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.
ALL YOU nEED IS YOUR OWN SALIVA. DAB THE BITE WITH YOUR FINGER. ANOTHER KNOWN CURE 4 ITCHING IS CIGARRETE ASHES.
your wrong. but close. tobacco helps stop the itching. not cigarette ashes.
Mosquitos always bite me and in the past the only thing which has helped in using anthisan after being bitten. However, in the Danish fens a chemist told me that if you take enough vitamin B to excrete a tiny amount through sweat they will not bite.Apparently they hate the smell of vitamin B on the skin. Amazingly it seems to work. I know some people are funny about taking more than the recopmmended amount of a vitamin but I’d rather do than than inhale DEET!
I have a teenager that has over 200 bites from last night. We tried the nail polish, um, no. the tea tree oil, no, toothpaste, no, cortisone cream, rectogel(with lidocane) and hydrocortizone cream, no, no and no. We are running out of ideas and she wont try the deodorent, any other suggestions? We also tried preparation H wipes, and it will cool her arms down, but she still itches bad, some are welts the size of a quarter and bigger, HELP!!!!!
Tell me about it! i went to a party and it was outside, and i have atleast 75 mosquito bites. it is very frustrating sometimes, but i found that the suggestion above about the hot water and the spoon worked pretty well; better than most i have tried. also, neutrogena has a face mask that i put all over then and that seemed to work well also.
Try Absorbine Jr or Adolph’s meat tenderizer (A’s meat tenderizer is great for bee stings) both work…
The meat tendorizer also works on jellyfish stings.
Same thing happened to me 3 days ago Toni. It drives me mad when I scratch them…you know that feeling of wanting to cry and say ahhhh at the same time? The only thing that has helped had been NOT to scratch, smearing a Hydrocortisone product on it all (Lanacaine) and taking 2 benedrill tablets. Then, I pass out and NOTHING bothers me. I got bitten by either “no-see-ums” or chiggers on a porch over a canal., I first cleansed the area with Johnson and Johnson’s Anteseptic Wash (has lidocane in it) , then the cream, then pills 2x a day. If you find a better cure, please let me know.Good luck.
Oatmeal bath, Hot!
Dab pure pear oil on it or rub a sliced pear on them it helps instantly!
I’m not a doctor, but I think the science behind applying heat to zits or other infections is that the heat draws blood to the site to which the heat is applied. Your body does this to cool the site – cooler blood flows through the site and carries the heat away. This intended benefit is not the cooling effect but the additional white blood cells that are brought more quickly to the heated/infected area via the fresh/cooler blood flowing through it. The fact that heating applying heat to an area of your body draws blood to the site to cool it is also why you don’t apply heat to a sprained ankle, which can cause swelling as the additional blood leaks out of broken blood vessels associated with the sprain and stays there.
I’ve also heard that if you make an “X”-shaped cut over the bite and suck out the blood…oh, wait, that’s for snake bites. The cyanide suggestion, above, sounds like too permanent a cure for me. In that regard, I’ve found that a lot of the other “cures” just don’t work very well (if at all) or for very long. I’m curious about John’s Antihisan suggestion (above) since I live in the U.S. and have never heard of the product, and I like Joel’s idea about the vodka – two or three shots of ice-cold Stoly will make most people forget about itching…!
P.S. Regarding applying heat to a mosquito bite, I’m not sure how bring additional blood to the site would help, as white blood cells wouldn’t have any effect on the allregic reaction to the mosquito’s saliva. “Drawing impurities to the surface” sounds like some New Age hooey to me rather than hard science, but, hey, if it works, why not?
The heat actually works the same as itching does except more efficiently. The itching sensation is a mild pain reaction. By scratching we damage the nerves thus causing relief. Applying a very hot compress or lighter or heated spoon will also damage the same pain receptors but with out the dirty nails and blood. I works longer and less likely to cause infection.
Note: The heat needs to be hot enough to hurt, but not hot enough to actually burn yourself.
My mom would always use a lighter or match close enough to the skin to hurt but never touch the flame to the skin. I now do this and it gives instant and lasting/permanent relief.
