How to Get Rid of Mosquito Bites – The Most Effective Methods

mosquitoIt happens every summer. It’s a huge annoyance for many people at barbecues and campfires. Mosquito bites are one of the big downfalls of summer activities. In addition to being itchy and irritating, mosquito bites can also bring with them a range of health problems. Would you like to find out how to get rid of mosquito bites fast?

Before the summer season comes along, learn about how mosquito bites can affect you and what you can do after you’ve been bit to reduce the effects.

Signs of a Bite

They’re usually easy to notice and many times, you’ll notice that you’ve been bit right away. However, if you find that you have a mark on your skin, you may want to double check the list of signs to be sure that you’re dealing with a mosquito bite. These are the signs to look out for: a white bump on the site of the bite, swelling around the bump, redness on the spot, a darkened spot around the area.

Possible Health Risks

A mosquito bite could be more than just a bite. While most cases will only be an annoyance that can easily be taken care of, there are potential health risks to look out for. If you have a reaction to the bite, you may notice a fever, headache, or body ache afterward. These pains could be caused by the bite. Look out for a large red and swollen area surrounding the mosquito bite. Hives might also be present, as well as swollen lymph nodes in especially severe cases. These reactions are caused by the saliva of the mosquito that transfers to the body when the bug bites. Some people are sensitive to the saliva and will show signs of a reaction shortly after being bitten. These reactions are most often found with children. Parents should keep a close eye on children during the summer months.

Another possible health risk associated with mosquito bites are a short list of potential diseases that the mosquito might carry. If a mosquito is carrying a disease, it could be transferred when it bites a human. These diseases include West Nile Virus, malaria, and yellow fever. While the cases of contracting these diseases are infrequent, they should be noted as a precaution.

Reduce Itching

There are many ways to reduce the itching that is associated with mosquito bites. First of all, it’s important to take care of the problem immediately. The longer that a bite goes untreated, the more likely it is to cause damage and itching. Use alcohol to treat the area right away. Rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or using an alcohol wipe are both effective for treating the area quickly. Use the alcohol quickly. It’s also important to refrain from scratching the area. Scratching will cause redness to show up sooner and will only make the area more itchy.

There are several natural solutions to the itching of a bite. Most of the items needed to resolve the problem can be found in the home. Baking soda is one of the most effective solutions. Start by mixing baking soda with warm water to create a paste. Use a cotton swab to apply the paste the in area. Leave the paste on the skin for a few minutes before washing it off.

Apple cider vinegar is another natural option for reducing itching. Soak a cotton ball in the apple cider vinegar until it becomes saturated. Then, grab tape or a band aid to secure the cotton ball to the skin that is affected by the bite. Keep the cotton ball in place as the pain subsides.

mosquito bites on neckReduce Redness

In addition to itching, there will be redness associated with a mosquito bite. The redness around the bite will be noticeable and something that you’ll probably want to take care of right away. There may also be heat and swelling that you’ll notice along with the redness. These problems can also be taken care of with a few simple solutions.

Aloe vera is a solution to many injuries and issues. One problem that aloe vera is extremely helpful for is the heat that comes with bug bites. Apply a bit of aloe to the area to feel instant relief. Just like the healing effects on a sunburn, aloe will provide comfort to an area that has become red and swollen from a mosquito bite.

Honey is a great way to get rid of the swelling. Apply honey to the area and rub it into the skin. Honey has natural healing abilities that make it a great solution for swelling and pain. The anti inflammatory property of honey make it a product that you should reach for soon after getting bit.

If you find that your bite has created dark marks, there are ways to reduce their appearance. Coconut oil, tomatoes, lemons, and vitamin E are just a few of the natural items that are effective in lightening skin to reduce the appearance of dark marks.

Preventing Mosquito Bites

After being bit, there are several things that you can do to reduce the effects. However, the best way to take care of mosquito bites is to prevent them before they occur. There are a few things that you can do to keep mosquitoes at bay and save your skin from itching and redness.

