How To Get Rid Of Mosquito Bites

Of all the insects that there are in the world, the Mosquito is probably the most dangerous of all, and is responsible for millions of deaths world wide, since it is a main carrier of both contagious and deadly diseases. If you live in hot or tropical climates, it is essential that you know how to get rid of Mosquito Bites.

How Do Mosquitoes Bite?

Contrary to public opinion, mosquitoes do not really “bite”. Sticking out of its head, almost like a tongue, there are two little tubes known as the proboscis. So instead of biting, the mosquito actually sucks blood from its prey, using these tubes.

Now whilst you might hear a mosquito buzzing around, and they are normally hunting for food during the periods of dusk and dawn, you usually will not feel it as it feeds on the blood which it sucks from you.

When it finds its target, be it human or animal, through its tongue, the mosquito releases a layer of saliva which acts as a painkiller. It then, using its proboscis, penetrates the skin of the victim which has been numbed by the saliva and proceeds to suck blood without being detected. Like most animals, human or otherwise, the mosquito keeps sucking until it has had enough and you can notice its body will bulge out as it sucks in the blood from its victim.

Mosquitoes do not need blood in order to survive; they only need it to supplement their diet with additional nutrients, such as protein, that in turn enable to them to reproduce.

Dangers From Mosquito Bite

The reason that the mosquito is the most dangerous insect we have, is because they act as a carrier for bacteria and viruses without becoming infected themselves. By sucking blood from one animal, human or otherwise, that may already be suffering from a certain type of disease, it carries that infection with it to another victim thus transferring the disease to that person or animal. The most common transferable disease is malaria but can also be yellow fever as well as a few others.

Remedies

So, you have the unfortunate enough to have been attacked by the mosquitoes and you are starting to feel itches all over your arms and legs. How do you get rid of the Mosquito Bites? You can of course apply commercial products which would contain either cream or liquid antihistamine. However, when the bite occurs, these are not always available and you have no other option than to resort to home remedies.

Believe it or not, one of the most effective remedies in helping to get rid of Mosquito Bites is a simple banana skin! If you take the skin of the banana and rub the inside part of the skin onto the itchy area of your own skin for about a minute, the itchiness will start to disappear and any swelling that may have arisen, will also start to subside.

Another effective remedy to get rid of Mosquito Bites, should you happen to have it in your garden, is the plant Aloe Vera. As with the banana, peel open the Aloe Vera and apply it directly to the itchiness on your own skin and it should provide instant relief from both the itchiness and the pain sometimes suffered from Mosquito Bites.

There has been a whole host of quick, home remedy solutions of how to get rid of mosquito bites, some of which will work for a few people but not everyone! If nothing else is to hand at the time you are bitten, it may be well worth trying these home remedies. As well as banana peels, it has also been suggested trying the skin of lemons in the same way or even applying baking soda on the “bitten” area since, as has been said, these simple remedies may well work for a few people with you of course, being one of those lucky people!

One of the simplest ways of how to get rid of mosquito bites is to take a few easy preventative measures to stop the mosquitoes from biting in the first place.

Pay Attention To Your Environment

If you are going outside your house and you know there is an abundance of mosquitoes, it is best to apply a commercial mosquito repellent lotion on all exposed parts of your body, such as face, arms and legs. If possible, try and wear thick clothing if the heat allows, as cotton shirts on their own are not normally enough to prevent Mosquito Bites.

Inside the house, fit screens on both Windows and doors, particularly if you don’t have the benefit of air conditioning, as this will keep the cool air circulating whilst keeping the mosquitoes out. As far as children are concerned, make sure you have a mosquito net surrounding the bed or babies cot. Children are more prone to Mosquito Bites and the diseases they carry, since they are not old enough to have a well-developed immune system.

Symptoms

If you’ve not had a Mosquito Bite before, here are a few tips so that you can identify you have been selected as a victim! The first indication that you have been attacked will be a severe itchy sensation, normally on your arms or legs. Your immediate reaction will be to scratch the itchy spot but unfortunately, the more you scratch the more itchy you will feel. Now the Mosquito Bite usually only itches for a few minutes, so if you can, just ignore it and if you can’t, an immediate solution is to run cool water over the area.

Cure The Mosquito Bites At Home

The simple domestic onion has anti-microbial properties and if applied to a Mosquito Bite immediately after it is felt, the onion will prevent both the swelling and redness surrounding the bite. However once you have finished using the onion, do throw it away, as onions are known to absorb bacteria and odours!

If all else fails and nothing else is to hand, take some white paste-type toothpaste – not the clear gel kind. Apply this to the area and it will help to reduce the itchy feeling whilst at the same time calm any inflammation. It is recommended that you apply an Elastoplast over the toothpaste to stop getting “crumbs” everywhere.

Yes they can be nasty but when you learn how to get rid of Mosquito Bites, the itchiness, pain and unsightly welts will soon disappear and life can return to normal. Never forget though, that prevention is always better than cure if you really want to know how to get rid of Mosquito Bites for ever.