P.P.S. (For Toni, above my original post) Apologies – my posts were not in response to your post, my comments were in response to other postings. My daughter is suffering with only about 20 bites right now, I feel badly for your daughter with so many more. My daughter and I just tried wiping vodka on her bites just now but that didn’t work, so I mixed some bakin soda in the vodka, and she said that seemed to help. I also gave her a benadryl. I told her that our next option is the deodorant, and she seemed okay with that. I’ll use Ban unscented liquid (which goes on clear) if the vodka and baking soda doesn’t work, and I’ll make a post if either of them work. If they don’t, I won’t. Best of luck to you, I hope your daughter feels better soon.
Mosquitos constantly attack me, even with repellents. I wore pants and long sleeves to a cabin at a lake this last weekend, (in 85 degree heat!!) but also wore sandals and that was my mistake. I have about 50 bites on each foot, including some very painful ones on my toes. I have found that making a paste of Bentonite clay works wonders. I mix equal parts bentonite powder and apple cider vinegar, and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Spread the paste on, and leave it for about a half hour or more, and rinse with warm water. Bentonite has toxin-absorbing properties and usually two applications drys up the bites enough that they do not bother you anymore- plus the lavender helps for immediate relief. Good luck.
Some of us just have chemistry that attacks the lil buggers. I find that if I shower just before dusk, and refrain from sweaty activities, they leave me alone.
Also, I’ve noticed that running scalding water over a bite significantly reduces itching.
Dryer sheets under a hat or on your shoulder under a shirt will keep them away from your head
PEAR OIL! 🙂
for the girl with 200 bites…. i feel for ya, im sorry. me, i just have 26 on my feet, but i never used to get bitten til i got pregnant.
so ive been doing the rubbing alcohol and honestly, it doesnt work at all after a few days. reading some of these things, i think everything works well as soon as you get the bite… but then if it’s stagnant you’re just f***ed.
next, im going to burn the hell out of my skin. pain is soooooo much better than itch.
Sept 6th Note From Admin: This comment was moderated by Tipnut (two words removed)
I know this might seem a little crazy, but people have been doing it in my family for generations and it has worked. Take a match or lighter and while they are lit put it near the bite, dont put the fire directly on the skin, but close enough so that you can feel the heat. Keep it there for a minute or two and it should stop itching. Supposedly the heat kills the posion or whatever it is that the mosquito puts into you when it bites so it can stop itching. Any other heat source should work, my mom was smoking a cig yesterday and i used that and it worked.
My dad believed in two things: That Greeks should educate non Greeks about being Greek and every ailment from psoriasis to poison ivy can be cured with Windex.
Hehehe… cute!
I just tried Windex.. it didnt help…it stings really bad!
Dr Bronner’s Pepperment Oil Castile Soap. It is liquid, so either a wash and rinse, or having a full shower [and repeat for 7 days] works to keep itch in check. Sure makes it possible for me to sit at the keyboard. Nasty bubbling reaction to a few bites, into the crooks of my fingers, not one, but five bites in a narrow patch x3 [oh joy] Recent holiday in evilville Ohio has left its marks. But, not as bad as North Carolina coast and dripping blood from the suckers whilst running from the hot tub to the back door (15 ft-ish.)
Dr Bronner’s products are usually sold in/on health store sites. Psst…The list of remedies on each bottle will amaze you and makes great potty time reading.
((Which state is the worse??))
Chemical junkies can use Hydrogen Peroxide and sizzle away mosquit’r bite’s itch…for a time…. Always Rinse ^!^
Experiment by ignoring an itch. Distraction can be a wonderful thing.
God Bless the Doc’s memory =)
YES! Dr Bronner’s Pepperment Oil Castile Soap works wonders. I use this in a hot shower or on a hot towel as a cpmpress. Just use hot water and add a splash of the soap and apply to the bites. As I poseted before, rubbing mint lotion or mint oil directly on bites seems to help me as well.
I smack my mosquito bites and it does wonders! I highly recommend it!
naughty, naughty!! lol smacking 🙂
I just used vicks on about 50 bites…it does feel a bit better.
Scratch and X in the mosquito bite, it helps relieve the itching and swelling
YES! thanks!