Two chemicals, DEET and picaridin, have both been proven to keep mosquitoes away. While there was some controversy surrounding these chemicals in the past, both have been shown to be safe for adult use. Many insect repellents contain one of the two. The chemicals are also one of the most effective ways to prevent bug bites.

If you’re looking for a more natural solution, there are several more options to consider. For starters, keeping the skin covered will stop the mosquitoes from having a way to get to your skin. Wear long pants and long sleeves to keep yourself protected. Standing water is where mosquitoes will want to spend time. Keep water in birdbaths and child sized pools fresh and clean.

Citronella is one of the most popular products for keeping bugs away. Light citronella candles and place them around the area where you’ll be sitting. Some claim that eating garlic will make you less appetizing for mosquitoes. Finally, choose the time of day when you’ll be outside wisely. Avoiding dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are out in full effect will help to keep you safe.

68 thoughts on “How to Get Rid of Mosquito Bites – The Most Effective Methods”

  1. I have so many mosquito bites and i scratched them so much they are like scab’s now but they still itch what do i do

  2. well your not alone i can tell you that because i have the same problem and i still cant find any way to get rid of it or to get them to heal but i have been putting proxide on them and it kind of helps stop the itch for a while

  3. Try your best not to itch, it’ll only make it more itchy! Use “Afterbite”, it gives temporary relief. To make it not as itchy, try to put the bite under cold running water for about 30 seconds. You wont feel itchy, but it doesn’t last for that long…like it’ll only help for awhile.

  4. I have so many bites and they are itching a lot try this method and trust me you itch even more use the green Cleansing wipes from boots and then go under really cold ac 20degrees c

  5. I am a woodsy person…. and the small section of woods near my house is full of mosquitoes. I once went down there after putting on bug spray .. but forgot that i had a hole on my knee in my jeans.. it now looks like I have leprosy on my knee :(. I have the will power not to scratch them.. I mean its not hard… but the redness and swelling is crazy! Hoping this helps~

  6. This happened to be yesterday I was outside practicing and got bit by 12 mosquitoes wow! I know and they itch sometimes but they are huge how do I make them smaller

  7. I alway need to go outside early like around 5~6 am for school(bus) i alway get like 6 to 7 bites by the time i get on my bus. Just what attract the mosquito from bitting me?

  8. What Happens if it has a brown dot in the middle of the bite and red all around it please help it stins and burns like hell please help me please

  9. I also get almost an allergic reaction when I get but by mosquitos , the whole area and surrounding area becomes red and swollen. A large mound. And 1 bite used to remain itchy and painful for over a week, with constant swelling. I now rub Vicks vapor rub or even BenGay muscle rub on the bite. Works wonderfully, the itch is cooled and the swelling goes down. Just use a dab on a q-tip for daytime, because the smell of these is pretty hard to cover.????????????????????????????

  10. My skin whenever I get bitten gets red and swells into welts. It is hard not to not scratch because when I get bitten my skin releases toxins to the point that I have to scratch to relieve it

  11. I have 4 on my face and there is a huge party tomz if I go with those modiqtoie bites it would give people something to laugh and joke about

  12. I have like 5 mosquito bites on each arm and I really NEED to get rid of them in 4 weeks. Their not itchy, only red and not good looking. WHAT DO I DO????
    Please help me! 🙁

  13. Thankyou! I’m allergic to the bites and get massive red swells and I still haven’t figured out how to get them to go away effectively! Will try this (:

  14. A mosquito bit me on my eye lid and it looks really wierd. How do i get rid of this?!?! Pls answer!!!

  15. Take a plastic cup and fill it half way with water, stick it in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds (until it gets pretty hot), then take a metal spoon and dip it in the water. Pull it out and make sure it’s hot and stick it on and around the bites. I do this all the time and it takes the sting out and reduces swelling for me. Hope this helps..????????

  16. I’m going to a waterpark with all my friends and THE WHOLE SCHOOL for a field trip on Tuesday, Please help me! I don’t wanna be the joke of the group! I’ll try these but if it doesn’t work I’ll be super sad!????????????????

