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9 home remedies for mosquito bite itch

Mosquitoes are out in force this year. Getting bitten is an inevitability. Save yourself some discomfort from the itch and use one of these home remedies.

Taylor Martin CNET Contributor
Taylor Martin has covered technology online for over six years. He has reviewed smartphones for Pocketnow and Android Authority and loves building stuff on his YouTube channel, MOD. He has a dangerous obsession with coffee and is afraid of free time.
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Taylor Martin
2 min read
Taylor Martin/CNET

Following a notably mild winter, insects are worse this year than they have been in recent summers. More specifically, ticks and mosquitoes are out in force, making for a particularly uncomfortable summer for those who seem to attract the blood-sucking bugs.

The best method of dealing with mosquitos is to keep them from biting you in the first place by applying insect repellent before heading outdoors. But that's not always possible, and it's not always 100 percent effective. The mosquitoes around my house, for instance, aren't remotely deterred by the insect repellent I coat myself in before I leave the house.

The second line of defense is having a reliable remedy to stop the itch before you scratch the bites into oblivion. Here are nine ways to stop mosquito bite itch with items you likely already have around the house.

mosquito-bite
Taylor Martin/CNET
  • Rubbing just a dab of ammonia on the bite will provide almost instant itch relief. Ammonia is the active ingredient in one of the versions of the commercially available After Bite itch relief solution.
  • Another version made for children, After Bite Kids, uses baking soda as its active ingredient. To whip up your own version, mix a small amount of water with baking soda to create a paste and apply topically to the bite.
  • Rubbing an ice cube on the bite location can also provide temporary relief from the itch.
  • Juice from a lemon or lime slice can also help calm the itch from a mosquito bite.
  • While aspirin is typically taken as a pill, it also has medicinal uses when crushed up and applied topically. Crush the pill with a spoon and add water to create a paste, then apply to the bite.
  • Aloe vera doesn't just soothe sunburns. It can also relieve the itch and swelling from a mosquito bite.
  • Unsurprisingly, peppermint-based toothpaste can also ease the itch of a mosquito bite. Squeeze a small amount out from the tube and dab it on the site of the bite.
  • In addition to being delicious, honey can remove the itch from mosquito bites while also helping prevent infection.
  • A variety of essential oils are said to ease the itch from mosquito bites. In my experience, peppermint oil is the most effective.