What to use for bug bites

What should you do first?

1. 1Remove anything still attached. Scrape a bee stinger sideways with a fingernail or bank card rather than squeezing it with tweezers. For a tick, use fine tipped tweezers, grasp close to the skin and slowly pull upwards without squeezing.
2. 2Wash the bite and surrounding skin with soap and water.
3. 3Cool the area. For a mosquito bite, apply an ice pack wrapped in a light towel for 10 minutes and repeat as needed. A cool, damp washcloth held against itchy skin for 5 to 10 minutes is another option.
4. 4Apply an itch relief product following its label directions. If scratching has broken the skin, wash the area and cover it with a bandage.

What can you put on bug bites to stop itching?

Hydrocortisone cream reduces itching and swelling. Calamine lotion is another option for itch relief. For bed bug bites specifically, hydrocortisone 1% cream or lotion can be applied daily or twice daily if itching continues.2367

For sensitive, itchy skin, a fragrance free moisturizer is a gentler starting point because fragrance can irritate skin. Apply moisturizer while skin is still damp after bathing or whenever it itches. If moisturizer does not help, try calamine or an itch relief cream or gel containing pramoxine, a topical pain reliever. These are general itch relief options, not a reason to layer every product together.5

An oral antihistamine can reduce itching and raised welts. A pharmacist can help choose an appropriate treatment, especially for a child. Do not use antihistamine cream on skin exposed to caterpillar hairs. If bed bug itching causes severe discomfort, a clinician can recommend an antihistamine or prescribe a stronger steroid cream.367

How long will the bites last?

Mosquito bites usually last a few days; bed bug marks can take a few weeks to disappear. Mosquito itching comes from your body's reaction to saliva injected during the bite. Symptom relief does not mean the bump must disappear immediately.247

What do bug bites look like?

Most insect bites form small, swollen lumps. Redness can be harder to see on brown or black skin, so check for swelling you can feel. Mosquito bites can become puffy within minutes or form harder itchy bumps a day later; some develop small blisters or dark marks.23

Bed bug bites can appear in lines, zigzags or random groups, and some people develop no visible marks. Appearance alone cannot reliably distinguish them from other bites; look for live bugs, shed skins or rusty stains around bedding. Bed bug bites need skin care and an infestation check, because a cream cannot evict a tenant.7

When does a bite need medical help?

Seek medical help for worsening symptoms, warmth, increasing pain, pus or a red streak spreading from the bite. A baby under 1 year with a bite needs medical advice. After a tick bite, seek care for flu like symptoms or a round, expanding rash. Fever, headache or body aches after mosquito bites also need assessment, particularly after travel.234

Call emergency services for sudden swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or collapse. These can signal a serious allergic reaction.3

What stops the next bite?

Insect repellent prevents bites; itch cream treats bites already there, so the bottles have separate departments. Use repellent as directed and cover exposed skin with long sleeves and trousers. Permethrin treated clothing and gear are options for outdoor use, but do not apply permethrin directly to skin.1