As I have shared previously, our area has been having a lot of rain these past two months. While I am grateful for an end to the drought, the enormous amounts of rain has resulted in flooding, and one other unwelcome effect: an explosion in the mosquito population.
Everywhere I look there are puddles and other forms of standing water: breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Just taking a half hour walk in the morning, I ended up with multiple mosquito bites on my arms. Now I apply natural repellant before I walk out the door.
If you’ve ever had a mosquito bite, you know how itchy they can get. Scratching provides momentary relief, but spread the itch even more.
Here are 10 easy remedies for itchy mosquito bites:
- Miracle Salve I have found that the Miracle Healing Salve, (originally found on Backdoor Survival), works to relieve mosquito bite itching, among many other uses. I have made several batches of this salve.
- Deodorant My son’s science teacher swears by deodorant to relieve itching. I’ve tried both scented and unscented, they seem to work equally well for a short time.
- Adhesive bandage Mr. Apartment Prepper just places a band-aid over the bite. It prevents further irritation from brushing up against surfaces and you eventually forget that it’s there.
- Alcohol Place a dab of rubbing alcohol directly on the bite – it does help.
- Baking soda and water Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply directly on the itch.
- Ammonia and water Mix equal parts of plain ammonia and water and apply on the itchy area with a cotton ball.
- Vick’s Vapor Rub My grandmother swore by this remedy. When we were kids, she would dab a small amount of Vick’s Vapor Rub on the itchy bite.
- Tea tree oil Mix five to six drops of tea tree oil with one tablespoon of olive oil. Apply with a cotton ball directly on the bite.
- Apple cider vinegar I already use apple cider vinegar to ward off colds; it works to relieve itch as well. Place apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and rub directly on the bite. The smell goes away after a few minutes.
- X marks the spot If you find yourself without any of these home remedies, use a clean fingernail and make an “X” right on the bite. This seems to relieve the itch for a short time.
These are just some of the remedies that I have tried myself. For more ideas, check out these articles from our friends over at Prepared Bloggers:
Home Remedies for Bug Bites and Stings from Commonsense Home
How to Make Lucky Sherpa Plaintain Salve from The Survival Sherpa
Mosquitos are not only annoying, they also cause a number of diseases such as Chikungunya. Get to the bottom of the problem: Mom with a Prep shows how to Combat Mosquitos Naturally