What are the best remedies for mosquito bites? Many people ask themselves this question again in the summer months. You'll find the answer here.
Mosquito bites can be so mean. Warm weather in particular is a feast for the pungent pests. Find the best remedies for mosquito bites here. And find out why mosquitoes are more likely to bite some people than others.
Against mosquito bites: rain barrel from the garden
Of course, it is best to prevent mosquito bites in advance. A lot can be done about this. For example in the home garden. Because: sun and warmth transform stagnant water into incubators for mosquitoes. If you have a rain barrel in your garden, you should cover it now. Because, a female mosquito lays between 80 and 200 eggs, after 14 days new mosquitoes hatch, which in turn promptly reproduce. Pond owners can skim off the larvae with a net - or keep goldfish, which eat mosquito larvae .
Mosquito bites: this is why some people are so popular
The female mosquito needs protein-rich food for the eggs to ripen. That is why it sucks blood - in animals and humans. However, some people are particularly popular with the female mosquitoes. Again and again one can observe that there are people who really attract mosquitoes * and then later have countless mosquito bites. On the other hand, others are properly avoided by the pests and almost completely spared. There is a reason for this phenomenon: blood group , age and gender do not play a role for the bloodsuckers , as Eva Goris from the German Wildlife Foundation emphasizes. There are very different things that attract insects.
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Mosquito bites: These smells attract mosquitoes
Above all, it is the scent that the critters fly to. Men or women who smell good have a good chance with mosquitoes. Perfume, deodorant and other fragrances really attract mosquitoes. Whether a person is more likely to be stung depends primarily on substances such as lactic acid , ammonia and fatty acids on the skin . They create a certain smell that mosquitoes either fly to - or they don't.
The smell of sweat really beguiles the pests. The scent of the feet in particular magically attracts bloodsuckers: It is ammonium and butyric acid, the breakdown products of sweat, that mosquitoes are particularly fond of. A shower helps, but only for a short time. Then the smell is there again. Mosquitoes are especially picky when they have a choice. If you are rarely stung in groups, the animals will probably still poke you when you are alone. Martin Geier, a biologist from Regensburg, compares it with hungry people: “ If you can choose food at the buffet, take what tastes good .” If there is only dry bread, you will eat that too.
According to wildlife expert Goris, the smell of human breath is also an important criterion for insects when choosing victims. "Scientists have found that people with increased carbon dioxide emissions are more likely to be stung," says Eva Goris. For example, those who eat a lot of rice also exhale more carbon dioxide. Eating cabbage vegetables, on the other hand, seems to keep mosquitos away.
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Mosquitoes "smell" with their feet
With their wafer-thin proboscis they can easily dig through any thick jeans. Even if the skin under the fabric is rubbed with mosquito repellants. Why? Mosquitoes "smell" with their feet. If the clothing is untreated, the insect can land unnoticed and get to the victim's blood.
Preventing mosquito bites: which remedy helps against mosquitoes?
Foam, spray or lotion? Stiftung Warentest has tested 21 products against mosquitoes. Only four products did well. Anyone who goes on a trip should inform themselves separately. So-called repellents can, for example, help against bites by the dreaded tiger mosquito - which can transmit the insidious dengue fever. Products with the active ingredients diethyltoluamide, DEET for short, or icaridin repel mosquitoes with their scent .
The sprays have to be applied regularly, about every four hours , so that they do not lose their effect, explains Ursula Sellerberg, spokeswoman for the Federal Chamber of Pharmacists. They should not be used in closed rooms. The funds are unsuitable for babies. DEET shouldn't be used in small children either, advises Sellerberg.
Do home remedies help against mosquitoes?
Sprinkle half a lemon with cloves, tomato plants in front of the window or bowls of mint or lavender oil - the list of home remedies to repel mosquitoes is long. Most of the tricks are based on experience . However, the tips from the Internet have proven to be ineffective in various tests.
Also read: Goodbye itching: These ten home remedies quickly help against mosquito bites .
Expert tips against mosquito bites
- Light, loose clothing - because dark colors attract mosquitoes.
- Avoid showing bare skin if possible. Cover arms and legs.
- Warm skin attracts mosquitoes.
- Keep pests away from the house with mosquito screens.
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Mosquito bites: what to do against the itching?
Mosquito bites can itch for hours or even days. When a mosquito bites, it injects its saliva into the skin so that the blood it wants to drink doesn't clot. People have an allergic reaction to the proteins in saliva , explains Sellerberg. This causes the redness, swelling, and itching. Tips against itching:
- Cold : If the bloodsucker has struck despite all the measures, doctors recommend cooling the sting with a damp cloth. Cold is a good remedy for swelling and itching.
- Scratching : In no case should you scratch! Scratching provides short-term relief because the pain temporarily masks the itchiness. Unfortunately, the effect doesn't last long. On the contrary: when scratching, even more "itchy substances" are released from the body. In addition, scratched stitches are more easily infected.
- Gels and creams : Gels and ointments from the pharmacy also help against itching. If you react strongly, you should apply products with antihistamines or hydrocortisone.
- Spit : Whether spit really helps with mosquito bites is controversial: Saliva has a cooling effect and your own saliva contains numerous substances that are good for a wound. However, numerous other germs can also be found in the mouth. For this reason, paediatricians advise parents not to treat wounds or stings from their children with their spit or to blow on them. So when spit gets on a wound, it should at least always be your own saliva.
- Home remedies : disinfect half an onion or a slice of lemon, cool and soothe the puncture site. Apple cider vinegar will relieve itching when applied to the area of skin immediately after the bite. The same applies to a mixture of honey and baking soda or St. John's wort oil. Quark has an anti-inflammatory effect. You put it on a compress and put it on the wound while the quark is still moist, advises Christine Eichler, chief physician at the Evangelical Center for Geriatric Medicine in Potsdam.
Bloodthirsty pests: Little mosquito customer
(ml / dpa) * Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen digital editorial network .
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