5 Home Remedies for Pesky Summer Bug Bites

Taking the sting, itch, and pain out of a summer bug bite is as close as your household pantry. If you’ve fallen victim to a mosquito, wasp, or other biting insect, home remedies for those pesky summer bug bites are surprisingly effective, not to mention cost-effective, and all-natural. 

The Best Home Remedies for Summer Bug Bites 

These home remedies for summer bug bites use ingredients you likely have on hand. Each of them is effective in promoting healing and taking the itch and pain of bug bites away. 

Oatmeal 

That breakfast favorite is an effective itch-fighter, too. Oatmeal has anti-irritant qualities that can relieve itching and swelling. Make a paste by mixing oatmeal with water, spread it onto a washcloth, and hold it over the bug bite for 10 minutes. Another option is soaking in an oatmeal bath. Add ground oats or oatmeal to a tub of warm water. Soak for 20 minutes. 

Aloe Vera 

A plant that may be sitting on your windowsill can help bug bites heal while easing pain and itching. Aloe vera’s anti-inflammatory properties, well-known for healing sunburns, also tame the discomfort of summer bug bites. Break off a leaf of your aloe plant and snap it open to release the gel inside. Once you apply the gel to the bug bite or sting, you should feel relief quickly. 

Apple Cider Vinegar 

Apple cider vinegar is a trendy health food, but it can also treat bug bites, reducing the pain of wasp stings and other bug bites and acting as a natural disinfectant. Soak a washcloth in cold water and vinegar and apply it to the bite area. If you’re itchy all over because of bug bites, pour two cups of vinegar into a warm bath and soak for 15 to 20 minutes.  

Ice 

An ice pack or zippered plastic bag of ice cubes can numb the skin, giving you short-term relief from a mosquito bite. Don’t keep an ice pack on your skin for more than five minutes. A towel between the ice pack and the bug bite will protect the skin from damage. 

Baking Soda 

A box of baking soda may be sitting inside your refrigerator to keep odors away, but sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, can also relieve the itch of mosquito bites and wasp stings. Mix baking soda and water until it forms a paste. Apply it to your bite or sting and let it dry for about 10 minutes before you wash it off.  

Conclusion 

If any of these home remedies for summer bug bites cause skin irritation, discontinue use and clean them away. If signs of allergic reactions to bug bites and stings, ranging from the throat closing to sweating, or you develop chest pains, seek medical attention immediately. 

Most bug bites and stings aren’t serious and can be treated with natural ingredients you likely already have in your home. These affordable home remedies will offer on-the-spot relief from itching, swelling, and pain.