Ammonia or Meat Tenderizer
★★★★★
What To Do
Dampen a cotton ball with ammonia and wet the area affected by the bite.
This treatment works best on fresh bites. Only use household ammonia, which is diluted, not ammonia from a science lab, which is too concentrated. If you have sensitive skin, you'll probably want to skip this treatment and opt for one that is gentle for your skin.
Also, Meat tenderizer contains enzymes, such as papain, that tenderize meat by breaking the chemical bonds that hold the muscle fibers together. Meat tenderizer is effective against insect stings and other types of venom because it breaks the proteins that cause a reaction. Although it's unlikely meat tenderizer can do much good once a bite has had a chance to swell up, if you apply it immediately after you are bitten or shortly afterward, it may deactivate the chemicals in the mosquito saliva that will make you itchy and red.
What To Do
Either apply meat tenderizing powder directly to the bite area or mix it with a small amount of water. Leave it on for a couple of minutes, but not too long or you're likely to tenderize yourself! This is a safe remedy, but since many products contain herbs and spices, it might cause itchiness of its own if you have sensitive skin.
Antipruritic Device
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar and Epsom Salt for Mosquito Bites
I will soak the ACV in a cotton ball or on a cotton circle pad and hold on my bites for a few minutes. After, I rub in a small portion of Epsom salts (about a dime size) and let them dissolve in the skin, in and around the bites. I do this a few times across the day. I've found this to both speed the healing as well as reduce the redness and itch.
Bat Boxes
(Midrand Gauteng, South Africa)
02/12/2013
I agree most wholeheartedly, but where to get a bat box. I am past my sell by date so find it difficult to manufacture and install, but yes, it is a public service and if we had a gov't for the people they would be supplied, installed and a mandatory part of Africa. John
Citronella
Coconut Oil and Lavender Oil
★★★★★
We have a huge mosquito problem here, and thanks to the invasion of aggressive Asian Tiger mosquitoes here about 10 years ago, we get attacked all day as well as night. I don't want to be slathering on chemicals but protection is a necessity to enjoy any time in the yard. I've read of various concoctions using a variety essential oils, but didn't have any of the listed ones on hand. In desperation I added about 10 drops of lavender essential oil to a small jar filled with VCO. We dip our fingers in the jar and rub the oil on any exposed skin and around the back of the neck to help keep them away from the face. So far it seems to be doing the trick, and of course the VCO is also a nice skin treatment :)
I'm looking to get some beautyberry bushes to plant as I've just read that they are a great repellent - you can crush the leaves and rub them on and it's apparently as effective as DEET. It also is 100% effective against ticks. In the meantime, my lavender/VCO mixture is definitely helping. I've also seen the info in spraying Listerine around the yard and that does seem to help as well.
(St Paul, Mn)
09/14/2012
★★★★★
I have been using virgin coconut oil on my skin this summer simply because it makes my skin feel great. Recently I watched mosquitos hover around my arms and legs and then fly away. Everyone sitting on the patio with me was complaining about the mosquitos and they were not bothering me at all. I used to be mosquito repellent for everyone else!
(Sydney, Australia)
10/12/2012
★★★★★
I have found that a dab of Lavender Oil on a mossie bite removes the itch within about 2 - 5 minutes. I used it on my children to prevent them from scratching until they break the skin then leaving marks.
The downside is the smell. I noticed that mossies tend to stay away after application as well.
I have told many people of this who were using creams. Many disbelieved until they tried it. Now they don't use anything else.
(Emerald City, The Land of Oz)
01/25/2023
★★★★★
Lavender oil worked great for treating itchy mosquito bites. Thanks! Worked very fast and more effective than Calamine lotion :) Wife, son and myself were all bitten by the blighters.
Cucumber
★★★★★
She had started eagerly scratching at one of her bites so I came to this site and decided to try Cucumber.
It worked immediately... no more scratching and applied it to all 9 bites and she didn't scratch at the others at all. I applied it the day of and yesterday and haven't applied it today seeing if the itch has been kept at bay.
Cucumber... thumbs up!!
Deet
★☆☆☆☆
Devices and Decorations
Dill Pickle
★★★★★
Difficult to find without yellow #5 and other harmful ingredients. Unless you wanna buy a gallon of Vlassic for $3.99. I opted for Trader Joe's pure ingredients and small jar, smaller pickles for the same price. They were a godsend!
Tip for relieving is applying a warm-hot spoon against bites. It puts the fire out.
I'm tempted to try for fleas. In visiting a friend, her neighbors dog's fleas are attacking only me.
Being a vegetarian 40+ years has its rewards, bites/stings aren't one of them.
We've found that a mix of 1/2 ACV (5%) & 1/2 water, sprayed on our dogs coats, kept fleas from bothering them for about 12 hours at a time.
Dishwashing Liquid
★★★★★
(Malaysia)
09/13/2020
★★★★★
Yes, I read about that from someone who likes sitting on the veranda with her friends. She would fill a plastic basin with water and put a few drops of dish-washing liquid in it and the leave the basin on the deck. She said that she would see mossies dive into the basin and die.
Dryer Sheet Tied to Waist
★★★★★
Dryer Sheets
★★★★★
(NC)
06/02/2024
It doesn't matter, the sheet scent hides our breath which is what attracts them.
Eucalyptus
Garlic
- Take 10 or 12 finely chopped cloves of garlic
- Mix them in 4 oz mineral oil
- Set aside for a couple of days to mature
- Strain the mixture through a sieve or coffee filter into a spray bottle filled with a half cup of water and a few drops of dish detergent.
This mixture should repel mosquitoes anywhere, whether you spray it on your skin or just on objects around your outdoors gathering spot. (Caution: garlic can irritate skin, so test on a small area of your skin first.) You can also immerse strips of cloth in this mixture and hang them around your outdoor gathering to repel mosquitoes.
(Kentucky)
05/25/2024
★★★★★
Mosquitoes don't like garlic. One study in India found that people who rubbed a garlicky concoction on their arms and legs weren't bothered by the pesky buggers. When you eat garlic, an invisible layer of garlic oil seeps from your pores and creates a mosquito barrier. If you don't like the thought of eating more garlic, you can also use garlic juice to make a natural repellent.‘Mix one part garlic minced with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 to 6 hours.
