Following a winter notable for being so mild, insects are much worse this year than they have been in recent memory. To be specific, ticks and mosquitoes are on the warpath, which makes an uncomfortably hot summer into a nightmare for those who seem to attract the blood-sucking bugs and their mosquito itch.
The best method of dealing with the swarms of mosquito is to keep them from landing on and biting you in the first place by applying insect repellent before ever heading outdoors, but that’s not always going to be possible or one hundred percent effective. Some mosquitoes, for instance, aren’t remotely deterred by the insect repellent you can coat yourself in before leaving your house.
Another line of defense to take is having a reliable way to stop the itch before you scratch the bites and make them ten times worse. Here are nine ways you can stop the mosquito bite itch with items you have around the house.
Rubbing just a small dab of ammonia on a mosquito bite will provide nearly instant itch relief. Ammonia is the active ingredient in one of the versions of the commercially available After Bite itch cream.
After Bite itch relief also makes another version made for children, called After Bite Kids, and it uses baking soda as its active ingredient. To make your own version, mix a small amount of water with baking soda to create a paste and apply to the bite topically.
Rubbing an ice cube on the bite location can provide temporary relief from the itch as well, and also reduce inflammation.
The acid from lemon or lime juice can help calm the itch from a mosquito bite.
Aspirin is typically taken as a pill, but it also has medicinal uses when crushed up and applied to the skin. Crush the pill with a spoon and add water to create a paste, then apply to the bite.
Aloe vera can also be used for more than just soothing sunburns. It can also relieve the itch and swelling from a mosquito bite.
Peppermint based toothpaste can also ease the itch of a mosquito bite. You can squeeze a small amount of it from the tube and tab it onto the site.
Honey can also be used to remove the itch from mosquito bites, and also helps prevent infection, alongside being delicious.
A variety of essential oils are also said to ease the itch from