.
Warning: if you do it too long, or too hot, you will burn yourself a little, and have a pink mark instead of a bite. I however, much prefer to not itch. Due to the sharp pain for a brief moment, I wouldn’t recommend this one for kids. But if you can stand it, you’ll never need another semi-quack remedy, or $8 anti-histamine. Good luck!
i just tried this and it is amazing. while it hurts like hell for a few seconds, it is instant itch relief. thank you so much for this tip
Yeah it work!!! it’s midnight i think i can get some sleep now!! Thanks, but dont try it for kids cause it does hurt alot at first!
I had a horrible allergic reaction to mosquito bites on my feet. They turned into giant red welts. I tried benedyrl, cortisone cream, vinegar, and toothpaste. This was seriously my last attempt because I was contemplating going to the ER because the itching was so bad and I couldn’t sleep. I tried this, and miracle or miracles, it worked! It’s incredibly painful for about 5 seconds, but I cannot begin to describe the relief I got from this. Thank you for such an amazing remedy! You saved me!
Many years ago I got bittem in Belgium and my legs were covered in mozzy bites which have left me with scars and sometime water retention causes these to be most painful. These bites made my life misrable and I have had bites since but if I cover my legs and body in jungle fomula extra strength lotion I do not get any bites. I went to the doctors with my bites and he gave me some pads shiny on one side and white bandage type on the other. I applied insect cream then put the pad on shiny side up this draws the puss out the bite you can see it on the pad next day if you leave overnight. If you have aN understanding doctor they will give you Anti biotics.found a bath in really hot water with some vinegar did wonders until I applied my other remedies. THE IDEA IS TO RID YOURSELF OF THE POISON THESE HORRID THINGS INJECT.
Pour vodka into a shot glass, dip a finger into it and lightly rub over the bite a few times. Always works for me. Chilled vodka works best.
Doesn’t work for other liquors — tried once.
most of the stuff like afterbite and calamine lotion doesnt work, but when i get bitten i scratch really hard untill it bleeds, then put afterbite on it, it stings like hell but it works for a few seconds then i forget about it and it goes away for 10 hours or so, also when i scratch them and they bleed the dry out a bit, and then i usually take water and just try to soak it in and let it dry out. it might work, i havent tryed the other stuff ut im not sure bout that
You would think that all of the remedies for mosquito bites that are manufactured for sale over the counter would work. Supposedly, these products are the result of extensive, expensive research conducted by large companies with the monitary and scientific resources to succeed in finding the magic formula. Wow, am I naive! Well, if any of you out there really does have the answer, don’t post it on this web site…just email it to me. I could use a million dollars!!!
I worked for 18 years, three months a year tilling gardens in the spring. I found that Skin-so-soft and ammonia to be the two best repellents, and ammonia to stop the itch if any do bite. For ticks; after I removed the tick Ichthammol Ointment 20% (Wal-mart)applied to a band-aid and placed over the wound, will drew the blood thinner out and stop the itch.
I have become allergic to the buzzing evil ones over the last couple years and have tried all the over the counter stuff to little avail. The first thing I can verify here is that NOT ITCHING is far and away the most beneficial first line of defense regardless of what follows. I unkowingly got 3 bites on the hand yesterday, itched them a few times thinking it was something else (duh) and lost sleep last night due to them. After researching a bit more I had to try the hot water thing and it worked. The swelling has abated (the back of my hand was huge) and the itch has been totally gone for nearly 4 hours now. I used a wetted hand towel folded 4 times and warmed in the microwave. You unfold the towel as it cools unvieling a new, still warm side each time. I think the key is that it needs to be quite hot. Well, there’s my 2 cents and even John should be pleased with this one. 😉 All the best!
Has anyone heard of tabbing a slice of fresh gingerroot to the bite?
I have been using raw garlic for the last 55 of my 60 years on mosquito, ant, scorpion and wasp bites. It works wonders. My 3 year old grand daughter knows to go outside with a clove of garlic. She knows what to do with it when she gets bitten and does it because of the relief that comes within seconds.
I know that the crushed plantain leaves work. We used to mash it up a little and then put it directly on the mosquito bite. It’r fast relief, and actually makes it much smaller! In a few cases when I found the mosquito bites early and didn’t scratch them at all, they actually made them disappear entirely!
Uhh. the picture of the “mosquito” above is actually not a Mosquito.
the correct name of that insect is actually a Crane fly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly
AKA mosquito hawks, mosquito eaters (or skeeter eaters), gallinippers, gollywhoppers, Jellyhoppers and jimmy spinners.
contrary to popular belief, crane flies do not prey on mosquitoes as adults, nor do they bite humans.
I’ve found that a hot compress draws the saliva out of the body. Much like you would put a hot compress on a pimple or going into a sauna to draw out the impurities from your body. As a matter of fact I’ve gone into a sauna with mosquito bites and after I came out found immediate relief from a mosquito bite and at times the bites were gone.
ITA with the comments by MARY…. I’m moderately to severely allergic to mosquito bites, with similar symptoms as MARY. (I also usually deveop bruises around the bite sites once the bites begin to “heal.” Any hints for that problem… anybody?) *** I try to use all sorts of repellants – to avoid them in the first place – but nothing seems to work…. they just seem to love my blood more. *** This past Saturday, i got over 12 bites on EACH of my ankles/lower legs. on the following day, my left foot/ankle became very swollen (due to several bites in the same area.) I wasn’t unable to wear my regular shoes and walking is painful due to the swelling. – I’m currently using ice packs and oral Benadryl. Sometimes that works… sometimes it doesn’t. I just found this site and am thankful for the additional tips. I”m considering trying some Cloraseptic, next.
Just wanted to address Mr. John Lancia’s scathing comment on the merits of applying chemicals to ourselves “just so that you don’t have to put up with itching for a little while.” If it were only a little bit of itching for a little while, I would not give mosquito bites a second thought. They turn into huge welts and are sometimes incredibly painful. During the height of the season, I lose weeks of sleep, which is not healthy. My lymph nodes get swollen, which is quite painful, and a bit scary. I become unpleasant to be around, due to annoyance at constantly being itchy, pain in lymph nodes, and lack of sleep.
I agree that slathering ourselves with chemicals may not be the best idea, but sometimes it is what maintains my sanity!
i dig them untill they bleed. pain is better than itching. losing my mind here…..ahhh scabs!
so since you don’t mind pain i have a little crazy very weird thing that helps my bug bites… i get a lighter and flick the flame…then turn it upside down so that the flame heats up the metal part of the lighter for a few seconds and then put flame out and put the heated metal part of my lighter on my bug bite and it’ll sting just for a second or two but then if it was hot enough you won’t have to deal with the itching anymore. and no it doesn’t leave a scar. and yes..i know thats weird…
I am seriously allergic to mosquito bites and get bitten even after spraying with repellant.
