With more than 3,500 species of mosquitoes in the world, it’s no wonder that these pests are almost impossible to escape. Their itchy bites leave people searching for relief, and luckily there’s plenty of natural mosquito bite remedies.
Pastes
These pastes can be made with everyday items you most likely have in your home:
- Baking soda paste can be made from mixing a small amount of water into baking soda. Apply the paste and wait several minutes before washing it off.
- Meat tenderizer paste can be allowed to dry before removing.
- Aspirin paste will reduce swelling and itching and relieve any pain from the bite.
- Apple cider vinegar paste will dry out the bite and alleviate itching. Allow the paste to dry before washing it off.
- Epsom salt paste will soothe itching. You can dissolve the Epsom salt, and then refrigerate the mixture before applying to make it more soothing.
Liquids
These liquid remedies can be applied with cotton balls to reduce itching and swelling:
- Rubbing alcohol can be used to clean the bite.
- Lavender oil can be applied directly to the bite. Depending on the potency, you may want to dilute your oil.
- A drop of witch hazel will reduce irritation and inflammation.
- Liquid soap can be applied and left to dry or left on until the itching subsides.
- Listerine contains menthol that will cool and soothe bites.
Rubs
These household items are perfect for rubbing on fresh bites to control inflammation and itching:
- Lemons and limes contain citric acid, which has itch relieving properties. Rub a slice of fruit on your bites to reduce itching.
- Breaking an aloe leaf and rubbing it on the bite will soothe it. If you don’t have an aloe plant, you can find bottled aloe almost anywhere.
- Crushed basil leaves are natural itch relievers because they contain thymol and camphor. Basil leaves also double as mosquito repellant.
- Plantain herb can reduce bite itch in about a minute. Simply rub the leaves over the bite and wait for relief.
- The inside of a banana peel may help draw fluid out of a mosquito bite.
- Potato slices can be placed on a bite and left on for several minutes. When the itching subsides, remove the slice and clean the bite with water.
What About Prevention?
It’s great if you can treat mosquito bites, but why not try to prevent bites before they happen? With products like the Mosquito Magnet trap and mosquito attractant, you can outsmart these pesky insects and reduce the population of them near your home. You can also rely on natural pest control from other insects in your area. Dragonflies, ants and spiders all eat mosquitoes if given the chance. Stopping itchy bites is good, but preventing them is better. Using natural solutions and Mosquito Magnet products will help you enjoy a summer that’s free from the pain and irritation of mosquito bites.