The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Lavender Oil
Posted by Sp (Nashville, Tn) on 06/04/2010
★★★★★
Lavender essential oil works great to relieve the itchiness of mosquito bites. Dab a drop directly on the area and a few minutes later the itchiness is gone. It gets rid of the swelling also.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Lisa (Coto De Caza, Ca) on 10/12/2009
★★★★★
My daughter woke up one morning with a few bug bits (most likely spider bites) that itched and were swollen. We put a little tea tree oil on it and the itching stopped very quickly. The next day the bites were completely gone. A few days later I had a bug bite that itched like crazy, so I tried the tea tree oil on it and it worked great.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Gramma (Raymond, Alberta, Canada) on 09/13/2009
★★★★★
My husband and I use coconut oil as a rub for aches and pains. Hubby had his right shoulder replaced 10 years ago and coconut oil keeps him pain free. I need back surgery but am too old so I use coconut oil to relieve pain. We also use it to rub arthritic knees, hips, elbows and hands. We were in Majuro for 18 months five years ago and were introduced to coconut oil by the natives when I stepped onto a red ant pile and was severely bitten all over my legs. Instant relief from coconut oil. We don't measure, we just scoop out a little and rub it on. It has to be 100% pure coconut oil to work.
Clear Tape
Posted by Paula (London, England and Poitiers, France) on 09/04/2009
I tried B1 for insect bites but it did not agree with me. The most incredible treatment for them that I've EVER used is fresh lemon juice it immediately removes the pain and itching. If the bite is big you may have to reapply but it works amazingly on other spots and cuts etc.as well. i found that oil pulling with olive oil seems to stop one being bitten.
Clear Tape
Posted by Connie (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA) on 09/02/2009
Do you apply it or ingest it?
EC: Typically you would ingest it.
Clear Tape
Posted by Doug (Show Low, Az) on 09/01/2009
Even better for mosquito bites is vitamin B1. Insects hate the smell it makes your skin have. although it is not noticeable to humans.
Clear Tape
Posted by Brenda (Converse, Tx) on 09/01/2009
★★★★★
Mosquitos get me really bad, and I used to finish those Anti-itch creams having to re-apply every time. My dad heard this somewhere and though it sounds weird, it really works!. Just cut about an inch or so of clear tape (yes the kind you use for paper) and stick it right on the insect bite. Within a minute or two the itch is gone and there is no need for more tape. I use this site all the time, it is the first place I look for help. Thank you Earthclinic and all the people that provide feedback.
Aspirin
Posted by Star (Stamford, Ct) on 08/04/2009
★★★★★
I get beaten by mosquito quite often even with insect repellent. I have bad reaction to mosquito bites, the area will swell up and get very itchy, it will take weeks to calm down and leave a mark on my skin. My doctor prescribed me with cortisone and it speed up the healing process. In an outdoor BBQ last week, I got 2 bites and as usual had bad reactions. I applied the prescribed cortisone, it gave me some relief on the itch for a short while and it did not calm down the swelling. I remembered reading about the aspirin remedy last week and decided to try it. It worked right away when I rubbed it onto the swelling spots, it calmed the itchiness and I can see the inflammation starting to heal, I left it on overnight and they were much better the next morning. I told my doctor about it, she said you need to be sure that you are not allergic to aspirin and be carefully if you have anemia. Thank you for sharing the remedy, I now have a speedy way to clam the bites!
Salt
Posted by Connie (Manitowoc, Wisconsin) on 08/02/2009
★★★★★
Try rubbing salt into a mosquito bite, just ordinary table salt. I tried it on a new itchy bite I thought was from a mosquito; the bite was gone the next day. Mosquito bites usually last days on me.
Cucumber
Posted by Lindar (Treorchy, Rhondda Wales Uk) on 08/02/2009
★★★★★
CUECUMER FOR INSECT BITES! My 10 year lod woke up to find 2 gnat/mozzie bites on her ankle this morning. She put Ttiger Balm on it and it worked well, but hours later while we were out they started to really itech and irritate. Needless to say I didn't have anything on me. BUT we did have the remains of our picnic salad. In desperation I told her to rub it with a piece of Cuecumber, to keep her occupied more than anything. Well it worked a treat, and now several hours later it stil doesn't itch and the swelling has gone down!
Tiger Balm
Posted by Bryana (Woodland Hills, CA) on 07/05/2009
★★★★★
This TIGER BALM remedy works! I love it. I had bites that itch like crazy so i put Calamine on it and it didn't work. I came to earth clinic and read on and i found this remedy I tried it and right now i am tingling and i fill fine and NO itching. It burns a bit at first but after it leaves a nice tingling feeling I LOVE IT!
Castor Oil
Posted by Kathy (Chicago, IL) on 06/19/2009
hi e mailed you with a question but think it was misunderstood. had a flea infestation and revieved several bites which have turned brown and look awful. question was referred to pet section. didnt want to know how to get rid of fleas wanted to know if any remedy for the brown spots. have been bit before and never had this happen. thanks for any help
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Kathleen (Brisbane, Australia) on 01/03/2009
★★★★★
Living in Australia, tea tree is readily available at supermarkets etc, and is great for taking away the itch from flea, mosquito, midgee bites (and lots more). It works by 1. taking away the itch - anaesthetic; 2. healing the infected area (antiseptic), and repels the other bugs hat might come near you.