Having spent a fortune on conventional itch removers I found a first nations website which recommends rubbing the inside of a banana skin onto bites – wow! within 10 seconds all signs of itching is gone. You need to rub fairly hard but it works so well. Good Luck
i have a daughter that doesn’t do well with any kinda bug bites the best thing that we have used on ther was the benadrel that is the best i would have to say that before she goes out side i give her that an then i have no problem because the bites dont get as big….so the other things might work or might not you could also get the tea tree oil…
I bet you go through a lot of banana’s! I would have to buy stock in them to treat my daughter.
We have the only 100% botanical disinfectant, Benefect. It’s EPA-hospital grade, but the FDA considers every ingredient food. We take Benefect to the beach for general cleaning purposes. We had heard it worked as an insect repellant, and it did seem to work for us. What we discovered was that it is amazing after the bite. On the first night, 15 nieces and nephews were playing together on the beach. They came running in with multiple mosquito bites. I sprayed it on them to keep the mosquitoes from biting any more. Within 10 minutes they were all saying they had no itch, pain, or sting. It worked completely on 35 of us from 2 to 82. One spray, or just a dab, and the pain and itch are gone in about 10 minutes. Check the blogs on the website. Absolutely freaky stuff. Benefect is so safe that if you get it in your eyes or ingest it, there is no effect. Check the Safety Sheet (MSDS)at the product info page.
About the hot shower… A relative told me that the heat drew histamines to the surface of the skin and reduced itching for several hours at a time. I googled for a while and did find some research articles that seem to support this. The trick is that the heat actually has to hurt a little. I have used this for chiggers on my ankles, but I can’t just take a hot shower because I can’t stand the water hot enough. I just use the sprayer and keep a stream of HOT water on for 2-3 minutes. It has to actually hurt a little, I think. Then it’s sort of instant, as soon as the heat is gone they don’t itch again for me for several hours.
I was doubtful about some of these remedies but I was absolutely miserable and scratching until the bites bled so I decided to chance it and try one or two. This morning I tried the baking soda/water paste.. It helped a little.. but the releif was short. Even with benedryl gel I wasn’t getting much releif for very long. As luck would have it I have an extra tube of deoderant and so I tried that .. Thank you Thank you Thank you.. It worked for me! and my feet smell pretty too..:).
Hi, thanks for input on this remedy! Deodorant or antiperspirant?
I just tried deodorant and it worked for me! But we’re all different so what might work for some, might not work for others.
my 2 cents…
i slathered my bitten swollen ankles with body shop peppermint foot mask, and i had instant relief, which has lasted for more than an hour now.
I have a bad reaction to mosquito bites, I get the giant welts too. I once used a mint lotion after a hot shower, the shower didnt work but boy did that mint lotion sure work great. Ever since then if I get a bite I slather it with either mint lotion or dab a little mint oil and it works great!
PS…Sorry for spelling errors…I type between itching.
–Diann…
I can not keep the dang things away from me, They LOVE my BLOOD I guess.
I have tried a lot of different things the anit histimines (Or however you spell it) Seem to work the best for me, But I have to wait for them to take effect. So in the mean time clear nail polish works alright. I just have to sray myself head to toe everytime I walk outside even for a few minutes.
I heard that eating bananas attracts them. But I do not know how true that is. Because I stopped eating bananas for a long time and I STILL get chewed all to heck. My mom always wipes rubbing alcohol all over her arms and legs and that works for me.. YEAH RIGHT! I WISH!
I remember once I was out of clear nail polish and uped red. I looked like I had a bad case of the mumps But at least I was not as itchy!
P.S.
John Lancia…….lighten up a little!
(and I mean that in a nice way :- )
I am very allergic to mosquito bite saliva. This is what I’ve tried.
I am sitting here with tooth paste on a dozen bites!! Not getting the job done.
I tried the scotch tape thing earlier this evening. Still itching!! :- ( I also tried the dry and also the wet soap theory, the after-bite bleach stuff, Cortizone cream, aloe vera gell, Benadryl anti itch spray, etc. . .
Surely wish I had some of that Metigator to try right now. But it takes a few days to arrive after you order it.
I am miserable. The only thing that seems to ease it for a while is taking two Benadryl (pink & white) capsules. But by the time the 3rd hour rolls around, it’s wearing off. Then itch like crazy and wait till the 4 hours have elapsed to take another dose.
If I had it to do over, I’d have stayed home from Monday evening’s cook-out/bon fire entertainment. For sure and for certain!!
I have the same issues my ankles look like balloons with all the red swollen bite marks. I usually wash my ankle with warm soapy water then but a blot of Benadryl cream and a band-aid when going to bed, Otherwise in my sleep I scratch with my toes to the other foot & wake up all scratched up. I have found this works best, sometimes I will even take a Benadryl tablet or two. When I wake in the morning the bite is usually very tiny & no itch/scratch issues.
Of course with the cream & band-aids it looks like a war zone on my lower legs. But it seems to work the best.
I find the key is, whatever you’re doing to do, do it FAST–as soon as you get bit, while the wound is still open! I’m the kind who develops welts to the point where they can feel like they’re going to split the skin. The only thing that helps me is taking Benadryl pills and slapping on bandaids so I don’t scratch in my sleep.
I’ve tried the rubbing alcohol, After Bite, Avon spray, topical Benadryl, everything and they all help with the itchiness a little.
But the key thing to keep in mind is that this is an ALLERGIC response to the mosquito saliva, so only an antihistamine will really bring down the swelling and itching. Other people say they don’t get bit but they probably are–they just aren’t allergic so their skin doesn’t react. And again, take the Benadryl ASAP after getting bit. It really helps!
I’m not allergic, but I’ve tried several things too and none seem to work for more than 5 minutes. I tried that drawing and X with your finger thing…..it caused MORE itching!! SOOOO irritating. I have 8 bites. I guess compared to 20, I’m lucky!:) I’m going to try the toothpaste now.
Oh, the things I’ve tried taht failed were…
-Witch Hazel
-Banana Peel
-Drawing X With Finger (Didn’t get that anyway…)
Oh, quick tip: try only scratching AROUND the bite.
ok, well, is it ok if I do phsical remedues as well? Because I find that putting an x in your mosquito bite with your fingernails really helps. I learned that from a friend, and, initially, I thought it was a myth.
I do this all the time! My BF thinks I’ve tricked my mind into believing this works, but either way, it works wonders, its 100% natural and I always have a finger with me!
