Ditch the itch: what’s the best way to soothe mosquito bites?

Heat therapy? Honey? Toothpaste? Experts weigh in on creative and over-the-counter remedies to stop scratching

If you experience ugly, itchy red welts after being bitten by a mosquito, you’ve probably tried everything to soothe your skin and stop the itch. Home remedies such as avocado and ice, or over-the-counter treatments, can provide temporary relief, but before we get into the desperate, wacky and more helpful measures for reducing itching (pruritus), it helps to understand what’s causing it.

Dr Cameron Webb, an entomologist at the University of Sydney, says the female mosquito injects saliva with a cocktail of proteins into our skin through a long needle-like tube called a proboscis.

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