Ways to Stop Mosquito Bites From Itching
Mosquito bites. They itch and itch and itch until you just can’t take it anymore. Itching solves one problem, yet scratching releases more histamines in the body, which makes the bite itch more. Those histamines are released by the body to fight off the foreign substance, the cocktail that is mosquito saliva. This ultimately results in the bite area swelling into a raised, red bump. (Also called a wheal.) One bite is annoying, several can be miserable, hundreds over the course of a few months can actually help you build an immunity to their saliva, but probably not the best way to get rid of the itch, due to the mosquito’s wonderful ability to spread many diseases.
So how can you get the itching to stop without contracting malaria? Trying to choose from the many commercial products, such as ibuprofen, hydrocortisone cream and anti-histamines can be overwhelming and who has time to run to the store to pick such things up anyways? If you can wait it out, most bites stop itching within 24-48 hours. But, why wait when you don’t have to? Next time you become a mosquito’s target, look no further than your home for a natural remedy. Here are some surefire ways to stop the itching from mosquito bites:
The kitchen has a few weapons to end the itchfest caused by mosquitoes, so best to start there.
- Dr. Oz says a dab of honey applied to the site can sooth skin because it is a natural antibiotic. (More info in the related links below.) It can also prevent infections if you have scratched your bite open with fingernails that aren’t clean.
- Apple cider vinegar also has anti-itch benefits due to the acidity in the vinegar. Once pressed against the wound, the acidic liquid will reduce swelling and take away that huge urge to scratch.
- Garlic is a proven remedy due to its chemical properties, though you can also make matters worse. Rubbing a clove of garlic directly on an open site can result in severe stinging and burning.
- Sounds strange, but doctors also say using the inside of a pulpy banana peel can be an appealing way to get rid of the itch, when applied directly on a bite thanks to the peel’s oils.
- That baking soda in your fridge? A small amount mixed with water can be used as a paste. Apply the paste to the wound and the itching will soon disappear.
- No baking soda? Use crushed Tums mixed with water.
- Open that freezer and apply some ice. It should be noted though that many Doctors say that there is not a lot of proof that this common method truly stops itching. Rather, it simply is soothing and reduces swelling temporarily.
- Another paste to make is a paste from any meat tenderizer that contains papain. Mix it with water and spread it on the bite. The papain breaks down the proteins found in the mosquito saliva, which will help reduce your body’s reaction to the saliva.
- Use some of the flexible membrane inside a chicken egg shell to cover the bite. As it dries and contracts on the bite, it will draw out some of the mosquito’s saliva.
If you’re striking out with these items in the kitchen, head to the bathroom:
- What you’ll be looking for first here is alcohol. (You won’t be pouring yourself a glass of wine.) We’re talking rubbing alcohol, here. Or anything with a high concentration of alcohol, such as the mouthwash under your sink or even hand sanitizer. The alcohol evaporates, and evaporation creates cooling. The cooling sensation helps overpower the itching. As a great bonus, it also disinfects the bite.
- Toothpaste is another trick to take the itch out of mosquito bites. A small amount on the bite can provide hours of relief due to toothpaste’s anti-inflammatory properties and ingredients like menthol and baking soda.
- A bar of wet soap may be your new best friend if you’re itching. The chemicals and fat in soap can be soothing, dry out the bite and reduce the need to itch. Rub it over the affected area and wait a few hours before removing.
- Or grab that roll-on antiperspirant for a quick fix. The aluminum chloride salts usually found there will help absorb the fluid in the mosquito bite, and itching goes away.
- Clear nail polish works in the same way, as a shield.
- Vick’s Vapor Rub is also a proven go-to home remedy for individuals because it has menthol and camphor oils as ingredients. Both help to stop itching.
- Many people remain on the fence when it comes to calamine lotion. Most of our parents used the pink stuff when we complained of mosquito bites, but the Food and Drug Administration announced in the early 90’s that calamine lotion is not an effective cure for itching. Doctors continue to recommend it, though some say it serves as more of a drying agent.
Another interesting home remedy that many swear by? Apply a small piece of Scotch Tape to the bite. From here some find it works best to leave it on for a few hours- something about closing off the air to the site reduces itching- while others simply very gently remove it directly after applying, which helps remove some of the mosquito saliva that is the heart of the itchy problem. Best to do this as soon as possible after receiving the bite.