OMG! I do the same exact thing and it works excelent!!
me to!it does work,whats up with that?any one know?
Wow, I heard about this probably 15 years ago and until just now I had completely forgotten about it. I remember it worked then though.
Toothpaste works great
doesnt work for me.
Ive been up since the middle of the night—-itching….got the computer out and looked up bite relief………So far, I have rubbed soap on my legs (full of mosquitos), used Vodka (on the spots), tried crushing Alka Seltzer topical treatment, toothpaste and NOTHING has worked. Just took hot bath and itching remains crazy. Going insane. Continuing to try others. Will advise! ughhhh… 🙁
i have tried the toothpaste it helps a little bit then i tried the hot bath it helped for about an hour then itching remained then i tried ice and it feels so nice it stops the itching for such a lond time thank you for your advise
Try the spit. I did that while sitting here reading all this stuff and now no more itch!!!
Worked great for me.. and my feet are now a shiny, pearly white! lol But seriously, the toothpaste stopped the itch immediately.
You guys are amazing, it looks like a mosquito to me and I have no idea what those other bugs are that you’re mentioning, and not sure I wanna know, lol!
Thanks for the correction, now the hard part: to find a big enough pic of a real mosquito!
AND…your TipNut avitar isn’t a REAL person – it’s a CARTOON! Gasp! Your “mosquito” pic at the top is fine. We all get the idea of what it’s supposed to represent. Geesh!
It’s not a mosquito eater, or skeeter hawk or whatever. it’s a Crane fly. They don’t eat mosquitoes, but their larvae sometimes feed on mosquito larva. Sometimes.
That picture at the top of the page is not a mosquito it is a mosquito eater.
Hi John, this is simply a collection of home remedies I’ve collected.
nail polish (pdf file) is a suggested application for tick removal.
Deodorant hasn’t been removed from the market due to causing Parkinsons Disease, that’s why most of us wear it and apply it daily (if not more). If your research shows otherwise, I suggest you inform the FDA because they haven’t found that evidence yet.
Lavender Oil is a common application for insect bites, however there are questions found on that page, not established, that repeated use (such as using shampoos and lotions with lavender oil) may cause boys to develop breasts. A single application for a mosquito bite is something different entirely.
I’ll make a note above regarding the essential oils. I’ll keep cynide off the list though ;).
Edit to Add: (these have already been addressed above, but here again so they’re all in one place)
Ammonia is in commercial mosquito bite treatments such as After Bite
Bleach is mentioned in eMedicine and The Doctors Book of Home Remedies as well as others (do a search for “Bleach Mosquito Bites”
I think those items are what was causing concern? Everything else is either consumed, applied to skin naturally or put in our mouth for oral hygiene purposes.
Also, Rubbing Alcohol is a wound cleaner.
No one is suggesting that anyone has to use any treatment they’re not comfortable with or question, but I hope by showing the above information it is easier to understand why they were included on this list.
Thank you :).
thank you for informing him
How about taking cyanide? It works faster that slowly poisoning yourself with acetone (nail polish) or any of the other many harmful chemicals that are listed as ‘remedies’ on this page. Deodorant! WTF? Increase your chances of getting Parkinson’s disease just so that you don’t have to put up with itching for a little while. You guys should do some research before shooting your mouths off about coating yourself in dangerous chemicals.
BTW, Tea Tree oil and Lavender oil are proven to cause breast growth in young children (boys too), so really, are the potential risks worth the short term benefits being sought here?
Acetone isn’t in nail polish. It’s in nail polish remover.
Also, anti-perspirant is what can lead to Parkinson’s, not deodorant. Tom’s of Maine is aluminum free and perfectly safe.
I am doing allergy shots and have had difficulty with itchy reactions. I found this site after being EXTREMELY itchy all night. I tried the deodorant remedy, and this is the only thing that relieved my itching enough to be able to sleep for a few hours. When the itching is bad enough that you fantasize about peeling the skin off your body, I think trying some remedies like the deodorant can’t be bad. I guess you’ve never had any reactions that have been that bad. Good for you, but for others, a little relief can go a long way for sanity. Thanks so much to tipnut for posting this. It helped me get through the day for sure!
tea tree oil is a wonderful product! you know nothing about it. my mom uses this health company called melaluca and they say tea tree oil is the best product to use!
a long time ago,when there wasnt these niffty over the counter meds they used tea trea oil,its in alot of things now.just go to the store and look in the meds isle or ask any older women over 50.
All these remedies are to be done in moderation not numerous times a day, or for a long period of time. Before you go in with guns blazing do research, for the effects you are talking about people would have to do them everyday for more hours then are in a day, think of it especially the deodorant, people use that on a daily basis, yet the percentage of people who get parkinsons from it are few. Also Tea Tree oil & lavender can cause temporary breast enlargement in some boys, but it is very rare & does not happen in most cases, and in all cases as soon as a young boy stops using the tea tree oil & lavender, their breast return to normal & is no way a permenant condition. oh and again, the research was over the span of a year with daily use. Again, take your own advice & do some research before you go shooting your mouth out about the dangers of certain remedies.
Hi Ahd Child, I had the same hesitations with ammonia and bleach. I discovered that the commercial products one buys contain ammonia: epinions: After Bite.
For bleach I found references such as eMedicine eMedicine and a book mention The Doctors Book of Home Remedies. These two examples have a bleach/water flush, not a dab of bleach but you can do some more research online with “bleach mosquito” or something like that.
Thanks for adding to the list everyone, great tips! 🙂
ETA: Reminder that it’s Ammonia OR Bleach, they’re not applied together.
One thing one your list that I saw was the hot compress/shower tip. I’m going to say that this doesn’t work. When I get in the shower, I just itch more. Part of this is because the itchiness is caused by inflammation as a reaction to the bite. Heat causes more inflammation by dilating the blood vessels near the skin surface…and causing fluid accumulation. This is why you’d never put a hot pack on a freshly sprained ankle.
Hot water like in a shower is the only thing that has help me. When I try an icepak, the bites swell more and I end up with extreme itching and then a big blister. Heat (hot water ) is the way to go!
Hmmm I dunno but ice works perfectly on me i always use an ice pack and put it on the bite and it always works ^_^ it never swells or give me blisters =D
I used ice on a bite and all it did was make it worse and I had to call “ask a nurse” and she said it freezes the venom in that spot and I should put heat packs on it and that worked.
You may be allergic to the ice. A separate problem altogether. My daughter gets hives from the cold. She even struggles with itchy tounge when she eats a popsicle. May not be related to the insect bite at all.
i think it’s different for people, as long as it works for you than use it cause it might not work on you, but may work for someone else 🙂
Localised heat is the only thing that works for me.
