5 Simple Ways to Treat Mosquito Bites

Proper Mosquito Bite Care Can Protect Your Summer Skin

So you’ve got a mosquito bite. It may look like a tiny red dot or a small raised bump on your skin. This depends on your personal sensitivity level and the age of the bite. Regardless of how it appears, a mosquito bite is no fun! No matter how many mosquito control methods you’ve put into place, bites are inevitable during the summer months. The pain and itching they cause can ruin an otherwise great camping trip or a day at the beach. It’s important to know what will make your mosquito bites feel better, and what will make them a lot worse. Read more to develop your mosquito defense toolkit and avoid all that itching and pain the next time you go outside!

Avoid Scratching

Don’t scratch your mosquito bites! Sure, you’ve probably heard this over and over again, but do you know why it’s so important? The skin around your bite is most likely raised, which makes it very easy to accidentally break it while you’re mindlessly scratching. Broken skin is no good. It makes you susceptible to infection, which is even more uncomfortable than a mosquito bite! An infected mosquito bite will get very hot, red, and swollen.

Grab an Anti-Itch Lotion

Enough about what you shouldn’t do. You’re feeling itchy and you want to take action. Where to start? Tackle that itch head on! Go to the store and buy an effective anti-itch cream to calm the sensation and ease your mind. The most popular anti-itch creams are calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream. You can buy both of these remedies over the counter at your local pharmacy.

Try a Homemade Paste

Are you too low on time to stop at the pharmacy, or do you prefer to try a DIY method first? You may be able to find some handy itch-calming ingredients right in your kitchen pantry. This recommended pantry remedy is surprisingly simple and effective: mix baking soda with water in a ratio that creates a thick paste. Apply a small amount to your bites. Repeat as many times as you need to maintain the soothing effect.

Cold Compresses

Icing your body is not just a solution for sore muscles! Applying an ice pack to your bite will numb the nerves around it, resulting in a much milder itch, or no itch at all! This method has the added benefit of keeping you cool during those hot summer days.

Responding to an Allergic Reaction

Surprisingly enough, it’s actually your own immune system that causes such intense itching when you’re bitten by a mosquito. The intensity of your itch depends on how allergic you are to mosquito bites. Taking an oral antihistamine just as you would if you were having seasonal allergies can help calm your reaction significantly. Mosquito bites are almost always benign and harmless, but it’s important to know when you need to contact your doctor. There are some instances when it’s necessary to contact a doctor immediately. If you’re experiencing nausea, vomiting, joint pain, headaches, or other severe symptoms, contact a health professional immediately.

Home Pest Control: Your Mosquito Control Solution

Remember that proper mosquito control begins long before the bite occurs. Making sure that you and your family are safe from mosquitoes during the summer starts far sooner than you may think. We recommend beginning mosquito treatment on your property as soon as the weather starts to heat up: this can be as early as the first weeks of March in many parts of the US. Your property will likely require repeat treatments throughout the summer.