Pro-tip… heating a mosquito bite prevents it from being itchy

This article is informative and an easy read.

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/08/why-mosquito-bites-itch/

Ha! I did this (only by holding lit matches close enough until I couldn't take it anymore), along with a bazillion other teenage girls, at Girls State in Squaw Valley about 40 years ago. Thanks for the memory. (of course, the downside is I realize how old I've become…sigh).

Just keep in mind that the proteins that cause you to *live* can also get denatured. I'm sure it works, but it does sound like the premise to an episode of jackass. And try not to burn yourself! Although, if impressing teenage girls is on the table then that last one is negotiable.

What the heat actually accomplishes is to deplete your neurotransmitters in the heated area. They are used up in signalling that your skin is hot! If the skin is not heated to the point of pain (but not damage) the process won't work.

I've used this when rashes were driving me crazy, etc. Get in the shower, and turn the water as hot as you can stand it for 5 minutes, or until the pain seems to diminish. It only lasts for a few hours until the body can replenish the neurotransmitters, but it can be nice while it lasts.

I don't know what, if anything, it does to the mosquito saliva.

I've tried this and it works – at least temporarily. When at home you can put a moist towel in the microwave to heat it up and then press it on the bite – I suppose you could do this with boiling water as well when in the backcountry. Be careful not to burn yourself.

I can go along with what Stephen says. Don't ask why, but I have open hand slapped bug bites and poison ivy before and it works for a few minutes of relief. Usually by that point feeling pretty much anything besides the itch is a huge relief.

Ryan

"I've used this when rashes were driving me crazy, etc. Get in the shower, and turn the water as hot as you can stand it for 5 minutes, or until the pain seems to diminish. It only lasts for a few hours until the body can replenish the neurotransmitters, but it can be nice while it lasts."

This is also the best cure I've found for bad cases of poison oak. Once you're affected, a very hot shower can relieve the itching.

Thanks for sharing!

"I've used this when rashes were driving me crazy, etc. Get in the shower, and turn the water as hot as you can stand it for 5 minutes, or until the pain seems to diminish. It only lasts for a few hours until the body can replenish the neurotransmitters, but it can be nice while it lasts. "

Yeah, I've been doing this for a while now. Forget where I first read it, but it certainly works, at least for poison ivy. I run a faucet, or shower, as hot as I can stand over the affected area. Doesn't give a burning sensation, but kind of a weird, tingly sensation. Feels really good, actually. Unfortunately, if I'm drinking a bit, it feels so good that I have to follow it up with a cold shower……

Ah, the joys of being single….

Read this decades ago, works for me: Lightly scratch *around* the itchy spot. Seems to distract from the main itch, and pretty soon I don’t notice. YMMV.

Poison oak/ivy/sumac relief:

Zanfel: ridiculously expensive, but it has worked for me and many friends

Mean Green Hand Scrub: much cheaper, similar/same formula as Zanfel (according to some reviewers), I haven’t tried this yet.

— Rex

For those nights when I have lots of bites and can’t sleep, Benadryl to the rescue. Just one lets me fall asleep, and sleep through the night.

Everyone’s reaction to Benadryl or other antihistamines is different, so use what works for you. Benadryl kept me *awake* all night as a teenager, so go figure.

Also – a fan works pretty well at keeping mosquitoes away:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/science/a-low-tech-mosquito-deterrent.html

Yay, another electronic gadget to take backpacking! :-)

— Rex