I dip a cotton bud into the oil (100%, or even the dilluted version) and rub it onto the bite, sometimes I reapply it, and before you know it - its gone!
Vitamin C
Posted by Donna (Port Huron, MI) on 12/14/2008
★★★★★
We do backpacking in remote areas in northern Michigan where mosquitoes and black flies can make a trip unbearable. I read about taking Vitamin B6 to prevent bites, tried it and found it completely successful. But one time when backpacking with our daughter, I had forgotten the B6 but was taking Vitamin C up to my bowel tolerance level for a specific medical problem. So my blood and cells were full of Vitamin C. I noticed that my daughter's legs were covered with mosquitoes and black flies and in a few minutes, each bite would swell up and become red. I was surrounded by flies and mosquitoes but either I was not bitten (I did not feel anything) or I did not have any reaction. I think that the mosquitoes do not like the high acid content of the blood (I was taking the acidic form of Vitamin C). In addition, when cell and tissue fluid are saturated with Vitamin C, edemas will be removed by the body very quickly. I think this probably is why bites either do not swell or do not last very long if people are taking Vitamin C.
Iodine
Posted by Susan (Northern, IL) on 11/02/2008
★★★★★
When I get bites, they swell and itch horribly. After trying lots of tricks over my lifetime, I just discovered that iodine works great. I have the kind w/o additives, but storebought would be OK for this purpose. Recently tried this on bites I'd scratched open, and it took the itch away quickly. Didn't scar as bad as usual, also.
Over the Counter
Posted by Francesca (Kihei, Hawaii, Maui) on 10/31/2008
★★★★★
I get welts from mosquito bites, and have found the BEST remedy for me has been Johnson and Johnson First Aid Cream! It comes in a white plastic tube. The itch goes away in seconds, and the swelling in a few minutes. Just rub a small amount right onto the bite, and massage it a little. This cream has been hard to find, so I buy several tubes of it when I do find it.
White Vinegar
Posted by Maatka (Chicago, IL) on 09/04/2008
★★★★★
White vinegar and my mineral Mud mask did the trick for us. I was awaken at 2am by my 5 year old crying and in pain from several mosquito bits on her finger that that swollen to twice the size. It was itching and burning and I immediately check earthclinic for a remedy. First I applied the vinegar with a cotton ball waited until it dried and then coated and covered the area with some mineral mud I had left over from a beauty treatment, it worked like a charm and now only 20 min later she's fast asleep. Thanks earthclinic, now I can get some rest, at least until the next midnight emergency lol. One more thing, next time I'll apply the white vinegar Immediately after the insect bits takes place, as it takes away the itching almost instantly.
Coconut Oil
Posted by Kylie (Whitianga, New Zealand) on 08/26/2008
★★★★★
I've been using coconut oil on my skin & hair for approx 5 months now thanks to all the posts I've read on earthclinic. Taking a couple of teaspoons a day certainly makes your skin soft from the inside out. While up in the Pacific Islands on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I sought out locally made coconut oil and due to daily sun exposure, applied it to my skin each night. I was surprised to find that the mosquitos - which have always bitten me in the past - would hover around me but not land on my oiled skin. I didn't have to use insect repellent once for the whole two weeks I was in Tonga. The local oil was quite smelly (rancid smelling and everyone told me NOT to eat it) and different to the imported oil we get in NZ, so not sure if this makes the difference. I'll certainly be trying this as a mosquito remedy here in the summer.
Garlic
Posted by Robbie (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) on 08/04/2008
★★★★★
This is going to sound hideous... and it is, but it does the trick.
When ever I have a cold I have a number of remedies I use.
In Scotland we have a thing called a hot toddy which is basically whiskey, cloves, honey and lemon made into a tea.
However, my other remedy (and this is the disgusting one) I have used and it works... is blend some garlic cloves and water into a blender. Then gulp down some of the brew at night. I normally just try to drink the whole thing. I don't really bother with measurements, Just play about till you find something that works for you. It's the garlic your eating, the water just helps it go own. Plus it's broken up and therefore absorbed into the body quicker and easier.
I also do the same as a mosquito repellent. Blend the garlic and water together and pour through a siv. The pulp I place in plant pots on my pation and the water garlic solution I place in a squeezy bottle and go around spraying my windows and door frames. All blood eating creatures hate garlic.
You can also use Listerine which surprisingly mosqutios hate for some reason. I use a combination of the two.
Peppermint Oil
Posted by Donna (Janesville, WI) on 07/16/2008
★★★★★
I had heard that Pure Peppermint Oil stops bug bits from itching. Well, it did, but guess what?! It also took off my nail polish!! WOW! I was in utter shock! How cool is that! Ok, I'll try and calm down now~ much love donna