I’m allergic to mosquito bites, so I get extensive swelling – with a bad bite I can get a swelling that’s three inches across. The skin becomes hot and tight and the itch is unbearable – but the more I scratch, the worse the swelling will be. These bites are not infected, just terribly swollen (I’ve had them so bad I’ve been sent to the A&E department by a friend who’s a nurse and was very concerned by the site of my swollen foot!)
I tried literally everything – oral antihistamines, topical creams, home remedies – I’ve walked around with bananaskins clingfilmed onto my feet, baking soda paste on my hands and various over the counter remedies on other parts of me, and they just do not work. The itch persists, I scratch (willpower only goes so far – and I have been known to scratch in my sleep) and the bite swells up.
Topical application of localised heat dissipates the histamine all at once and stops the itching. A whole hot shower is a bit excessive – try just tipping a clean flannel into water that’s as hot as you can stand it, and applying it as a compress to the bite site. Hold it against the bite – I try to do it for 10 seconds. It takes the itch out of the bites for anything up to eight hours. No itch, no scratching. No scratching, and while I still get an allergic reaction, the bumps are more like an inch of swelling, not huge lumps. They also heal far more quickly.
My personal combination now is an oral antihistamine (for good luck more than anything else), hot compresses followed by antiseptic cream, and then an oral anti-inflammatory to help bring the swelling down. It usually puts paid to my bites in two or three days, whereas before I could suffer for a week or ten days with a bad bite.
Oh – and of course never underestimate the efficacy of just not getting bitten, which is sometimes easier said than done!
Yea I think im allergic too. Not as bad as your bites but the hot shower made me itch like crazy and itch in my sleep too (not my fault) lol. I have them all the way up my back and all over my waist line and a few on my arms and legs. Theres 3 of them that are HUGE I used the baking soda paste and it gave me relief for about an hour and it was un bearable itching again… I just used a REALLY hot towel and rubbed it on my bites and then I put some deoterant on the bites it helped a little you might wanna try that. I cant take benedrill or anything like that because I get hives and I get super mean Im like allergic to it. But I would try the deoterant thing and then try to go to sleep right after it ^_^
My 7 yr old daughter is like this too. If she gets a bite on her ankle, in twelve hours you won’t be able to tell where her ankle used to be. We went camping this weekend. I used bug spray every day. Day two, I didn’t use it until late afternoon, nobody else was being bothered. She counted her bites tonight… 19! I have to find a better repellant and I am here trying to find a remedy for comfort and to reduce swelling. She also scratches in her sleep. I am worried about infection.
I think I may be allergic as well. I have a MASSIVE bite on my underarm and it’s hot, it’s bright red, and it itches so bad.
Omg the tooth paste worked 4 me 2! It was so funny. As soon as i put it on instant relif! It works for me. I wouldnt use bleach. Couldnt that make u pass out n stuff?
same here
Many of these sound good and worth trying, but some don’t sound very safe. Bleach and ammonia applied directly to skin?
If chemistry class serves me right amonia and bleach will create mustard gas. Please, DO NOT EVER MIX BLEACH WITH ANYTHING! I can not stress this enough. Even items such as vinegar can be dangerous with bleach. This mixture creates chlorine gas. Bleach is bad news: just don’t mix it!
I don’t think they mean MIX bleach with something and apply it.
I think they listed it as just ONE solution for itching.
I haven’t tried it for itch but, for other purposes, I have used bleach directly ON my skin and also in my bath water. Been doing it for about 10 years with NO problem.
It’s not like I use it on a daily schedule but maybe once or twice a week.
I wouldn’t use bleach on my skin. Look how it destroys your tub. It takes the finish right off. For those people who are allergic to natural remedies that have sulfites in them I use benadryl or purell.
I agree with jean(MY name too)…common sense tells u not 2 use bleach and amonia TOGETHER but used individually they DO work. I put a little bleach n my bath water and i also have used it straight and i still have skin….hasn’t eaten me raw YET…
What the what? You put bleach in your bathwater!? Whoa… Just spilling a small amount of bleach on my skin causes a mild rash. The idea of sitting naked in a tub full of bleach water is a terrifying thought.
ur not supposed to FILL up your bath water with bleach, just pour alittle and it shouldnt do any harm
Actually the popular product AFTER BITE is nothing more than Ammonia and an oil mixture. That is why Ammonia and Bleach are on the list. I have used After Bite and it causes no adverse side affects when applied directly to skin, however this product doesn’t work that well (for me anyway).
I find that it just makes it sting as opposed to itch for a second and then itches again….
Dichlorin (Bleach) and trisulfer (amonia) are the only components in mustard gas….so that oil is not amonia.
Bleach is not “dichlorin”, it is sodium hypochlorite (NaCLO). Ammonia is not “trisulfer”, it is nitrogen compound (NH3).
While mixing household bleach and ammonia together will produce a toxic gas (chloramine NH2CL), it is not mustard gas (1,5-dichloro-3-thiapentane). Mustard gas is an extremely potent blister agent, causing large fluid filled blisters 12-24 hours after exposure. Mixing bleach and ammonia will not produce mustard gas, but it can be dangerous.
Directed to Mobetter…
1. Chlorine is abbreviated as Cl, not CL.
2. House hold ammonia is ammonium hydroxide, it’s vapor pressure is substantially weak so it does emit NH3(g) vapors.
3. The production of chloramine isn’t always 100% guaranteed- the reaction leaves the system with amine and chloro radicals… based on its reaction conditions pends what your products will be.
You’re absolutely correct that the components do not synthesis mustard gas by any close means.
-Just wanted to clarify some things.
Also, I personally use any topical anesthetics that use lidocaine or benzocaine. I’m sure individuals can find something of the sort in their medicine cabnits.
Thanks for posting this!
only if you wash it off with cool water because then your skin will have a bleach spot permanently.
please dont do that
There is some stuff called Smile’s PRID you can get at many drug stores that works great for mosquito and other insect bites. You just put some on an adhesive bandage and cover the bite with it. The itching will stop and the bite itself will go away pretty quickly.
if I used bandaides to cover all my mosquito bites, I would look like The Mummy.
LOL…The MUMMY…lol
LOOL your funny 😀
You forgot about WD-40! They now have WD-40 pen you can carry with you and dab on bites. With the Choraseptic trick if needed this is a mean arsenal for a summer of fun!
DO NOT RUB WD-40 ON YOUR SKIN. It is a poisonous petroleum product!
WD-40 is actually fish oil based!
lol because thats not a bad idea.
OMG poison will get into your bloodstream!!! that is SO not a good idea if you want to live. lol
Spit always works for me ….
