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.
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. 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. 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….They immediately began to swell and the area all around the bite was quite red, of course some of that was from her itching.I 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.Since 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.From 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. 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? 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.
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Vicks, works wonders on mosquito bites….
Going to have my daughter try this next time she has a bite since she is allergic to mosquitoes and has a bad reaction.
I’m also allergic to mosquito bites. I always feared what I would do if I was someplace without some kind of remedy. But then I heard about this great remedy to a bite – apply a small amount of your own saliva to them shortly after you’re bit. Works like a charm and you always have it on hand.
Ok. So what natural thing can keep the Mosquitos away in the first place?!
A dryer sheet seems to do the trick; i usually go a little overboard, and have one in each shoe, one under my hat on my head, and maybe one in a back pocket.
I do some horse back riding through humid areas where they can be pretty bad, and I rarely get bitten.
All those chemicals? Not on my skin!
You don’t actually put it on your skin, just in a pocket.
Mint. Mint leaves work a charm, guaranteed! The Mosquitos hate the smell of it so next time you go out and want to avoid the bites, break a mint leaf or scrunch it up into a ball and rub it on your skin
I found this on Facebook:
Here is a homemade trap to help keep you and the kiddos from being a blood donor!!!
HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:
Items needed:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
1 2-liter bottle
HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)
Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.
Apis Mell is a homeopathic for bites, stings and swells. Works quickly to take away the symptoms.
And Ledum.
I tried this last year with no success. However nothing seems to help and I am a mosquito magnet! Grrr…
Heat will stop the itching and swelling. Fill a small plastic bottle with hot water and put lid on. Press side of bottle against the bite. It will itch like crazy and hurt but hold it there for as long as you can bare. Even if you keep dabbing for a couple of minutes it should work. Itching will stop a few minutes after you remove the bottle. If you don’t have a bottle try dipping a spoon in hot water and then press it on the bite. Eventually your sensitivity to bites will lessen. I used to be paranoid about getting bitten as mine would swell up to about 4″ across. I started using heat about 3years ago and now I only get a small reaction when I get bitten.
YES! it also works great for poison ivy itchiness.
If you don’t have a banana, it can help a lot to dab on some liquid soap (like dish soap) full strength and completely cover (suffocate ) the bite.
Was in Guatemala exactly a yr ago, got bit up by some bug at night, itchy bumpy mess. Melaleuca didn’t work but actually I am bummed about the scars I have that still are very prominent 🙁
Vinegar applied as soon as possible works to neutralize the poison of all insect bites from mosquitoes to fire ants and even wasps and yellow jackets. We keep a small spray bottle of it handy.
I wish you could write an article on “Mosquito bite prevention”. Ones that really work. I live in south Georgia with 6 kids on our farm and we have tried all of the different “natural” remedies from the stores and nothing works, unfortunately, like the chemicals. Already tried lemongrass, wrist bracelets, candles…the list goes on. I know it is not good for our health but deet is the only thing that seems to keep those nasty little suckers at bay!
I’ve heard a ketogenic diet (rich in natural fats and very limited sugars and carbs) will make you less attractive to mosquitoes.
I too have tries all the natural preventatives including citronella, eating marmite,garlic capsules, vitamin B1 tablets, etc,etc,etc, still get bitten, swollen pus infected sores.Only thing that works is to not get bitten in the first place hence the use of 100% deet spay. Not the perfect choice of stuff to spray on your skin but the better of two evils.Anyone anything better to suggest I’d be happy to try it thx.
If you don’t want to get bit by mosquitos at all then begin taking garlic pills. You cam take the ones that don’t have any oder. I read this on the internet. I have been a magnet all my life and I was getting bit a lot at my new home. Fairly miserable. then I read this hint about garlic. I started and within a week the garlic pills were working great. Now I can go out in the garden ant time of day and the little buggers leave me alone.
Needed this my son was playing outside with his dad on Sunday. Today he woke up with his thighs completely covered with red itchy bites . I haven’t tried the banana peel yet. I gave him a good bath and put some anti itch lotion on for now but if he starts itching again I’ll be using my bananas.