# mosquito bite relief? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2005, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342 "2005-06-29T11:57:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/21 "2005-06-30T04:43:15Z")
> [@Patty O'Furniture](#): > > Yes, scratching encourages infection. > > As a longtime victim of contact dermatitis, I second the hot water treatment. The trick is to make it as hot as you can stand it and run it only over the affected area (don’t bathe in water that hot!). It’ll itch like hell for about 30-60 seconds and the area will be a little pink afterwareds but you’ll be itch-free for 8 or 10 hours. I do this for my poison ivy rashes and it works better than any medicinal salve prescribed by many doctors over the years. YES! I discovered this by accident. Works best exactly as you describe. Sometimes I have to get up at 3 a.m. to do this, but it WORKS. I’d be curious if this doesn’t work for anyone…it’s the best home remedy I’ve ever used. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/22 "2005-06-30T13:35:41Z")
I can usually get by with a few scratches, then ignore them. But it’s fairly easy - mosquito bites, on me at least, itch like crazy for about 20 minutes then they’re completely gone with no more itching. Is it not this way with you? I can stand anything for 20 minutes. The hot hot water thing works great for poison ivy. Standing in the shower with hot water pouring over poison iy is very similar to a sustained orgasm for me. ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/23 "2005-06-30T13:51:36Z")
Have to second Eve’s “After Bite” suggestion. Works, comes in a nifty dabber-type pen device, and works well. Can be carried in a pocket. Around here, tho, we call it BITE ME! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/24 "2005-06-30T23:40:44Z")
Probably better off in IMHO. Tough call. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/25 "2005-06-30T23:46:33Z")
But, but, but, I was seeking factual answers, not puns. ::Ananakin:: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! ::Ananakin:: ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/26 "2005-07-01T00:14:36Z")
If you have a styptic pencil lying around (the kind that stops shaving cuts from bleeding), dampen it and dab it on the mosquito bite. Dunno why this works, but it does. ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/27 "2005-07-01T02:13:08Z")
Try Rhuligel. Slight alcohol odor but very effective. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/28 "2005-07-01T06:14:30Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > I don?t like anything about mosquito spray. You know what they say… _When camping, you can’t beat **Off** _ ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/29 "2005-07-01T20:19:50Z")
> [@whatsittoya](#): > > This sounds strange I’ll admit but it works for me. I read somewhere that pressing the edge of the thumb nail into the bite, so that it makes a | rather than a × will help relieve the itching. Since then I’ve tried it and it seems to do okay. I don’t it ever doing what you describe; however it has scratching beat by a mile. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342/30 "2005-07-01T20:43:33Z")
I wonder if some aren’t affected more than others. Bites form a bump and itch, but if I leave them alone for half an hour they go away and quit itching. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mosquito-bite-relief/310342.md?page=1)