Warm weather can invite unexpected guests to a party in the form of biting insects such as mosquitoes. Sometimes the culprits, including spiders, bed bugs, and others, live in the home. It may be difficult to feel bug bites when they happen, but, for most people, when the dreaded itch arrives, it becomes clear what has happened. Mosquitoes, spiders, even bed bugs, and other insects could be responsible for the itchy bite. Understanding why bug bites itch and what to do about it can help prevent future bites and the itchiness that inevitably follows. For example, use essential oils for bed bugs to get rid of pests.
What Stops the Itch?
The best way to stop the itch is to prevent the bit from happening in the first place. Mosquito bites can be prevented by wearing insect repellent on exposed skin, dressing in light-colored clothes with long sleeves and pants, avoiding the outdoors when mosquitoes are most actively biting, and removing any mosquito breeding areas around your home. Spider and bed bug bites are more difficult to prevent because they usually occur inside the home. Whether it is bed bugs Fort Myers or spiders in Arizona, local pest control operators can be a wealth of help and information.
Many over-the-counter itch products are available, and a multitude of home remedies can be found with a simple internet search. While some of these products and remedies may help relieve the itch, it is important to know when to seek medical attention because of a bug bite.
Why Do Bug Bites Itch?
It may be surprising (or just plain creepy) for some to think about, but when an insect such as a for bed bugs or mosquito “bites,” it is actually injecting some of their salivae into the skin. It can act as an anticoagulant or an agent that keeps blood from clotting. As mosquitoes and bed bugs are both blood-sucking insects, the unobstructed flow of blood is ideal for them. When a spider bites a person, it is usually to protect itself from harm and not for feeding. Because of this, most spiders are also injecting venom into the skin, which can cause anything from a mild itch and red spot to tissue damage.
The human body reacts to these bug injections with an immune response that causes itching. The response is different for each type of bug bite and the “ingredient” they are injecting. Each human responds to bug bites differently, as well. Symptoms range from none at all to intense, prolonged itchiness.