Natural Remedies for Insect Bites

Apply Heat

Posted by Lokismum (Banbury, England) on 09/26/2013
★★★★★

I just got a bite on my foot four days ago which itched so much I nearly scratched myself raw. I had a look on Earth Clinic as I knew the wonderful people who pass on wonderful remedies would have the answer. I tried a lot of things that didn't work as this bite was really fierce with the itching, and remembered I had tried using a hair dryer on a hot setting aimed at the bite until it got too uncomfortable, which had helped when I had a milder bite a couple of months ago. So when I saw the remedy using boiling hot water to soak a flannel and applying that to the bite I wanted to try it. As soon as the flannel hit the red inflamed skin covering half my foot and also half my ankle which was swollen the itching was intense, but strangely comforting. When the itching stopped I took the flannel off, and for the next six or so hours it was absolute bliss. No itching! I woke at three last night with my foot starting to itch, and slapped the very hot flannel on my foot, and once again it worked wonderfully. Thank you so much all of you who recommended this treatment. Colloidal silver sprayed on it several times a day from yesterday evening has taken the swelling down and stopped it looking so angry. I took a tablespoon of silver a couple of times yesterday and today as well, as it was so swollen and itchy yesterday I thought I might have to see the doctor, but I don't want to take anti biotics and it was obvious the foot was infected and that is what the doctor would have prescribed. So once again thank you Earth Clinic.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Redclary (Okc, Ok) on 06/07/2012
★★★★★

My granddaughter had a large, red, swollen spider bite when she came over to stay. It was on the back of her leg. Her father has been spraying for spiders after finding quite a few. I put oregano oil on the gauze pad of a large bandage and put it on the bite. That evening when she took her bath, she took it it off and I was amazed at only a very small red spot left. We rebandaged to sore and the next day it was all gone except for a little darker skin in the area where it was. After 4 kids and many spider bites down through the years I found this miraculous. I highly recommend this remedy. Plus there was no scare.

Apply Heat

Posted by Wahine23 (Orange County, Ca) on 03/01/2015
★★★★★

I am so excited that I found this simple solution. I am very sensitive to bites and for whatever reason, fleas find me once a year and I do not own any pets.

Long story short, I suffered from 10 bites from fleas and they run up and down on my stomach onto my lower chest area. This itchiness was unbearable until I found that applying heat worked like a charm.

I heat up my tin bottle that I use at the gym using a pot of hot water over the stove. It gets really hot, so be careful. When it heats up enough or cools down, just apply on the bites. I don't burn my self, I just leave it on for a second and work my way through each bite. Worked like a charm, never had the urge to scratch it again. I do this once a day before going to bed. Apply more if you have a severe case.

When you are desperate, this is a very simple solution. Those anti-histamine cremes did not work for me.

B Vitamins

Posted by Jholl (Louisville, Ky) on 09/26/2011
★★★★★

Back a few years ago, I had been on a health kick, taking brewer's yeast as a natural source of B vitamins. I didn't think about it much until I went on a canoe trip with a group. The woman I was with, was swarmed by black flies. We counted forty bites! She was a bit peeved at me. They were completely on her, not one came near me. I am certain it was the brewer's yeast I had been taking. I literally took a handful that morning figuring it would give me extra energy for the trip. Later I read the B1 in the brewer's yeast is especially repulsive to insects. You put off a smell they don't like. I like being repulsive to them for a change!

I hope this is hopeful for those reading it. I don't know the exact doses, but I think it is wise to keep taking those brewer's yeast tablets if you know you will be outside where you are likely to be bitten. You can take them indefinitely as far as I know.

Salt

Posted by Kamikan (College Station, Texas, Usa) on 05/10/2012
★★★★★

I was surprised to find this actually works! I had several all over my arm and leg after watering the plants (strangely, the bites were only on my left side).