  17. Please try and stop itching. I have the same problem. Just put vinegar and lemon juice on them and they will feel better after the stinging (;!!!

  18. I have 32 Bites Mosquitos keep getting me in the night What do I do?!????????????????????????

  19. I have 114 bites and there on my face and everywere I am sopost to be ina wedding in 4 day’s helpppppppppppppp!!!!!

  20. A hot spoon works really well to temporarily relive itch and pain. There aren’t really good ways to completely get rid of them just relive the pain and slightly subside the swelling. Also you shouldn’t use baking soda if you have very sensitive skin. Definitely try to put on bug spray before any outdoor event. It might smell strange but at least you won’t have bug bites all over.

  21. Wow! Thats a lot of bug bites! I would suggest trying all of these things and maybe put concealer over the affected areas on the day if they are still red. Wear something that will cover the bites too.

  22. Tina Ferguson

    I dabbed each one with apple cider vinegar and then applied “kids” polysporion. The kids kind offers a pain relief. I reapply as often as needed. Hope this helps 🙂

  23. Briana Fernandez

    I did the baking soda one and now I bearly notice the one on my hand the bump the redness and the ichyness stopped

  24. Ive been bittne six times very itcy to swollen bad so iknow how you feel did you feel sick and nauser after idid yesterday iwas very poorley

  25. There is a spray I used once (I had over 60 bites) and it really helped. Dermaplast, I believe, is the name. If you have more than about 10 bites, I suggest going to the doctor. They will prescribe an antibiotic of sorts to help the bites heal and to help with the symptoms.
    P. S. Refrain from wearing sweet smelling perfumes if you aren’t going to wear bug spray in an area known to having lots of bugs. They’ll be more attracted to you then. Witch hazel can also help with the itching.
    Hope it helps!

  26. I got bitten really badly a couple of nights ago; massive welts, redness and itching that is driving me crazy!! Only thing I had in the house was Vicks Vaporub….I tried it and the relief was pretty good. Smelly though :0(

  27. I have the same problem,most of the time when mosquito bite myskin like in my hand it turn into red and so itchy.if i will just let it there it will take 1-2weeks to get heal so what i do i get my clean comb and strach it hard just until the pain and icthy is gone then when i wake up in the morning it getting better now.and if i still want it to heal fast i will strach it again.thats what i do.its expective for me when i do it..but im trying to fine the medicine that will help me if mosquito bitten myskin it wont get red and icthy
    Sorry for wrong drammar but i hope u will understand of what im trying to say…..

  28. I take Benedryl and it helps quite a bit. I had surgery once and had a terrible reaction to something, not sure what.
    They gave me Benedryl via my drip and it helped a whole lot. Good luck to you.

  29. Bill Augustin

    I have been bit thousands of times in my life and tried every thing for the itch..spray off or bullfrog repellent right on the bite for all day itch relief. .the inside of banana peals also work very good and so does calidryl clear lotions. .i used to mix rubbing alcohol into body lotions and put it on right after a hot shower. .also for a good repellent. .try pure vanilla extract. mixed with water in a spray bottle. .i had no bites last summer…google for other stuff you can use. !!!!

  30. Usually it’s the smell
    Of your blood that attracts them. Certain blood types are more appealing than others.

  31. I find that if you take as hot of a bath as you can stand, and put epson salt in it.

  32. I was bit yesterday and I itched it not knowing what it was a then I have a huge one on the back of my leg and aloe vera helps it not itch and reduce in size

  33. Just a tip, if you can’t stop itching the bite, you can put a little bit of tooth paste on it. It relieves itchiness almost immediately and I think it helps with redness.

  34. Don’t scratch it! That makes them swell more, and you won’t stop scratching. Try sitting on your hands. The honey helps swelling too. Has to be real honey too.

  35. I got bitten by a Tiger Mosquito and it made my right hand swollen, it was been 3 days, and it looks the same still, I dont know what to do anymore. Help me please! (And I have 10 other bites but they went back to normal)

  36. I have mosquitos on my legs and arms and some on my upper body and i found that if you massage the area with toothpaste it goes away in 2-4 hours. The redness and the bump is gone it no longer itches and I got it today and put it on around 5:00pm and now its been 3 hours and it is gone.

