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.
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 Francisca (Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France) on 06/13/2010
Do you rub the oil after drying your hair or before?
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
Tiger Balm
Posted by Rebekah (Anchorage, Ak, Usa) on 06/28/2011
★★★★★
Thank you for this suggestion. We forgot our bug dope on our camping trip this weekend and the mosquitoes really got me before the local place opened up so we could buy some repellent. So far the Tiger Balm is working well. I can tell I'm going to need several applications, but for the moment my calves aren't itching like crazy.
Aspirin
Posted by Ann (Deer Park, WA) on 06/26/2008
★★★★★
I had multiple mosquito bites and checked earth clinic for relief. Found a remedy of wetting the bites and rubbing in an aspirin. (I also wet the aspirin.) Immediately the burning and itching was gone and the bites healed so much faster than previous episodes. Also,the bites didn't swell anywhere near as much as previous bites. My arm was so full of bites that it was red from the wrist to the elbow. The first time it took two aspirins, but as the bites healed one did the job. The aspirin left a white gritty residue, but that was a very small payment for great relief. Thank you!
Aspirin
Posted by Tinam (Brisbane, Queensland) on 04/13/2011
I unfortunately am allergic to mosquitoes and the swelling and itching is severe and painful at the same time. The bite will usually be bad for 2 weeks and then slowly fade. I was bitten on the foot last night which now is so swollen I can hardly walk on it. I tried the aspirin remedy, but unfortunately it did not work. I have tried tiger balm in the past which does not work either. I use Olive Leaf Extract on the bites, which takes the itching away, but only lasts for a short period, and doesn't help with pain and swelling. I think the remedies work, I just think my bodies reaction to the mosquito bite is too severe. I started taking a vit B supplement which is great. I get bitten very seldom. Thanks for the remedies and suggestions everyone.
Vitamin C
Posted by WT (Spartanburg, sc) on 05/29/2008
★★★★★
Vitamin C for Insect Bites and Allergies: I had a spider bite once that swelled on my forearm like a half-egg under the skin. I took 3-4G of ascorbic acid, the cheap Vitamin C from Sams club, about once every hour and a half or so. By dark the swelling was down to maybe 10%. I continued overnight and all day the next day. During that time, while in the yard working, I felt something on my arm. I looked down to see a "fireant" biting feverishly the back of my hand. I assumed there must be something wrong with him as I didn't feel any burning. Another one bit me later with the same results. I only noticed a feeling like something was crawling on me. The wounds never swelled, turned red or itched! It must have been the massive doses of C circulating in my blood.
I estimated I consumed about 40 grams of C over a 24hr period. Normally that much C will give you severe diarrhea and gas! I had neither.
I also take it for severe allergy flareups with great and quick relief, though only last for 2-4 hours, depending on the intensity of the allergen.
Aspirin
Posted by Sylvia (Wilmington, NC) on 05/20/2008
★★★★★
I tried the aspirin on a mosquito bite and it worked well, the itching left. Thanks.
Tiger Balm
Posted by Michelle (Pasadena, CA) on 04/28/2008
★★★★★
For some reason, in the past 2 or 3 years, i've had 3 bad cases of allergic reactions to insect or arachnid bites, though i've never been able to pinpoint exactly what's been biting me. The doc's said take allergy meds, but nothing seems to work (i've got about 3 tubes of cream in my cabinet) and the ITCHING!!!! The itching is the worst part of it all. I woke up 8 times last night scratching my leg, and i knew if i could just get the itching to stop, the bite would heal much faster and i wouldn't be causing all this swelling and put myself at an impetigo risk. I've used Tiger Balm for sore muscles before, but never for bites. I'm now sitting here cool as a cucumber, tingly, and ITCH FREE for the first time!!! I can throw out those tubes of cream and keep an all natural multitasker, my cabinet, and my legs thak you.
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!
Tiger Balm
Posted by Kendra (Charleston, Sc) on 05/15/2012
Be careful using Tiger Balm. I had my husband rub some on my neck one time for some muscle pain and ended up the ER with Cellulitis. They gave me Steroids and Benedryl right there. It was very painful, so please make sure you aren't allergic.
Cellulitis is a common skin infection and caused an itchy painful red rash.
Vinegar for Biting Flies
Posted by Karen (Minneapolis, Minnesota) on 04/09/2008
★★★★★
1/4 Vinegar 3/4 Water Spray Bottle Stopped Biting Flies on me and my Dog. We live on a lake and have lots of flies and mosquitos. This worked great. Good for my skin and my dog didn't have any fleas. Seemed to work on all pesty bugs. Great for horses too although it works better on a rag. Horses don't like the spray bottle noise. I use also when outdoors i.e.golfing.
Aspirin
Posted by Roger (Richmond Hill, Ontario) on 03/27/2008
★★★★★
Mosquito bites drive me nuts. I'm one of these people who can't stop from scratching. So, living in Canada, there would be some years where I would end up doing a lot of scratching and scarring. When I read this remedy in the Home Remedy Book and it worked, I told myself that the $30 I paid for the book was worth this one cure. It also works for spider bites. It works better if you deal with the bite(s) as quickly as possible.
Wet the area of the bite with water and rub plain ASA onto the area. Because I'm a scratcher, I do it rather roughly. For spider bites I use two applications about a half hour apart. The itchiness disappears in a few minutes and may reoccur the next day. I just do another application and usually the itch doesn't return.
EC: We wrote Roger back to clarify what ASA is....
Aspirin
Posted by Roger (USA) on 03/28/2008
Just plain aspirin - I use a generic brand - it really works but be generous with the water - my daughter, who is health conscious, uses aspirin on her and her kids - it's saved a lot of hours of sleep.
Aspirin
Posted by Daisy (Jax, Fl) on 06/05/2015
ASA is the abbreviation for acetylsalicilic (sp?) acid - in other words, aspirin.
White Vinegar
Posted by LORA (CONROE, TX) on 12/12/2007
★★★★★
WHITE VINEGAR FOR ANT BITES. I AM ALLERGIC TO ANT BITES AND SWELL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. I PUT WHITE VINEGAR ON THEM AND IT TAKES THE SWELLING AND ITCHING RIGHT OUT.
Joe-Pye Weed
Posted by Sal (East Haven, CT) on 09/05/2007
★★★★★
After 2 days of itching above my ankle, from a multiple mosquito bite cluster, in which I found relief for only brief periods using aloe vera and jewelweed, I got another eruption while mountain biking. Spotting some Joe Pye weed by the side of the trail, I decided to experiment. I plucked the flowering pink head and crushed it to confirm the vanilla-like fragrance and rubbed it on the bite cluster and rode off. Within minutes the itching stopped, never to return.
Baking Powder, Ammonia, Meat Tenderizer
Posted by Gary (Claxton, Georgia) on 06/30/2007
★★★★★
The recommended first aid is: wash the sting area with copious amounts of warm soapy water then wash the bite site with household ammonia, scrubbing vigorously with a sponge to get under the skin flap to the poison.
Make a solution of baking powder, meat tenderizer, and ammonia, i.e. 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon meat tenderizer, and 1 cup ammonia. Scrub this solution into the wound.
The ammonia and baking soda return the body's acid/base balance to normal neutralizing most of the effect of the poison injected into the skin by the insect. The meat tenderizer's enzymes help break down the protein aiding the solution in neutralizing the poison.
I keep a pint jar of the solution stored at room temperature. It's very effective.