I rubbed a pinch of salt on each bite. Within moments the itch stopped, and within a couple hours the swelling was reduced to a small red dot, like a flea bite. The dots didn't disappear until a few days later, but they were inconspicuous and never itched again.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Kylie (Whitianga, New Zealand) on 08/26/2008
★★★★★

I've been using coconut oil on my skin & hair for approx 5 months now thanks to all the posts I've read on earthclinic. Taking a couple of teaspoons a day certainly makes your skin soft from the inside out. While up in the Pacific Islands on holiday a couple of weeks ago, I sought out locally made coconut oil and due to daily sun exposure, applied it to my skin each night. I was surprised to find that the mosquitos - which have always bitten me in the past - would hover around me but not land on my oiled skin. I didn't have to use insect repellent once for the whole two weeks I was in Tonga. The local oil was quite smelly (rancid smelling and everyone told me NOT to eat it) and different to the imported oil we get in NZ, so not sure if this makes the difference. I'll certainly be trying this as a mosquito remedy here in the summer.

Oregano Oil

Posted by Jake (Chicago, Il.) on 09/06/2007
★★★★★

In the Illinois countryside we've never had mosquitos like we've had this summer after 8 or 9 straight days and nights of downpours with little let-up. I invariably have more than a few bites now each time I visit my orchard and garden. The only thing that saves me, although tea tree oil is pretty good too, is wild oregano oil diluted in olive oil - one or two drops per tsp., both seem to work well. Rub it on the mosquito bites or the painful wasp or bee bite and the itch or pain is immediately gone.

I refer to one painful wasp or bee bite that cut short my visit to my orchard and sent me back to the house - the oregano took care of the spreading red of the toxin immediately . The next day there was nothing but a small mark and I had no further pain or itch. I started with the oregano oil for a dark skin patch on my shin and two boil-like cysts that were on my skin for some time. Rubbing hard sometimes to the point of making it bleed, twice a day, and in about 10 days to two weeks the raised dark patch on my shin gave way to pink new skin, the eruption on my upper leg completely disapeared and now finally the eruption on the back of my neck about three inches from my ear is just about gone.

Eucalyptus Oil

Posted by Sarah (Oklahoma ) on 06/30/2022
★★★★★

Chiggers:

Eucalyptus oil worked for me.

Borax or Vitamin A

Posted by Robert S. (USA) on 06/22/2022
★★★★★

Try consuming a little borax in water, insects die if they eat anything with even a tiny amount of it in anything they eat, in your case blood. It is also fatal to all insects, the reason it also acts as a repellent. I have a problem with Fungus Flies, but mixing it with water and spraying it around gets rid of them fast, but it only lasts 2-3 days.

Another thing to try is Vitamin-A. Insects hate people with higher than normal amounts in their bodies. Vodka is another thing mosquitoes hate, just mix with some water and use it in a diffuser, mix it with some coconut oil and use it on your skin.

I also noticed that no bugs will go near coconut oil & they don't like honey either. FYI... I live in the USA in the northeast.

Aspirin

Posted by Madelyn (Idaho ) on 05/13/2021

Please get this checked out. A red ring around an insect bite is associated with a tick bite. The earlier you catch and treat Lyme disease infection the better.

Vicks Vaporub

Posted by Madelyn (Idaho) on 08/25/2020
★★★★★

Hey Mama!

Did you know that the original Vick's formula contained turpentine? Yep! Good ‘ol turpentine. I was lucky enough to find a couple of old jars (cleaning out a home after an elderly gentleman died). The jars still contained the VapoRub. One of them was still new in the box! Age didn't seem to have any affect on freshness and potency. Good stuff!

Vicks Vaporub

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 08/26/2020

Dear Madelyn,

I did not know that! Very interesting. Also fascinating that the properties appear to be preserved!

Thanks for sharing!

~Mama to Many~

Cayenne

Posted by Cindy (Illinois, Usa) on 08/09/2020 543 posts
★★★★★

I got bit by something extra tiny that hurt like the dickens the other day!

I put EVERYthing on it - cayenne, DMSO, coconut oil and something else, I don't remember what, but it stopped hurting with the first bit of cayenne. With the pain and the size - which was too small to even see what kind of critter it was, it scared the dickens outta me so I threw everything at it! LOL! It was right over a vein, just up from the wrist. I'd never had that kind of pain from a bite or a sting! I remember what the other thing was - it was ascorbic acid paste. I'm guessing it was a spider of some sort as I've been stirring up unattended corners around the house but it was so tiny that there was nothing left of it after I slapped it. I had a little red spot for a few days but, initially, the bite was so small there was nothing to see. The red spot got to about the size of a pepper corn, but it's gone without a trace now. I think that was Monday or Tuesday and it's Sunday but was still a little red yesterday so that's quite a while for it to stick around with no feeling to it. No bump or itch or anything, once the pain was gone. Just that red spot.