Mike,
I use a little table salt with the spit, bite goes away real fast. Rub it in.
After reading nearly half of the responses I decided to try the table salt idea. I poured about 2 tbsp of salt in a small dish and add just enough water to soak the salt. I applied it like a paste on my bites (about 50 on each foot and ankle). It stung a bit but if you can resist scratching in the first minute, it seems to work.
You are correct when stating you need to resist scratching for the first minute, I posted what worked for me above.
Does it have to be your spit Mike? 😉 lol
For me, i spit on it then draw a circle around it with pen, works wonders,
that is extremely disgusting, and it didn’t work.
how is your spit discuting its in YOUR mouth!!!!
I was reading through the list and swore I would see saliva also. I dab a little spit on my mosquito bites and this always seems to work. It’s not instant but if you can refrain from scratching the bite for about a minute after applying, the itching goes away.
OMG same here
There’s been a few times for me that I’ve had a mosquito bite that’s itched so bad I’ve bit it (don’t ask why, haha) and in the process getting a bit of saliva on it, which seemed to help. But I think I’ll stick with Benadryl or something, ha.
I’m not sure what Patrick Kennedy is talking about. My husband is US Army for 20 years and hasn’t ever seen or heard of that stuff (we checked out the link). He’s been in mosquito infested areas as well, and for extended lengths of time I might add. If any US military service would use it, it would not be due to how well it would work, but how low the bid was for the contract. The truth is, they do not much care if soldiers itch or not.
That said, I was going to suggest one missed in the post under commercial products. I often use Chloraseptic ®, or a generic equivalent. It works especially well just after bites, when it is most uncomfortable. You can either spray it directly onto the area, or a better way is to apply it with either a cotton ball or Q-tip. I’m a nurse myself and this is my favorite way of dealing with it. It’s great because you can carry a tiny container of the solution with you for fast and instant relief. 🙂
*admin edit: magnoliasouth is referencing a comment that has since been deleted
Hi,
The ice pack worked best for me thanx!!!!!!!!!!!
I have always used Burt’s Bees chapstick and other products, and they always work, so when i saw that Burt’s Bees made “Bug Bite Relief” i tried it, and it works wonders!!! It gives you instant relief and it comes in a tube like chapstick. you just wind it up apply and wind it back down and its small, so its carry size.
Hope this helps!!!!
Thnx sooooooooo much! I will definatly try it! Im willing to try anything to get these darn bug bites off! BTW: does any1 have any more suggestions besides what they have already coverd? If u do i would really appriciate it!
ps:The hot bath does stop the releaf for a while but i suggest that u try doing the cold bath before the hot one!
thanks a bunch:
Molly Ringwald 🙂
Toothache medicine. or anything w/ lidocaine
there is a spray, solarcaine, w/ lots of lidocane in it. even though its made for sunburns it works geat on minor bites.
A friend told me to draw a circle around the bite with an ink pen and it really does work.
I would like to see some one try this…LOL
It doesnt work, but it makes a great smiley face!
omg! i did that just today 🙂 it was fun..i look like a freak though
WHY??? so u can remember where 2 scratch??
It totally worked for me, crazy. I couldn’t sleep my feet were itching so bad.
Incredibly weird, but seems to be working. A nice one if you’re stuck in an office away from a medicine cabinet.
We make a box around the bite, as soon as the itch began. With a finger nail, edge of a coin, etc. Anything that will make an indentation. Our doctor would use a circle with a pen method as a marker to see if the infected area became larger than the circle, if it did a prescription was necessary.
actually i heard to make an ex with your nail on the mosquito bite
I’m outside a lot during the summer, so I always have Mosquito bites. Right now I have 20-30 bites, so if I drew circles around them, I’d look like freaking Spongebob, haha. I’ll try this before getting in the shower. Hope it works.
I drew circles on mine.. Then colored them in and removed with a baby wipe. They still itch but not as much
This does not work at all.
the reason for this one is not to relieve the itch in the same way as the other ‘remedies’ listed here. circling the bite with a pen is just a way of scratching to relieve the itch of the bug bit without damaging the skin and causing possible infection. nothing about the ink is supposed to be medicinal.
now the area feels a bit numb.
that sooo doesmt work, i just waisted an hour drawing circles around my bugbites, now they look like warts!!
With your fingernail( if long enough) make an x through it. It takes some of the itch away
The lemon juice worked for me also the toothpaste
I do this all the time! Mostly to remember where NOT to scratch and keep a count of how many bites I have. After an impromptu night by the pool, ny total is 19, 13 on my toes alone. Its 336am as I’m writing this, wide awake because of the itchiness. Benadryl usually works. But with so many so close, it hasn’t done much. I tried toothpaste for the first time, the cooling sensation help, but was short lived. I then decided to wash the toothpaste off with HOT running water, and it calmed them enough to draw my circles. Most of them have remained calm, but a few are still raising hell on my toes. Another round of Benadryl, and socks to keep me from tearing my skin while I sleep.
If you get dryer sheets and rub them on your skin it keeps the mosquito off of you. its like bug spray that smells good! 😀
Tried the dryer sheets, seemed to attract more mosquito then usual, I actually had more bites then when I us bug spray.
it has to be Bounce original sheets. the Ogden Nature center uses them, and says they’re the only kind that works to keep the bugs away.
I’ve found that if I cut open the bite, and squeeze out the saliva that the mosquito leaves behind, there is instant relief. I just did that earlier today. Just make sure you use a sterile point to puncture the bite, to prevent further infection. ; )
ive tried that too. it works for me. 🙂
um… anyone else see a problem with cutting your skin open?
not a good idea could cause more infection especially if you have 20 bites!!!
Great minds think alike. I’ve been itching so much it seems that’s all I can think about is just slicing,(sterilised instrument) into the red bump and dabbing an antiseptic into it. I’ve got some Tea Tree and TCP oil so I’ll try either one and see what happens. Hope the minor surgery works for me too.
Yes, it really does work! After that, dab a bit of Tea Tree Oil on it. Almost instant relief!
By the way, I sliced the skin, very slightly, with a sewing needle. Two or three pricks into the red bump and out comes what looks like puss. Dab the Tea Tree Oil and in a few seconds no more itching. Don’t forget to sterilise whatever you use.
That would work, but I’m not comfortable with cutting myself. What if it doesn’t work for some people. I have enough problems with itching, I don’t want to add pain to it…
I put the needle point dipped in a alcohol and use it on the bite to take out the liquid. Then put a piece of surgical tape on it to protect the area. Scratching the surface and squeezing makes no pain at all but takes sometimes for the success. Or directly put the needle in the liquid area and let the liquid comes out. Either way, one pain and no more itchiness.
