My friend Kelli’s youngest child is a little girl adopted from China. Kelli and her husband have 3 older children of their own, but since Sarah is their first child from another country, they have occasionally experienced challenges and adjustments based on the inherent cultural and genetic differences.Â
One such challenge is Sarah’s extreme reaction to mosquito bites which apparently is not uncommon for those of Chinese heritage. As such, using an effective natural mosquito repellent is important, but doesn’t always work in every situation.
Living in Florida and being very sensitive to mosquito bites can pose a challenge. Mosquitoes can be a year-round problem particularly if the winter is rather warm as it has been so far this season. Even with spraying by mosquito control, getting nasty bites is a common occurrence.
Telling a young child not to scratch is a losing battle most of the time! Unfortunately, Kelli did not find any of the Western style remedies for mosquito bites to work very well for Sarah.
As a result, just a few mosquito bites could send Sarah to the doctor for examination as they would sometimes get infected from her scratching. Â The picture above is of Sarah’s leg after a recent run-in with a hungry mozzie!
Besides being a busy Mom of four, Kelli is also an Adoption Specialist, so with her international connections, she was able to consult with her Chinese friends about Sarah’s problem with mosquito bites.
Their suggestion?
An old Chinese mosquito bite remedy that is rubbing the bites with the inside of a banana peel!
I asked Kelli to let me know if the banana peel remedy worked the next time Sarah was bitten, and within a few days, Kelli reported back that the banana peel worked! The picture to the right shows Kelli applying the inside of a banana peel to Sarah’s bite. Â The peel is folded over backward which is why the inside of the peel is also facing the camera.
The banana peel not only worked, but it also worked FAST!
Here is Kelli’s email to me about her experience with this mosquito bite remedy:
Well, sure enough Sarah got 2 bites this evening….ÂThey immediately began to swell and the area all around the bite was quite red, of course some of that was from her itching.ÂI applied the banana peel, as advised by my Chinese friends, and within 2 minutes the bite stopped itching. About 5 or 7 minutes later, the site was significantly less red. When I glanced at it again before bed, though I could still see the bite, her skin was no longer red. Best of all, she didn’t seem bothered by it.ÂSince she is so young it is hard for her not to scratch, and I will forward you a picture of a current bite which landed us at the doctor’s office out of fear of infection (we’re in the clear for now). She has been on antibiotics once before from a bug bite getting infected after her scratching it, and I try to avoid antibiotics so was not happy when this recent bite started looking so bad.ÂFrom now on, we will honor this Chinese remedy…I wish I had known this secret years ago!
The most interesting thing about this mosquito bite remedy to me is that it is fairly well known that eating bananas is a surefire way to be a prime mozzie target at sundown. Â While eating bananas seems to attract mosquitoes, rubbing the bites with the inside of the peel heals them!
Does your child have problems with mosquito bites too? Â The next time the mozzies leave their calling card on your child’s skin, skip the ammonia sticks and other chemical-based remedies that will end up in your child’s bloodstream and simply try the inside of a banana peel!
Do you know another mosquito bite remedy that works well too? We’ve often used this homemade herbal salve which is incredible for all types of skin irritations, rashes, and bites. Dabbing witch hazel on bug bites is a remedy that my Grandmother used.
More Information on Safe Ways to Handle Insect Problems
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Yarrow: Broad Spectrum Insect Repellent as Effective as DEET
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Homeopathic Ledum Pal for those who get a big reaction to the bites.
I tried this last summer fro the first time and it really does work!
What do you use to prevent that does not carry deet
taking garlic and parsley tablets about 30 minutes before going outside can keep the dang things from biteing in the first place. I am a mosquito magnet! for whatever reason they will seek me out while leaving others alone. Taking the garlic and parsley really keeps them away from me. and when I am bit, the area around the bite swells up and itches lik crazy! Next time one sneeks into my room and gets me, I will be using the banana peel treatment! thanks!
The banana peel really does work well! It helps a lot with the bites that whelp up and the itching goes away quickly after rubbing it on the bite!
I’m allergic to bananas when they are ingested, I would be concerned if I had a reaction from the peel. Any other suggestions?
I too, am allergic to bananas. Well, the latex in them. I have a stronger reaction to the peel than the actual edible part. The highest concentration of latex is in the peel. So, if you are allergic to latex, I would refrain from the peel. If not, try it since you aren’t ingesting anything.
I am using the Young Living “Lavaderm” for both mosquito bites and poison ivy. Our little grandson keeps getting the worst cases of both that we’ve seen. This helps. Cold compresses help. We are now using several oils to prevent the mosquito issue. Citronella, for one. Or, Purification.
Where do you buy that at? My son has horrible mosquito reactions and I inevitably get poison ivy every summer. Right now, we’ve found that a high grade, unrefined coconut oil soothes and dries up the bites and poison, quicker than getting a shot from the doc! I’ve even used it on my eczema and it is amazing!
So does running a spoon under hot water and applying to skin. The warmth kills the proteins(?) and it stops itching. Tried it tonight and it totally works
Lemon essential oil works great too!
Be careful with lemon oil or lemon essential oil. They are photo toxic and if you put them on your skin and go out in the sun even 24 hrs after use you could easily get a reaction which would discolor your skin.
I used lavender on mine today and it went away too! 🙂
I am extremely sensitive to mosquito bites, as is my mom. The tiniest bite turns into a red, swollen, itchy bump, and the itching lasts for days!
My go-to remedy is straight tea tree oil. I found it out by chance (desperation, really), but the internet later told me it was a common remedy. I rub it on the bite, and the itching and swelling go away almost immediately. Instead of a huge, itchy red knot, I’ll have a small, barely visible bump. If I don’t treat it soon after being bitten, I may have a slight amount of lingering itchiness and redness.
Now I keep bottles of tea tree at home and work, and a small vial in my purse. I have even added a small bottle to my emergency supplies, because I live in Georgia and I’m a mosquito magnet. (For the record, I’m a very fair-skinned native Georgian, with primarily Irish, Scottish, and English ancestors plus some Cherokee – no Asian of any sort to the best of my knowledge. Go figure.)
I’ve never tried the banana peel, though; I’ll have to test it soon!
I just so happened to have a bottle of tea tree oil handy and read your suggestion to use it on mosquito bites. I just rubbed a drop in and damn! Instant relief…. thank goodness for the internet and people sharing tips. Thanks Maid!