7 Home Remedies For Itchy Mosquito Bites

One thing I never took into consideration when I started gardening was the amount of disgusting bugs that inhabit nature. It's one thing to spend some time outside, because we all do it and it's great... but once you start flipping dirt around and messing with plants, it's like a siren goes off and hoards of insects come racing out to question you on why you are on their turf. My family and I have all spent a great deal of time outside the past couple of days prepping the yard for spring and summer, but for some reason I'm the only one that has gotten bit. And then it hit me. Bananas. Yes, bananas.

Bananas are a great source of potassium, which is both excellent in our diets as well as mosquitos' diets. Women tend to carry a bit more potassium than men, so we tend to be most favored of the sexes, but things get a little crazy when bananas enter the scene. I am a vegetarian, so I do eat a lot of fruits and veggies, but I love bananas. They're one of my favorite fruits, and I usually have at least one a day  (except in the summer, now you know why). It is kind of a commonly known fact in my family that I love banana fruit, and have often been called names because of it. (Specifically names of certain Jungle Book characters. Ahem.)

So what to do about all that itchiness?

Of course you could use an ointment or salve from the drug store, but what about a quick fix? I did a little research on home remedies because anything to immediately stop the itch would have been great... and here's what I found (and tested):

Baking Soda
Taking you back to chemistry, the irritant that causes the itch is acidic, and baking soda is an alkali chemical. In Laymans terms? It stops the itch. Since most of my forearm was itchy, I dampened a paper towel and put a light layer of baking soda on it before wrapping it around my arm. Don't laugh, but I did use plastic wrap around my arm to keep it secure. It was tingly for awhile (the 4 minutes I kept it on), but it did work for quite some time.

Green Tea Compress
A tea bag that has been warmed and then cooled and put on a bite can help reduce inflammation and irritation. I didn't have that much green tea in my house, but one bag on one of the bites provided some relief. I'm not sure about caffeinated teas, but I know green tea is good for helping with inflammation. After all, an inflamed bite means an itchy bite.

Cold/Hot Water
If the bite is really red from scratching, putting a little cold water or an ice cube on it will help reduce inflammation. If you've been good and haven't been itching it, sometimes the hot water will do the trick and provide temporary relief without causing it to swell again.

Vinegar/Rubbing Alcohol
This one I have not tried, although I would see why it would help. Vinegar and alcohol are excellent ways to sanitize a wound, so helping to cleanse and extract the irritant while the bite is still fresh may help.

Aloe Vera Gel
Pull out some of that gel in the medicine cabinet you've been keeping for a long day at the beach. That same gel that cools burns and soothes the skin does wonders with the bites. I only had a little bit left, but oh. my. that helped.

Tea Tree Oil
Lets be honest.. what can't tea tree oil cure? Similar to the tea bag routine on why it works. Dab a bit of this and some lavendar oil on it. Lavendar oil is great for calming effects on the mind and body.

Banana Peel
Wait a second... Didn't I say that bananas were part of the problem? Indeed. But the enzymes in the banana peel help draw out the toxins and dry up a bite or rash. This did work for awhile, but having sticky banana on my arm wasn't pleasant. On the other hand, I got to eat a banana. And that's always a good thing. Banana peel stops the itch, the banana fruit stops the craving. It's a win-win in my book.

So that's what I've tried, what about you? What do you use to cure bug bites?