Yah, what Maggi says. I was just recently visiting in Ohio too. And I have bites that are too many to count. My feet, ankles, and the back of my legs are the worst. Iv’e taken Benedryl, used the cream, hydrocortisone cream and nothing is working. Right now, I am wishing I had some bleach because I absolutely agree that the burn beats the itch any day. It seems as if once you are bit, then expect the itch. Not to still itch like a fresh bite days after. From now on, the family can come visit ME. It almost turns me against going back to Ohio, lol. I will keep on reading to see if i can see any other interesting but helpful remedies. THanks, just needed to vent. ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
I might be twisting the current discussion, but thought could be helpfult too. Is there any body lotion or something which we can apply so that the mosquitoes will never come to you. Something that is alergic to mosquitoes. I cannot sleep at my home due to mosquitoes. If I start using these then there will only be time for that. Gals help!!
I use Skin So Soft by Avon. It’s always done the trick for me when I put it on.
Bob I have listed home remedies for that too, see: How to Prevent Mosquito Bites
Hope this helps :).
Ammonia and bleach on skin ?!?!?
i was in the USMC we used AVONS skin so soft as a repellent now its all i use. you still may get a few but its better than a ton. 😉
Hot water, heat causes the cells of the body in that location to release all the histamine they have at the moment. It takes around four hours for them to produce more histamine. That’s why the pain, itching will increase for a moment or two then totally stop. If the pain, itching returns in four hours just apply hot water to the area for a couple moments again. I found that out when searching for relief from poison ivy, poison oak, etc.
We have this cream that we use and it stops the itch for a couple hours. It’s called Calmoseptine and it relieves the itch for a while.
Anyone find that blood type has anything to do with it? My A+ daughter and I (also, A+) really suffer through mosquito season, while my AB- son and B+ hubby rarely get bit. It is the exact opposite with fleas.
Just curious whether it’s simply coincidence or not.
there may be something to that. I am A pos and I have over 50 bites on my legs right now. I am trying everything but at the moment myh legs are covered with aspirin paste and it has kept me from scratching…..also took a couple of aspirin figured I would work from outside in and inside out!
Maybe? I’m also A+ and seem to suffer more than those around me. I can get bit and within moments it swells. And my swelling is generally worse than many others I know. Thus I generally try to prevent it with Skin So Soft or OFF.
NO..blood type does not affect. Diabetes…does not affect either. Is an aroma from you that attracts mosquitos. Unfortunately, some of us get more attraction than others.
Other suggestion for those who need immediate relief but don’t have something close by: your own saliva. Was a remedy used in pioneer times and is effective. Do clean off later and apply an astringent type product. Benadryl spray works wonders for the associated itching and swelling; can be reapplied as needed. Good luck with the season!!
I agree. I am A+ & dh is O+. He tends to get bitten more than I do. I rarely use sqeeter spray – don’t like the chemical on me.
I disagree. I am AB- and I get eaten alive. I usually am the target even when others are near me.
VERY hot water in a mug. Spoon dipped for 10-15 seconds. Applied back of spoon directly to bite. Just about as hot as I could stand it without actually burning the skin.
Worked like a charm!
I even put the bottom of the mug over one area of several bites and that helped as well. I think heat was indeed the trick for me.
I will reply again if the bites begin to itch soon. But I think I’ve found the relief I needed.
This has been one of the best reads ever. I am REALLY grateful. I am A positive blood group. I take Vitty B and garlic pills every day. I think it has probably helped a LITTLE as I don’t think I get bitten as much as I used to.
I had to laugh at the scratch and bleed and scab entries. Sometimes one does all the right things and then just succumbs to the demented bloodletting!
Placing an ice pack on the affected area for about 10 minutes then applying hydrocortisone right after helps subside the iching for a fairly long time. The key is to using a lot of cream, not rubbing it in, the bite has to be completely covered and the cream should not be wiped or rubbed off all day (tough to accomplish I know). I have well over 80 bites on my legs, ankles, ect. and this morning I applied the ice, then cream and here it is over 8 hours later – still have visable bites but no sign of iching. Best of luck to you all in your quest for misquito relief!!
Thanks for the great tips. I have done the Vit B thing in the past and it’s worked great. I think I’ll do it again. I just applied Vicks Vapo-rub and so far it’s working really well. Hopefully it’ll last through the night.