I don’t cut myself or poke myself with a needle, but I do squeeze the bite until the pussy stuff comes out (so it does break the skin). It sort of scabs over after, but it’s the easiest and fastest relief I’ve found.
ahaha have you tried aloe vera? you can pick it straignt from the bush, just use the moist gel and rub it on, once or twice a day, normally gets rid of iching. make sure you cut the spikes up first, as if they get in your ski the spike a bit…
ahah hope this helps!!!!XD
Aloe cactus is used all over Southern spain and locals swear by it, as do I now. Just been savaged and been driven mad so poor hubby gone cactus shopping
funyy, it dosn’t work for me!
Cutting it open relieves the itch. Then put an antibiotic to heal the cut.
Problem is, the healing process also itches. Their is an old saying, don’t scratch or you will open old sores. Just don’t scratch. It eventually goes away.
oatmeal bath, baking soda in your bath water, or a cap of bleach in your bath water (not for kids) also take the itch away. i have also found that using a scrubbing pad to bust it open then pour rubbing alcohol over a rag then pressing it firmly to the site.
I have 42 bites, 34 of them are spread out on both my feet. I have tried it all, the cold bath and hot, Cortizone lotion, right now they are covered in toothpaste with baking soda and in socks…I’m also waiting for my pain killer to kick in. I did make a salve using baking soda + warm water + lavender oil and that seemed to help. I just ran out. This is horrible. I’m also adding prayer.
Ive me told theres itching cream from AVON that works, after u put the cream on it takes 15 mins or less 2 work!!!!
LOL! I know it sucks my face looks like someone bashed me up!
My eye is purple because of a mosquito.
Where I got my bites? I got it because my friend forgotten
To close the door at night.
Anyways, I got a mosquito bite on my ear too, it’s soooo red
You might not read this but I’m doing it for others
Avons Skin so Soft is a good deterrent and it smells good
I am in Maine and not only do I have a bijillion mosquito bites but I have benn stung and bitten by horseflys bed bugs (yes they exist) bees black flys and a lot more…
yes bedbugs do exist and they are one of the worst things ever to exist there up there with fleas (hate those things) they are nearly impossible to get rid of i thought dont let the bed bugs bite was just a saying i learned the hard way
this totally worked
Mosquitos find me wherever I go, so I Used Off! this morning on most of my body. Wouldn’t you know it, they found the nape of my neck to bite me! So I tried toothpaste…didn’t really work for me. Then I looked on my desk and saw hand sanitizer. It worked like a charm to stop the itching!
I think I will try this one!! I have some nasty big bites and they are driving me crazy!!
My grand father worked with off in its earlier years
this is for those who can stand the short amount of pain and that smoke.take a lit cigarette and hold it as close as you can with out touching the skin,when it starts burning you take it away and the itch should be gone.been doing this for years and it works.
You can use the doroterent ( brand and I think that’s how you spell it)
Cortizone 10 Plus works REALLY good, INSTANT reief..
Blah! I’m sitting here in misery after Cortizone 10
The hot bath can be upgraded with the addition of an oatmeal addition. Run the oatmeal through a coffee grinder to turn it to dust and add about 1/2 cup to a tub of hot water. Sit for about 20 minutes and your done with the itch.
Also try adding effervescent lesstablets into your cool bath.I use the less expensivtyp
Aloe Vera works. It just wears of in like 30 minutes.
So use it before bed and hope you fall asleep really fast.
I heard the same thing about making an x on the bug bite that goes right through the center. You must do t right and hard enough though so press down with your nail until it feels like you want to cry. If you have no nails, like me, just use a non- sharp and smooth lined object. I usually use the smooth edges on tweezers. If you don’t do it hard enough though, the itchiness will only get 10x worse. If you do it hard enough it will completely go away!
Try orajel…or the store brand
Yeah, I have that burts bees bug bite relief, it’s amazing. But, my dog ate it… *sighs** So the toothpaste worked for me. ha
hahahaha this is hilarious! 😀
I just got back from the cottage with loads of mosquito bites on my feet! I tried the toothpaste remedy and got a nice cooling relief! Thanks for the posts!
Thanks guys, the toothpaste work. First I cleaned my legs with alcohol, let it dry when I put the toothpaste on. It works thanks again.
Omg the tooth paste worked 4 me 2! It was so funny. As soon as i put it on instant relif!+
OMG!!!! the soap didnt work and the toothpaste kinda did but toothpaste works best for burns
i feel better just knowing I am not only one with over 50 bites but the burn remark made me think of the best home remedy tip I was ever given. Tea bag. REALLY u don’t want to apply it hot but u do want to have it seeped so I keep a used one handy and run it under cold water then press to burn. If used not available quickly run one under hottest sink water squeeze n run under cold water b4 applying.unbelievable how instantly pain disappears.9 of 10 times if caught early snuff won’t even blister. Grandma told me that at 9 I am 53 n I swear by it. Now my Skeeter bites aren’t itching as much cuz my mind was off it. Oops scratch that
I have that and it does not work AT ALL for me. All it does is make it itch more because you have to rub it in. Waste of money!
I return to this website yearly to catch up on the latest mosquito relief tips. I have a new one for you this year. In desperation this year I tried an Antibiotic Cream WITH PAIN RELIEF. To my amazment it worked with in 30 seconds. And the bites I had scratched bloody, well they healed quickly. It seems to work for about 12 hours and them I just apply a dab again. It really works well for no-see-ums also. Almost all of the pharmacies have their own brand of this product.
One more Powerful remedy you may want to consider:
Natural Mineral Water is the best, if you are fortunate enough to live near them. The higher the silica content, the better it will work.
Hot mineral water (springs) works just as good as cold mineral water.
Go to the nearest mineral baths and get in, all the way, head and face included. (Warning: may cause changes to artificially colored hair).
The mineral water opens up the pours, draws toxins out through the pours and exfoliates at the same time. Not to mention how good you feel and look after a day at the mineral baths.
Bring a few empty gallon jugs to fill up while you are there so you can treat yourself at home, where you can either pour the water into a container to soak a body part, or pour it into a bowl and use a clean cloth to keep pouring it over your bites.
Hot Epsom Salt baths and other packaged mineral bath salts are a good alternative but pale in comparison to the real thing. It is true, the water should be as hot as you can bear it, for best results, if you don’t have access to mineral springs.
I have been suffering from mosquito and flea bite allergies all of my life. It totally sucks. The older you get, the worse it affects you. The itching never stops, sometimes for weeks. The itching can make you a bit psychotic. The psychosis itself causes more (imaginary) itching.
