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bbleeker comments on Open Thread, August 1-15, 2012 - Less Wrong
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What (if anything) really helps to stop a mosquito bite from itching? And are there any reliable methods for avoiding bites, apart from DEET? I'll use DEET if I have to, but I'd rather use something less poisonous.
I've found that not scratching a mosquito bite when it's fresh means that it stops itching fairly quickly and completely. The red mark takes just as long to go away, though.
I have no idea whether this generalizes to other people.
Not scratching, huh? That takes an awful lot of willpower, but I'll give it a go.
For whatever reason, I let myself touch the red spot instead of scratching it. I think that makes it easier for me, but again, I don't know whether that would generalize.
I did try it, and that is exactly what I turned out doing. I touched it softly, and sometimes pressed down on it with a finger. And it works! Better than anything I've ever tried putting on it. I don't know why I didn't know this simple trick. Of course people (my parents, for example) always say you shouldn't scratch, but no-one explained that it makes the itch go away faster, just that scratching can break the skin and maybe cause infection.
I'm glad it worked.
I have no idea why I thought of it. I didn't have a theory and it wasn't based on anyone's advice. I don't think I'd been told to not scratch mosquito bites.
Icaridin (a.k.a. "picaridin") comes out well in head-to-head comparisons against DEET, and it's CDC-approved. When I've been lucky enough to buy it I've found it easier on the skin than DEET.
Heat works for me for itchy bites, although maybe it's a placebo. In any case, here's what I do: boil/microwave a cup of water; put a spoon in it briefly; dry the spoon; let it cool just enough so it won't burn me; press it against the bite for a few seconds. The itching intensifies while I apply the heat, then subsides to less than it was before, and stays low for an hour or two.
There's also a commercial product called After Bite that might work if you apply it soon after you're bitten. However, it's basically just a 3.5% ammonia emulsion with a special applicator, so you might as well buy plain ammonia and dilute & apply it as necessary.
More about heat and various other methods to deal with mosquito bites
Thank you! I'm using Picksan, which uses the same active ingredient as (p)icaridin, and it did seem to work. I was just spooked a few days ago when a mosquito sat on me while I was wearing the stuff. It didn't bite though; and maybe I had forgotten a spot, and I'm pretty sure I didn't shake before using it like it says on the bottle. I'll definitely try the heat thing. I have tried After Bite, and it didn't seem to do much. I do have a bottle of ammonia in the house; maybe a stronger solution works better.
Imitation vanilla extract makes an okay mosquito repellent. (And smells much nicer than standard bug spray.)
Thank you! Does it have to be imitation, or will the real thing work too? I'll try citronella first, anyway - I don't like vanilla.
I think it's only the fake kind, but I'm not sure (my evidence is "my best friend told me so and then I put fake vanilla on myself before a Fourth of July party and didn't get any bites when usually I get lots").
Thanks again! As I said, I'll try the citronella first. I just bought a bottle of citronella; it smells just like when my mother made me use it on holidays when I was a little girl. I still don't like it much (still better than vanilla), but now it is nostalgic. Which is weird, since I'm really not nostalgic for my childhood. I didn't have a bad childhood, but in general I'm much happier now.
OK, scratch citronella. Maybe it keeps off the mosquitos, but it also chased off the cat yesterday evening. :(
Rub tea tree oil on the bite. This works really well for all insect bites. It really helps.
Thank you! I'll try this too. *goes off to the store*
I've encountered some anecdotal evidence for massive B12 consumption, but nothing substantive.
Citronella oil is supposed to be effective.
Sulfur is actually an amazing mosquito repellent, but hard to utilize. Burning sulfur directly produces extremely toxic fumes, and eating large quantities of cabbage and egg yolk results in fumes you will only -wish- were toxic. (Although apparently some hikers do exactly that... I imagine they hike alone, however.)
Thank you! I had forgotten about citronella. I love cabbage and eggs, but I don't think I should do that to my husband. ;p
Lemon eucalyptus essential oil contains a lot of citronellal, and dilution products are quite effective at repelling insects.
Thanks! I bought the only citronella my drugstore had; I'll give it a try next time I see/hear a mosquito (the weather isn't nice enough for them ATM).