  37. I too have alot of mosquito bites, and yes the itching can drive you mad, but I have noticed if I put aloe vera on them, it helps to cool them down. Also take some Benadryl, that will help with the itching. Oh and try not to eat any bananas, before you go outside, because you’ll get bit up alot more. There is something in the bananas that attracts them even more. I guess it makes your blood tastier to them.

  38. A few natural/home made remedies I’ve used are:
    TO PREVENT BITES:
    1) Do not wear dark clothes- they prefer these.
    2) Take a NEW dryer sheet and rub it on any exposed areas (except the face) AND spray natural oils (Dr. Mercola makes a great one that works). drmercola.com or you can make your own with citronella or lavender.
    3) Avoid any exposed skin- cover ankles with thick socks, wear a hood, no perfumes.
    4) Take ACIDOPHILUS pills, eat lots of GARLIC, and avoid sugar about 3-4 weeks if you know you’ll be outside. Blood that has lots of sugar is more attractive than people with less acidic blood.

    BITE REMEDIES/RELIEF:
    In my experience no one remedy works for hours; you have to switch between just to ease the pain.
    1) TOOTHPASTE- wash the bite with cold water and soap, then make a paste with toothpaste and water.
    2) CLAY- you can buy special bite lotions with clay- helps the itching.
    3) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR- use full strength or with a little water. Feels very soothing and can be used repeatedly. The smell does go away after ~4 mins.
    4) VICKS VAPOR RUB- put on immediately after bite occurs; helps remove the toxins from the bite.
    5) ICE CUBES- helps the itching

  39. My daughter is extremely allergic to mosquitoes. Her skin blisters, gets fevered and swells, followed by scarring. She had gotten bit several times when we were out of town by Asia Tiger mosquitoes, which left her skin looking like she had ringworm because the scar shape. I tried cocoa butter, shea butter, oils and scrubs but it didn’t help; but dermalmd scar serum has lightened her scar in just 10 days. It says to apply twice a day, but I’ve only been doing it once and the results are great, even after missing a couple days. She’s 4, and I like there are recognizable ingredients and that it works for her.

  40. I HAVE BLACK SPOTS ON MY HANDS AND LEGS WHICH WERE CAUSED BY MOSQUITO BITES IM 22 I HAD THEM FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND IT SEEMS AS IF ITS NOT GOING AWAY I HAVE TRIED A LOT OF THINGS INCLUDING BIO OIL ND NATURAL REMEDIES. WHAT CAN I USE PLEASE HELP. JUST BOUGHT 99%SAEM ALOVERA GEL DONT KNOW IF IT W0RKS.PLEASE RECOMMEND SOLUTIONS IF YOU CAN

  41. Bites hang around on me for around a month (red and swollen), and then leave a bruise. I’m so sick of it – I don’t like being covered in chemicals all day and the natural repellents don’t work at all. Even when I do wear high strength DEET I get bitten a few times.

    I have tried everything – calamine, honey, aloe, antihistamine, antiseptic, alum, vicks, tea tree.. nothing works at all.

    I have to wear long pants and shirts in summer because of how deformed my skin is.

    I’m a small 5 ft slim female, so the whole ‘large CO2 emitter’ theory doesn’t hold up.

    Yes, it’s definitely mozzies not some weird disease, I can see them bite me – I kill as many as possible, but I have MCS too so I have to be careful.

    UUUGH

  42. I have a bump on my face and I don’t think it’s a mosquito bite because i was inside my house when it started to be seen. I put aloe on it and it helped stop the itching, but it isn’t going away like I want it to. What’s a quick solution to make it go away??

    Also, I get these at least once a week. it’s the same symptoms every single time. I just want to prevent this from happening again. And it is always somewhere on my face.

  43. My cousin spent 2 full days out camping in the woods near a pond. When he came back, he had hundreds of mosquito bites all over his body. The hands,neck,head,stomach- you name it. He had mosquito bites there

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