Oh! And borax solution which I'd just made. I forgot I slapped some of that on it.

Tea Tree Oil

Posted by Marsh57 (CO) on 06/09/2020
★★★★★

Went to a new acupuncture office yesterday. By the time I got into the car my legs were madly itching. A little research discovered they were flea bites - ugh. Coconut oil and tea tree oil stops the itch.

Bentonite Clay, Silver Ointment

Posted by Selena (South Tx) on 08/06/2016
★★★★★

I don't know what the heck bit me on one wrist area and the upper arm on my other arm but man, these bites were like golf balls under the skin and the itch and pain, redness and severe swelling was unbearable..

What always worked on "bites" in the past-crushed garlic/lemon juice, real iodine solution like lugols, or baking soda and vit c on and on did nothing and the area looked now like a reddened burned area and I felt really really ill and feverish and took aspirin and started to drink water nonstop..

I remembered I had some real betonite clay up in a cabinet and mixed a thick paste and made a cast on these areas -instant relief from the itching and after about an hour, i could see these areas literally oozing through the clay and the pain lessening..

So I made the clay paste and used it 4 times that day, about every 4 hours and the swelling and redness was decreasing-.

Then I remembered i had a over the counter silver ointment and put a little bit on the areas and instant relief from the itching-.

So I can definitely "vouch" for betonite clay application for a severe type of bite to reduce the swelling and draw out toxins and then the over the counter silver ointment to keep it clean and protect the skin and promote healing as it certainly did look like a scalding type of a burn on my arms..

The skin did not burst, there was no bleeding or bruising, and I am now 4 days post bite..

Still itches like u-know-what but I am definitely on the mend/resolution phase..

I still cannot figure out what bit me-but man, what a reaction I had..

Bleach Bath

Posted by Jennifer (Texas, US) on 10/10/2014
★★★★★

I'm all about the most holistic approach, But when I got chigger bites while doing yard work I wanted a fast fix. My friend's mother told me to take a warm bath with bleach & before I could even adjust to the temperature of the bath they were gone. I soaked for about 5 minutes & problem solved.

Chigger Bite Remedies

Posted by Tx Kel (Tx) on 07/01/2014
★★★★★

Chiggers plague us here in TX. I hate them! I'm also allergic. Each bite swells up and looks infected. I've tried chigger ointment and nail polish. Nail polish works pretty good, but you have to apply it daily. I can still end up with infected looking bites.

I know the goal is to smoother the little guys until they die.

We just discovered duct tape!!! Just cut a small silver square to cover the bite. Leave it on for 3-4 days. Peel it off and bite is gone! Works great on kids because it sticks through a shower. Plus most bites are where you can't see them, so its easy to leave the duct tape on.

(Here in the USA, duct tape is a wide silver tape that is very very sticky. It is used for repairing things. It seals very well and is somewhat water proof. It has fibers in it, which makes it easy to tear.)

Apply Heat

Posted by Sealion (Alexandria, Va, USA) on 05/10/2013
★★★★★

Worked for me too. Just be careful not to accidentally scald yourself:) Aspirin rubbed in wet worked also but only for about 4 hours and left the bed sheet a little gritty.

Saliva, Salt Water

Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 08/24/2012
★★★★★

Hi everyone, while on vacation, we went hiking in the rainforest in Costa Rica where I was attacked by mosquitoes. I was even wearing bug repellent but, as always it never seems to work for me. I ended up with about 50 mosquito bites and was absolutely miserable that night. I couldn't sleep and ended up going on EC to see what was recommended. I had already tried cortisone cream which didn't do a thing for the itching. Amazingly, I found a recommendation from Francisca saying saliva worked very well. Since I was on vacation I didn't have a lot of things I would normally have at home so the ACV wasn't available. So, I tried the saliva and amazingly enough, it brought the throbbing and itching down to about half. Still not great but better.