A message for Miriam that posted on 8/15: If you don’t want your “stupid baby”, can I have her? I’ve been trying to get pregnant for over 3 years and honestly…if you really think your baby is stupid, please let me take her off your hands!
Sept 6th Note: Audrey is referencing a previous comment that has since been moderated (by Tipnut).
I drink Korbel…before you know it, they stop itching!
The best remmedy for moscito bites is a capsule of vitamin E . prick the vitamin E capsule and squeeze the liquid from the vitamin unto the moscito bite. works every time. also works great for scratches and minor cut, and skin irrictations.
I just tried the spoon dipped in hot water. The pain is bad for a second and after a few seconds it works, it really works!!!!
ps
The bite with scotch tape on it is still itching.
Three comment moderation steps were taken today in this discussion, the affected comments are noted (and one comment removed).
I think the feedback here has been awesome (THANK YOU!) and I’d like to keep the discussion focused on helping each other fight those pesky mosquitoes and relief from their dastardly itch.
I tried the preparationH and it worked on my feet/legs but it made my arms sting….oh wait, nope it meade my feet/ legs sting too! maybe I came accross this website way too late and done scratched my skin off eh? sting!!ARGHHH!!
ok im trying the deodorant or toothpaste now…thanks for all the great tips
Just a warning to people
NEVER SCRATCH A BITE TILL IT BLEEDS OR UNTIL THE SKIN OPENS
This increase the risk on infection, PLUS it really stings and is really gross. 😛
just dont scratch ur skin off
I think I’ve probably been bit 8 times in the last 10 years but I have a 6 year old who gets welts the size of silver dollars from mosquito bites… the fingernail X has most of them gone or manageable by the next day.
Of course my grandma always said “put a potato on it” as a cure whether it was for a mosquito bite or a decapitation! (Your mileage may vary)
I have A+ blood type too and I am a magnet for mosquitos!!! I am very intrigued to know if that really has something to do with it. Thanks for the tips I will be trying them all! 🙂
My son is also A+ and he looks like he has some sort of skin disorder because of all the bites (and scratching). I would be curious to know if there has been any kind of study done on this blood type thing.
my grandma always uses preporation H not just for its use. I use it on mosquitos and flea bites it relieves the swelling and itching.
Try antibacterial Wet Ones!
I always used to use alcohol but it never helped. Theres this creme I got from the pharmacy and it got wasted, and I need your help to tell me what its called. It started with a C. It was gelly and clear. Ergh, it worked so quick.
I have found that a little dab of gasoline on a baby wipe does the trick. First pour on the gas, then grind the wipe on the bite. It sounds scary, but the relief is extraordinary.
Also, peanut butter and honey works, due to the anticeptic properties of the honey and something in the peanut butter, but I have found through experimenting that it works best if you crush up a pickle in it.
Enjoy the relief!
I am suffering with about 9 bites right now. I am at work and am using the scotch tape on the ones that I can easily get to. It is only kind of working. I cannot wait to get home and try some of the others. I am miserable with this! I am A- blood type by the way and have ALWAYS has the mosquitos drawn to me leaving HUGE welts that itch like CRAZY. My husband is O+ and doesn’t get tormented like I do. P.S. It is October in Maryland and they are still here! I am ready for the cold weather so I can have some relief for a few months!!!
I just woke up itching like crazy thinking it was some allergic reaction I was having. I turned on the lights and I had tons of mosquito bites everywhere! They are huge!
The worst ones are on my face! one huge one on my forehead and the other one right under my eye. I do not have a lot of the things that have been mentioned in this article however I did try the toothpaste.. it was the gel and it actually worked! although not on my face.. It burnt so very bad on my face… maybe because the skin is so much more sensitive there.
I also took a high dose of benedryl.
I can’t seem to get them to stop biting though and I can hear them lurking around! I can’t sleep.. every time I am close to falling asleep I can hear them buzzing near my ears and they bite again! I live in NYC and never usually have a problem but I did leave my window cracked last night.
any body that can help it would be appreciated! I know I have Vicks somewhere around here but can’t seem to find it.. I am about to use the heat on spoon thing!!! I think pain is better than this itch! But does anyone have a good home remedy for a repellent?
