Protect yourself: 7 tips on how to treat and prevent mosquito bites

Summer is here and you are probably wondering how to treat and prevent mosquito bites. No one likes those pesky little things. They fly around your ears buzzing, looking for the perfect place to land and devour your delicious blood. I'm really not sure what they want with our blood anyways, but I'm sure we can all agree it's annoying and one of the drawbacks of warm weather. Luckily I have put together these 7 tips on how to treat and prevent mosquito bites.

1. DRESS LIGHT AND LOOSE

Who knew mosquitoes were such fashionistas? They are drawn to dark colored, tight fitting clothing. Leave your black skinny jeans at home for tonight's barbecue and wear a long flowy white skirt instead. This will help ward off those evil mosquitoes a little better. Keep reading for more tips on how to treat and prevent mosquito bites.

2. AVOID STANDING WATER

Mosquitoes breed in water. I'm not just talking about ponds or lakes. Any bit of standing water can become a perfect place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Don't allow trash cans, empty flower pots, and other outdoor bins to fill with water. Also be sure to regularly change the water in birdbaths and your pet's water bowl.

3. MAKE YOUR OWN NATURAL REPELLENT

While you can opt to use store bought repellent, some of you may prefer to make your own. Jenae from I Can Teach My Kids suggests mixing 15 drops of lemongrass and citronella essential oils with 10 drops of lavender oil in a spray bottle with witch hazel. I love the idea of homemade mosquito repellent.

4. ICE

When most of us are bitten, we want to scratch the itchy bite. However, scratching can do more damage than good. Instead try to soothe your itch with ice. The cold is sure to soothe your skin and help with the swelling common with insect bites.

5. TOPICAL CREAMS

You may also want to try a few creams to take away the itch. Cortisone cream is one option. Other people like Calamine lotion. If you are looking for a home remedy, try making a paste with baking soda and water or a little gel from an aloe vera plant.

6. O-T-C MEDICINE

When the itching and swelling are really unbearable, you made to need reach for a little medication. Ibuprofen will help with the swelling and an antihistamine should alleviate the itching for a while. Read the labels or ask the pharmacist for correct dosage.

7. HOT SPOON

If you've been on Pinterest in the past month, you have probably seen the recent pin going around saying that a warm spoon placed over a mosquito bite will take away the itch. The idea is you warm up a spoon under hot tap water and then place the spoon against the skin for a couple of minutes. The heat breaks down the protein left in the skin from our little buzzy friends. While you may still have a bump, the itching should be gone.

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