The next day, I spent an hour swimming in the ocean since sea salt was recommended. Well, that was the trick! All pain and itching gone! Hopefully, this helps someone! Lisa

Tobacco Poultice

Posted by Aka Sherri (College Station, Texas, United States) on 04/30/2012
★★★★★

As a landscape designer and avid gardener, I've been stung many times by scorpions, bees, wasps, you name it. I've tried baking soda, ammonia and benydril, but it still took several days to get better. Once, I stepped on a scorpion and had to sit with my foot elevated for 3 whole days before I could walk again.

I found a remedy that works nearly instantly!

Someone told me about this remedy years ago. It's supposed to be an old Native American remedy. As the subject says, it's disgusting! However, when I've been stung I can easily deal with gross if it means the pain will go away right now instead of 3 days later!

If you smoke, shame on you! But when it comes to stinging insects, you are in luck! Bite off about half the length of a cigarette and chew it. Your mouth will immediately dry up, but then it will begin to salivate profusely. As soon as the tobacco is wet and chewed up, spit the wad out on the sting/bite site and leave it there. I promise, you won't be much concerned about the taste of the tobacco given the serious pain you're in! :)

The sooner you can get the chewed tobacco onto the sting site, the less time it will take for the pain to go away and all of the poison to be drawn out of the body. Even though the pain will dissipate quickly, the tobacco needs to stay on longer to remove all the poison.

For example: If you get tobacco onto the wound with in 30 seconds, the pain will be gone almost instantly and it will probably only take about 5 or 10 minutes to get all the poison out. If it takes 5 minutes to get the tobacco, it might be a few minutes before the pain is gone and might take an hour to get all the poison out. This is why I always keep a bag of additive free natural tobacco in my bag of gardening tools, so I can stop the pain ASAP!!

You will know when all the poison is gone if you can remove the tobacco and the pain stays gone. If you still feel pain or it starts to return, put it back on.

The tobacco needs to stay wet. If it dries up and you start to feel pain, spit on the tobacco, or better yet, chew up some fresh tobacco.

****I tried just wetting the tobacco with water instead of chewing on it. It didn't work for me. There seems to be something about the saliva/tobacco/nicotine mix that helps****

If you have fresh sage, mix that in with the tobacco. It seems to step up the relief. I've never tried using sage alone. Frankly, I'm not willing to experiment and find out if sage on its own will work when I am in so much pain. I'll only do that when/if I find myself with out any tobacco!

I have used the remedy countless times and it has NEVER FAILED ME!

I hope it works for others as well. I will surely feel terrible if it doesn't work for someone who braved the disgusting taste cigarette tobacco but didn't find relief!

Apply Heat

Posted by What Worked For Me (Bev Hills, Usa) on 07/14/2011
★★★★★

Ok I was in soo much pain with itchy flea bites that just got worse after the first day, red inflamed and extremely itchy. I came here and tried a few of the solutions. clear nail polish, nail polish remover, tea tree oil, camphor, deep heat (linement, which worked but only for an hour or so), tiger balm and lime. NOTHING worked...

then I thought oh what the hell and I tried the making an X through each bite with my fingernail then I put a very hot water bottle on each bite (the back of a spoon dipped in very hot water will work too) and wouldnt u know instant relief, they stopped itching straight away. A realy inflamed one I did twice, just held the hot water bottle on it for 2 mins, two times and yep im all good now. I highly recommend this.

Bee Remedies

Posted by Lou (Tyler, Tx) on 06/28/2017

We had a terrible wasp problem. I found a couple of ways to prevent them from coming around. 1) Stuff a brown paper bag full of smaller paper bags or newspaper. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the bag and hang it where you see wasps. They think it is a wasp nest and won't go near it. 2) Get the Hot Shot no pest strips at the major hardware stores. Hang them in the attic and the garage attic. Problem solved!

B Vitamins

Posted by Brijorg (New Haven, Ct) on 02/09/2011

Jen from Danbury, I used to be the same way. I have been using tea tree oil for cuts (and poison ivy, insect bites, etc). The last time I went camping my friend who usually does not get bitten was complaining about the mosquitos which surprised me because I hadn't noticed any. Then I realized I had put on the TTO and the mosquitoes didn't seem to like the smell (many humans don't either though). I read here on EC that most essential oils have this effect (I think the mosquitos cannot distinguish your scent from the oils). So try applying some blend of essential oils you like (add a musk to last longer if you want).