So those are good ways to get rid of the itch, but what about just not getting bitten in the first place? The obvious answer there is just put on some mosquito repellent and install some screens on your windows, but I’m guessing you want more. First, what are the chances you will be bitten? Hard to believe, but only 1 in 10 people are highly attractive to mosquitoes for biting, though of course mosquitoes aren’t averse to sucking blood from those of us who’re less attractive… from their perspective.
Mosquitoes particularly target those who produce a large amount of certain acids, such as uric acid and octenol. If you are a large person, your luck decreases. A larger person gives off more carbon monoxide, which is attractive to mosquitoes. Those mosquitoes are smart, too. In close range, they have the ability to sense movement and heat and when you’re moving on those hot summer nights, you get hot and your sweat glands are bound to be working, making you potentially a prime target.
Beyond mosquito repellent, light those citronella candles to repel the blood suckers. A more natural way to keep the mosquitoes away from your home is to invest in some choice landscaping. Plants such as lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, marigolds, mint, and others are all repellants because mosquitoes hate their smell and in some cases, such as with mint, it can actually kill the mosquito if they come in contact with the oils in the plant. Naturists also say you can crush the plants’ leaves and rub them over your clothing, just not directly on your skin. Certainly smelling minty is much better than smelling of DEET.
Another way to keep the mosquitoes away is to get rid of any and all standing water around your house, if you can, that includes that bird fountain you love. Mosquitoes have four stages to their life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. During the first three stages, they live entirely in water. During the larva stage, they feed on algae and other microorganisms and must frequently bob to the surface of the water to get air. During the pupa stage, they do not eat, but do sit at the surface and breath air through two small tubes. At the end of the pupal stage, the mosquitoes transform into adult mosquitoes and, after crawling to a dry place to rest and dry off, leave the water. Thus, if you get rid of any standing water around your house, you’ll drastically reduce your local mosquito population.
Aside from the methods above that are proven to be successful, there are others that just sound plain ridiculous. My fave is using one’s fingernail to create a ‘X’ mark over the bite, and voila, the itching stops… but not really.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy our new popular podcast, The BrainFood Show (iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Feed), as well as:
- Honey can Be Used for a Variety of Medicinal Purposes
- Why Mosquito Bites Itch
- Why Does Scratching a Mosquito Bite Make it Worse
- Why Cats Like Catnip
- How to Treat a Jellyfish Sting
Bonus Fact:
- Only female mosquitoes bite. (I’m sure most men enjoy that little tidbit.) They don’t actually do it for food; rather, they need it to be able to produce eggs. Once the female has safely acquired a “blood meal”, she will rest for a few days while her body develops the eggs from digesting the proteins and iron in the blood, producing amino acids which are used as the building blocks for the synthesis of the egg yolk proteins.
- Mosquitoes annually transmit diseases to over two-thirds of a billion people or around 1/10th of the human population. About two million of these people die from whatever disease they received through the mosquito bite.
- Mosquitoes can detect the various compounds on your body that attract them from as far as 150 ft. away.
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I have been enjoying your site today – I like this kind of info. I was surprised that you did not list my method of stopping the itch of a mosquito bite… it works like a charm and instantly – every time! Simply run the hot water until it’s nice and hot and then put the bite into the stream of hot water for a second (yes it hurts a bit) or if it’s not hot enough you can heat it up in the microwave. This blows those histamines away and stops the itch for 6 to 8 hours usually – then just do it again! This works better than all of the solutions you listed. Try it!
Use a blow dryer on HOT, it works.
“Wahlah”?
Didn’t work if anything I itch even more now. Soo thank you sooo much
@G-man: Which method?
Try heating a spoon under hot water a sticking on your masqeto bites and do that to everyone.
Have you tried Kiss My Itch Goodbye? It works within minutes on just about every itch I have encountered.
It is 4:30 A.M. and my many mosquito bites have awaken. I have more than 8 bites on my legs and ankles. I also have a couple on my thighs, hands, and the back of my head. I’m miserable and this makes no sense. I tried the apple cider vinegar on the bites on my legs and ankles because they itch the worse it’s calmed down some but I will reapply again. I must tell you my cocktail of green alcohol and ben-gay didn’t work that’s why I’m up! I need to be functional in a few hours that’s why I didn’t take a Benadryl pill this late or early in the morning I’m willing to try anything right now for relief and sleep. I’m in my late 50’s I don’t need to be this miserable. Thank-you for listening!