Then there are the infections: Staph and Impetigo (a close relative of leprosy, I am told), which doesn’t mean you have to be living in a tropical or subtropical climate, it’s just in the dirt, everywhere, the weather needs to be warm, that’s all. Once you have a Staph infection, it lives on your skin, forever, so you will always be prone to get it again.
Then there are the scars, which can take weeks, months, even years to go away, some never do.
Most of you who have visited this site realize, you cannot put some triple antibiotic cream on a band-aide and call it good. For me, after an attack, it would take hundreds of band-aides, changing them twice a day, until they are gone. We don’t just get one or two bites, do we? Once they find us, we are attacked! Everywhere and anywhere!
Then, the adhesive on the band aides, after prolonged use, adds insult to injury, because the adhesive can cause a skin reaction. Just perfect!
Mosquito bite allergies are horrible, high maintenance, expensive and feared, during the time of the year you should be having fun.
The best place to spend your summer vacation, if you suffer from this, is at a Natural Mineral Bath or Springs, Spa or Resort. Most of them cost money but the good ones usually have a sauna and a place to jump into cold water after the sauna to close the pours. Then go back to the mineral water, sauna and cold water again, do 2 more rounds. If you are at a spring with a bathtub, you don’t have to empty and refill it between rounds, because the power of the minerals doesn’t disappear.
If you can find a local, they usually know how to access areas of the mineral waters for free. Get ready to do some walking though. There are natural mineral springs all over the world. Remember, the higher the Silica content in the water, the better it will work. Not all mineral water has to stink. In fact, the best mineral waters don’t. Still, if stinky (sulfur smelling) is all you can access, do it! It’s all good.
You won’t regret it, even if you don’t suffer from this disturbing condition. The mineral baths can make you look and feel 10 years younger!
There are books that contain the locations of all the known natural mineral springs around the world. Most mineral springs, open to the public or known, usually have the water evaluated each year and post the results, showing the amounts of what natural minerals are in the water, at that particular spring.
Also, keep your fingernails cut as short as possible, at all times and wash your hands, scrub with a nail brush, every time you have an itch. Before you scratch, look down at those dirty fingernails first.
If you can’t resist the itch, use a vegetable dry brush (get one at your local health food store). Never get it wet and don’t let anyone else use it. That way, you get to scratch the itch, in a healthy way, without doing damage to your skin.
Mineral Baths and Dry Brushing works for all ailments, all bug bites, all skin problems and anything else that may be wrong with your health.
And… this is the best remedy you will find for mosquito bites on this link!
Yeah, mosquito’s really suck and DEET rocks! I don’t care what the purists say. You do what you need to do.
Too long to read the whole thing.
I just got a couple whopper bites on my wrist. Buggin’ the heak outa me. I do appreciate those who say this worked or that worked. I’m thinking of trying the toothpaste shortly. If it works I won’t be back. Why come back? Got what I wanted. NO?
I’m also suffering with a bad mozzie allergy. Unfortunately I got bitten two nights ago only three times, twice on my left foot and once on my right. But right now at this point in time I feel lie u am going INSANE from the intense itching that covers both my feet. My right foot is almost twice it’s size…. The left is the same. I can hardly walk at all – I am laid up with my feet up with ice packs. I have never found anything that relieves it. I actually just applied some hydrocortisone cream… And then put Paraderm plus over the top of that to see what would happen. But still pure itchiness that’s actually starting to burn and feel very stingy. I won’t be doing that one again.
I think that if you have a tel allergic reaction, then the only thing that relieves it us time unfortunately.
If you have swollen legs, you should get a prescription from your doctor for Prednisone. That will relieve the swelling and itching.
Benedryl helps if there’s allergic reaction… no prescription needed.
Hi Ruthie. I know just how you feel. Since moving to the States, I’ve become allergic to mosquito bites too. The bites swell up flat but large and a big blotchy red/pink area surrounds each bite. The itch covers a big area around the bite.
Hydro Cortisone does almost nothing to relieve the pesty itch. Neither does Ammonia stick, witch hazel, alcohol rub, lemon, vinegar, etc. The only things that seem to work for at least several hours are taking a regular hot shower, and then rubbing some Aloe Vera after sun Gel (like the green Solarcaine gel, found in Walmart) on it lightly and lots of it with a cotton ball. Try not to use your finger to rub it on, I’ve found that I itch less quicker when using a cotton ball instead. Walk less. It seems that walking increases bloodflow into the bite area which makes the itch flare up again.
The section on Staph is incorrect. EVERYONE has staph living on their skin. That includes me, you & every other person on earth. The risk of getting it again is no more than anyone else. That being said, anyone with an open “wound” should be careful that it’s kept clean & appropriately “dressed”.
i got a huge infection from a mosquito bites and the baking soda water thing was awesome
I’m trying Ivory soap & so far it’s working,it just takes mins to work.:)
the hot bath/shower works
as well as the orajel, as long as it is on a small area; numbing occurs almost instantly
Skin So Soft from Avon is supposed to help keep them off of you. I don’t know if that works but I do know it does help the itch for about 8 hrs per application
I use to use skin so soft from avon and it does keep them off of you. I know this, cause when I was using it, never got bit by anything. But once I stopped using it, I got bit like crazy. Now I make sure I have a good supply of skin so soft on hand at all times!!!
SSS from AVON works wonders. The OFF WILDERNESS Stuff does not. I tried OFF for the first time because I was out of the AVON… and was ate up after a hike. I never have that with the SSS. So go with the AVON. As an added bonus the AVON even comes with sunscreen in it. So if you have little ones, and need to double up… it is good to use.
Regular off doesn’t do anything but the deep woods off works wonder when you’re hiking!
…yes and skin so soft has a pleasant smell too.
that stuff works soo good just your skin is oily but if you can get over that its the best bug spray out their
COOL!! I’m SOOOOOOO trying that!
omg!! my mother told me tht 2 haha, i dont think it works to prevent them either
Haha, we used to use Skin So Soft on our dogs to prevent ticks. It worked great!
Mosquito tencture
Don’t do chemicals? Four tips and a wilderness solution
So what if your camping or outdoors and you don’t have the benefit of these chemicals. Try the milk sap from Dandelions, pulverized evergreen cones and boiled pine sap, Dandelion sap is natural latex (with out the properties of rubber tree latex) it protects the skin and prevents the skin from releasing CO2, pine irritates Mosquitoes, and disinfects skin. Ratio: 1:20 1 part saps by 20 water,oil, or alcohol (vodka included or not).