Thanks so much!
I don’t think blood type has anything to do with it. My mom and I are both A+, and she don’t get bit. I tell her the mosquito’s don’t like old meat,..usually followed with a response I can’t repreat. And eating garlic don’t help. I’m in San Antonio, where almost all the food sold has garlic and, or onions. I keep a can of OFF on my padio table.
Dip the corner of a cloth into boiling water and dab it on the bite, make it as hot as you can stand. It hurts a bit but will stop the itching completely. It works by drawing histamines out or something like that.
My friend is a lifeguard, w she told me about these tips. THEY REALLY WORK!
1. Go swimming.
2. Baking Soda & Water
3. Make and x with your fingernail over thebite site or around it. It actually stpus the itching. DO NOT do it if you have a scab there.
Well, this was great reading! I just moved from California to Florida to be closer to my sister and am being eaten alive by these darn things! I am also allergic so they get pretty bad. I itch until they bleed. I tried the Vitamin B and Garlic… didn’t work. I tried the Sea Breeze, only temporary relief. What does work after a bit occurs is the X with finger nails. It brings the “poison” to the surface of the bite and the itching is relieved. I have been using the Avon Skin So Soft after every shower and it seems to help. I still get some though! I am going to try the Vicks Vapor Rub, the Chlorseptic and the Body Works Peppermint foot mask. I will let you know how these work.
I have been going crazy with giant welts on my arms and leg. I tried everything the chemist had to offer with no relief.
HOT WATER is GOLD!
Only others who have experienced the torture of extreme bites could understand the desperation you feel.
I think I must be allergic to these mozzies. For the record my blood is O- and I get about the same amount of bites as my family, but they don’t seem to react as severly.
My sympathies to all who suffer with them.
I JUST came home from Jekyll Island(off the coast of Georgia) THERE WERE SO MANY MOSQUITOS!!!!! i 4got to put bugspray on 2 go 2 sleep(who would remember!!!!????) and i got 68 just on my legs…(yea i counted) the hot spoon thing works temperarly and the X fingernail thing does 2… but i wake up cryin’ cuz they hurt soooo bad!!!!
apple cider vinager works great, or it has for the past hour or so…
thanks heaps i couldnt remember whether the bite was an acid or an alkali thankx
The no see ums are the worst. Got over 50 bites and thought I’d go crazy. After trying over the counter stuff, I decided to make my own. Mix 2 parts ammonia to one part rubbing alcohol. Use a cotton ball to apply. Worked for me.
Hi All,
Great Blog… I went fishing over the weekend and came back with a sprained foot (oowww) and in excess of 400 mozzie bites on my body. The reality, you could cut off both of my feet and I would not notice as I am itching like mad and this is day 3. I have around 50 bites on each foot and the rest of the bites are on my back and the back of my arms. I am in Australia and these mozzies bite you through your clothes. I have tried ‘Stop Itch’ nothing. However a hot shower as wierd as it sounds provided a little relief (10 mins)I am itchy and bruised and am hoping for a sure fire fix, hope u can help. Bourbon helps also when ingested in large quatities, lol :o)
i’ve got hugely swolen mosquiro bites, owie! pharmacist gave me hydrocortisone, but that sucked! it seems that half of the things in here are placebos however (both acids and bases recomended, both cold and hot recomended, etc. etc.)
i reckon going legit will be just as good, perhaps using antiseptic to prevent any infection potential.
p.s if someone with 40 bites could use them all, and say what is beat, that will be GODLY.
cheers
I’ve woken up with 20 massive bites. I think I might be allergic. Theyre itching like crazy. I went to the chemist and got a product called stingose that i used to use when I was young and it seems to work on most of my bites. There is still a few giving me trouble that I tried the spoon and x on but the relief was very temporary.
Last night, I was at a concert and was wearing shorts. I now have mosquito bites all over my legs, ankles, and on my bum cheeks. 🙁
What I did first thing this morning was put Triple Antobiotic Cream with Itch Relief to all of my bites, and it has really helped!
Later today, I will most deff try the hot spoon thing, and I pray that it works!!