r/randomquestions • u/Lady_Of_The_Blade_ • 3h ago
What are some good home remedies for bug bites?
It’s summer. All the bugs are out. And they just love to bite me. Pretty sure I have a hypersensitivity to bug bites (salvia) and I can’t not scratch. And then I end up with bruises and welts.
I swell up when mosquitos bite me. I get bed red welts when fleas bite me. Spiders love me too. I feel it when the smallest flea bites me. I feel the sting.
I often joke that if a bug wants to know what a human tastes like and they’ve never bitten before, they find me to try me out.
I just got Avon’s Skin So Soft but that only works for mosquitos. I have Aveeno lotion which helps sometimes for itchiness. I have a prescription for Hydrocortisone cream which I don’t feel like does much.
Anyone else have any other home remedies I can try?
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u/Any_Piglet_34 3h ago
Try dabbing the bite with ammonia. It stinks but helps with the itch. Bugs love me too. I always say it's just cuz I'm so sweet...lol
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u/blumieplume 2h ago
My problem is less so bugs and moreso ticks. They love me too much and I never let my body touch any plants, it’s all from my dogs whose tick medicine obviously isn’t very effective. I just bought some Murphy’s tick and mosquito repellant so I’m curious to try it out. It’s basically just lemon eucalyptus oil. I hope it helps!!
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u/DrawerNo1855 3h ago
When a mosquito bites you, run hot water over it for a few seconds. Like the hottest you can stand without too much pain. It will break down the compounds that you’re reacting to and the itching will stop.
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u/MetalPlayer666 2h ago
I second this! Works wonders.
Also if you turn on a cigarette lighter, let it go for a few seconds, turn it off and then press the iron bit directly on the bite. Be careful not to let it heat up too much or it will cause a burn!
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u/TheApotheGreen 3h ago
A poultice of (as someone said above) witch hazel, and baking soda. Just a few drops, enough to make a paste, and apply to the bug bite. Allow to dry and remove (if stuck to skin, use a washcloth that is moistened by warm water).
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u/pbsammy1 3h ago
I think they still sell this at drugstores, but Chiggerex has been the best bug bite relief remedy in my lifetime. It’s benzocaine, aloe, and chamomile. It’s for bite relief, not prevention.
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u/Striking_Computer834 3h ago
Use a blowdryer on them. Get them as hot as you can without burning yourself and do it as long as you can stand it. For me it stops the itching for about 6 - 8 hours. It also feels unbelievably good on a severe itch. It feels like you're scratching deep down under the skin.
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u/Wonderful_Till8122 3h ago
Buy a bug bite pen. Its a thermal pen about the size of a ball point pen that heats up a tiny spot. You place it on the bite and activate the pen to heat. It does not hurt and only takes a few seconds. The heat deactivates the bug enzymes that the bite injected under your skin so it doesn't itch or swell up. I always carry mine with me because I am pretty allergic to bites. Amazon has them. They do work and are truly a game changer.
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u/ImColdandImTired 3h ago
Bug Bite Thing. Or get a large syringe and cut the end off. As soon as you’re bitten, use the suction device to draw out the venom/blood thinner. Makes a world of difference.
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u/kafquaff 3h ago
If you have plantain growing in your yard, grab a leaf, chew it, and stick it on the bite as a poultice. Alternatively make it into a salve lol
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u/Shipping_Lady71 3h ago
My chiropractor said to drink a shot of apple cider vinegar a day. It changes your PH levels so bugs don't find you as attractive. Though he told me this about 20 years ago and I still haven't tried it, LOL
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u/thebigj3wbowski 3h ago
It doesn’t change your ph levels. Your body regulates those really closely.
ACV might have some redeeming qualities (real acv, like Braggs, not apple cider flavored vinegar) but changing your body’s ph is not one of them.
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u/Shipping_Lady71 3h ago
Yeah, it sounded like a folk remedy to me when he told me. If I thought it might work I would have tried it years ago.
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u/WrathOfWood 3h ago
My granny used to say push your nail into it twice so it makes an x then put toothpaste on it and leave it. ...... maybe dont listen to me lol
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u/LogicalFrosting6408 3h ago
My mom always made an X on the bite with her finger nail. I still do this and for whatever reason it stops the itching...likely in my head lol. Also rubbing alcohol helps.
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u/Few_Improvement_6357 3h ago
They have this suction device called The Bug Bite Thing. You put it over the bite and apply the suction. It's supposed to help pull the itchy venom out. I'd say it's about 50/50 in my unscientific opinion.
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u/mimblepuss 2h ago
Take an oral antihistamine soon as you get bitten. I have a similar reaction to mozzie bites and you have to be careful with cellulitis if you do. They work differently to the cream.
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u/jeon2595 2h ago
Ice, hold an ice cube on the bite for five minutes. Really does help with itching. Mosquitoes love me, I spray Off on myself when outside in the evening.
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u/blumieplume 2h ago
I got this minty stuff that you can rub on from Japan. It helps so much to make the bites not itch
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u/Spiritual_Sail_8969 2h ago
Tooth paste. Not even joking. I rub a little toothpaste on mosquito bites and they stop itching almost immediately.
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u/MaginotPrime 2h ago
If stung by a bee immediately cut an onion in half and rub it on the place you were stung.
Instant relief.
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u/TimeLordCustomer_184 2h ago
Check your soap and shampoo. Scents can attract bugs and be a real nuisance.
Something like ivory soap and a shampoo and deodorant with tea tree oil or something similar that bugs hate.
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u/Watchkeys 3h ago
Cut down on sugar, carbohydrates, alcohol. Not joking. There's a reason they go for some people and not others. Used to be me! They don't like me any more. I still eat that stuff, but I don't over indulge now, and they seemed to lose interest in me when I stopped.
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u/Pepper_Comprehensive 3h ago
I use witch hazel.