Mosquitoes are attracted to exhaled breathe or CO2 and (octenol),body heat, moisture, movement, and dark colors. Mosquitoes show a preference for Nonanal a chemical they detect through smell and other odors they find attractive. Mosquitos land on the body and begin probing for (rarely lucky with the first attempt) a vein, cappullary, or artery approx. 10secs ea. attempt. As blood goes in the mosquito, Histamines and other biological agents are released from the mosquito.This is what causes pain, swelling, and disease.
Why so many things work for different people is because they do one or a combination of these four things:
Obstruction of the this process means prevention and relief.
Tip 1 protect the skin
Tip 2 irritate or block Mosquitos stinger
Tip 3 disguise odor
Tip 4 disinfect, use anti histamine
Hello,
i get eatin alive by mosqutoes all the time yr around.if i spray evrywer but forget my face theyll bite my face its horrible.
when i was reading the tips i saw the one that said nail polish and i thought it said nail polish REMOVER ha so i tried that and actly that works as well. at the moment i hav around 10 tiny bits all over my anckles and 3 er 4 wipes of the remover relieved the itch in a matter of minutes. 🙂 thanks for the tips ur a life savor to ppl with sweet blood lik me xD!!!
THANK YOU (im allergic and this work soo good)
lol wen i was in second grade. my teacher said wen u use the nail polish, its best to apply the clear one for some reason. and it will work best if applied b4 u scratch it :).its only spring and there r mosquitos EVERYWHERE!
I have always been an outdoor person but, those stupid pesky mosquitos….anywayssss the dry bar of soap worked 4 me. i also drew a circle around the bite with a black pen and it works awesomely!
I just got a mosquito bite on really bad sunburn and it hurts so much!!! Do you know anything that can help this? Will aloe vera gel work?
Yes it will aloe on mosquito bite dose help and on your sunburn will help both
Slap some vinegar on the sunburn. It will help, and might even help the itching of the bite. Vinegar is also good for jellyfish bites. The smell will go away shortly but be sure to apply vinegar liberally and the burn will ease.
OMG i ried thi WOW! i would never have guessed! we bought the stuff fot the sore throats and it didnt wrk for that, so its not completely worthles!!!
The best is obvioulsly to avoid bites. I was a camp counselor in college. We used to get the fire going in the evenings then throw some wet wood or leaves on it to get things smoky. We’d stand in the smoke. We were rarely bitten. You could throw the same smoky sweatshirt on for a few nights and do okay. But when you do get bitten, why is it always the ankles?
Ankles have softer skin as well as the top of the foot. They prefer to jab you there. (:
Deodarant worked for me
Just curious…
Preparation H ?!?
Is there anything you haven’t tried? Talk about thinking outside the box…
LOL, Trey, Preparation H (CREAM) also works for dark circles & bags under the eyes! I heard about it & tried it during a pagent I was in. It really works! It reduces swelling & puffiness. Gotta use the cream though, not the ointment!
Thank you soo much. I am deffinatly going to try these. You have lots of good ideas here. I hope they work. I have 19 mosquito bites just on my knees, then on my feet, and 2 on my neck area and a lil on my hands. It is craazy and thanks for giving me treatment ideas 🙂
For anyone with bites this will help you next time before you get bites bath with skin so soft regularly and nothing will bite you not even flees for pet owners trust me
Clay This is the common substance that comes out of the ground. Add water, enough to make into a past, then smear it on. If it dries out, repeat the process throwing away the old. It really works with some relief almost immediately. (Also works for burns)
This rubbing alchohal and tape worked in about 2 minutes, how did these people find out about these ways. thanks
I tried tea tree oil, cortisone 10, rubbing Alcohol, deodorant, aloe, soap and iced tap water, none of these worked for me. I got so desperate I took a bar of ivory soap down to the lake and was my legs in ice cold lake water and it worked. Something to do with lakes, streams, any natural water that does wonders for healing.
thank you sooo much!! my bite on my arm was like 4 inchs long and wide! it was so itchy i couldnt help but to itch it .( till it was red.) i used bendryl cream and it NEVER WORKED! but then i looked it up on google and found your 4o mosquito bite, itch relief tips.lemon juice,baking soda and water, green tea bag, salt and water, and rubbing aochol. it worked! that was one relief! It stings for like 10 seconds, but hey, it works! thanks for the cure! p.s right now it is really hard to type because i have an ice pack on my itchy arm:)
i tried the toothpaste and it really works. i was all like “that is NEVA GONNA WORK”. But i tried it because the misquiteo bite was driven me crazy. “IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
i found that circling the bite with a pen helps with swelling i went on a nature trip a couple days ago and i got 2 bites on my right arm and like 18 on my legs for me if i don’t start scratching them in the first place they don’t itch i also just try not to think about them you know distract myself but when that don’t work i circle it with pen and for some reason if i wait it makes it stop itching and swelling
My 7 year old was playing outside and had 20 bites on her legs. I looked at may suggestions and thought I would try the baking soda..when I heard her say Ahhhh I knew I had a winner she said it felt so much better I noticed she was not itching. I am so glad it worked. Nothing is worse then seeing your daughter uncomfortable. All natural and always avail.
Goodies headache powder mixed with a bit of water to make a paste, place of bite and let dry! its amazing!
I did not have any over-the-counter remedies on hand when I got bitten about 18 times, but what did work for ME (after reading this article) was to apply rubbing alcohol and then toothpaste. I also showered twice a day to re-apply because they lost their effectiveness after about 8 to 10 hours.
Thank goodness it was a Friday night so I could spend the weekend not worrying about the toothpaste getting through or on my good clothes.
Thank you SO MUCH to tipnut for posting this. I was desperate & my local pharmacy was closed!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you.
* (C A M P H O-P H E N I Q U E) * is what you all need to get PERIOD… Mom used it on us kids some 50 years ago and I still use it. It comes in a green bottle, cheep and really works, takes about 5 minutes tho but itch goes away. But until you go buy it, put toothpaste on bite, my husband just did and he says its working somewhat. I used the campho and – NO MORE ITCH at all, YEA
We used this on bites when we were kids too. It does work.
Aluminium Sulfate – as the main ingredient in ‘Stingose’ best I have found so far for Mosquitos!! Once dry it works almost instantly, however I did apply to an itchy bee sting the next day and did not work as fast or effectively, but for Mosquitos!! FANTASTIC!!! 🙂
I didn’t know where to post this but it’s not the Mosquitos siliva it’s just your imuune system reacting to the “bite”
I use hairspray, I spray the bite and let it dry, works, when you bathe reapply to bites after a day or two the itch and bite are gone! I am a horrible scratcher, if I start itching I scratch until I bleed the I have open sores, the hairspray really helps me.
Don’t know if it’s just mental or what but I swear the x-ing it out with fingernail works for me everytime