Concentrate lemon juice works every time for me
I am approaching 65 and ALL MY LIFE I have been trying to find something that wipes out bites and I finally did. Dr. Schultz Deep Tissue Ointment. $20 for 1 oz. All Natural/No unheard of chemicals. Will last about 3-4 years if just used for mosquito bites. This product is for muscle aches but put it on the bite. It stops the itching but within a hour reduces the size of the bite to almost nothing. It may itch very little much later so add it again. By the next day it will be done, gone, and a distant memory. It smells like wintergreen for awhile until it absorbs into the skin. Very pleasant smell…like gum. Never put near eyes. Watch hands thoroughly. One of the best fines in my life.
The honey worked for me. ‘Tried lots of other things today like Benadryl and Oral Analgesic Gel (like and adult Orojel found in a dollar store). But nothing worked like the honey. Almost instant relief…and long lasting.
Paste of baking soda, apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil – has worked wonders.
(117 mosquito bites – spent the weekend backpacking, so humid, sweat off the spray in no time.)
I am running out of ACV, so trying the banana peels.
First things first, a very big thank you all. Your info on your site is truly a life saver for me!! MOSQUITO BIETES the home remedies were FANTACTICK I couldn’t sleep lastnight9/1/15 because of the itching all night so I went to my computer and found you and your wonderful site which help me so much that I’m able to get a Fairley good night sleep be on time for work and have the time to thank you and tell every one I know how wonderful you guys are to put together something so informative. God Bless, feeling better, Jo CAT
The deodorant stopped the itching for me!
Tea tree oil always works for me. It stop the inching after a couple of minutes and reduces the redness and swelling. I usually don’t have to reapply it for quite a few hours.
I’d heard of a few of these remedies, but the one I just randomly picked to try worked quite nicely (wet soap). It took away the itch for now so I don’t end up scratching it bloody and attracting more of the bloodsuckers. Cool.
I just discovered that ibuprofen gel works a treat to get rid of mosquito bites
I was to lazy to get out of bed but had scotch tape next to me. It worked very well. Did not stop itch 100% but I have no urge to itch anymore.
Better than what I was going to do. Which was buy every itch cream in Wal-Mart and mix them all together and use that.
About to try every one of these till one works. I have over 20 bites on my right leg. Concentrated at my ankles. Can’t sleep. Driving me insane and making me miserable.
Try heating a spoon under hot water a sticking on your masqeto bites and do that to every masqeto bit.
Tonight I was outside for a little bit & it was like the mosquitoes rang the dinner bell. I remember my Grandma using Vicks Vapo Rub on the bites so I tried it. It controlled the itching plus it kept the mosquitoes that came in the house with me at bay!
Well I got bite up bad I have them on my legs up and down them… Got them on my arms but not so bad they are like every where…. And it itchs so bad all of them… And the one were u put a spoon under hot water works for me
Toothpaste worked for me. Fantastic
Toothpaste fantastic I have several bites all over 1 in particular extremely hot and my entire bottom half of my leg is red very hot and very itchy
Tried every thing in medicine cupboard, antihistamines, tablets and cream, antiseptics antiinflammatory. Etc
Nothing worked.
Thank you for this site, who knew toothpaste would
Had severe itching on my scalp for 5 days dnt know whether it is mosquito bite or any other infection, I tried Tulsi with salt made paste removed juice and applied within few minuets my itching stopped. Thank god.
i was having the same problem and i tried what you tried and it worked!
and also the scotch tape really helps
Thanks to those who suggested the hairdryer heat and Vicks Vapo Rub. I used both and it has really given me much relief from the itching.
Green Alcohol (The type athletes use for sore muscles.) Soak cotton ball just enough to saturate it but not so it’s dripping and bandaid it to bite. Stops the itch almost instantly and bite it gone by the time the cotton ball is dry. The combo of wintergreen, epsom salt plus other stuff works everytime.
Don’t scratch! And if you eat a lot of salsa (onion, garlic) you might not even get bitten. But if you do get a mosquito bite, don’t scratch it. It might take some self control for a few minutes, but then it stops and problem solved.