Explained for children: Why do mosquito bites itch?

Why do mosquito bites only itch sometimes, for so long, only in the evening? Why are some people bitten more often than others? And what really helps against mosquito bites? We answer all these questions for you here.

This is how we attract mosquitoes

Did you know that not all mosquitoes bite? In fact, only female mosquitoes tap into our blood and leave behind the itchy bites. Male mosquitoes, which are often in swarms, are therefore not a “danger” for us.

But why do only female mosquitoes bite? Because they need our blood to reproduce. The protein in the blood is important for the mosquito to form eggs after being fertilized by a male.

In their hunt for blood, the buzzing insects do not orientate themselves on the light we leave on, but on our body odor.

Since everyone has their own unique body odor, this also explains why some people get bitten more often than others. Among other things, through our sweat and breath we release the substances that attract mosquitoes.

But our clothes can also play a role. Experts recommend wearing light-colored clothes rather than dark ones. Wide and long pieces of clothing are also an advantage, since mosquitoes can easily pierce through thin, tight-fitting fabrics.

Incidentally, the mosquitoes in residential areas like to swarm out in the evening or at night. This also explains why we are mainly bitten at bedtime. Mosquitoes that live near swamps, lakes or rivers are active during the day and prefer to bite in the light hours.

Why do mosquito bites itch?

Once a mosquito has chosen a victim, the biting goes fairly quickly. Often we don’t even notice it. The spikes on its proboscis enable the mosquito to make a tiny wound in our skin – the bite site. During the subsequent sucking, they secrete saliva so that our blood does not coagulate but remains liquid.

“The human body fights the foreign proteins that come from the animal’s saliva. This creates a kind of allergic reaction that can sometimes cause a small inflammation,” said Julian Heiermann from the German Nature Conservation Union  to n-tv .

Our immune system reacts to the mosquito’s saliva by releasing histamine as a defense. Although this ensures that the saliva gets out of our body, it is also responsible for the swelling and itching. If we then scratch around on the mosquito bite, we distribute the histamine under the skin, making the bite bigger and of course not reducing the itching.

Whether the itching starts immediately or only after some time depends on the individual reaction of your own body to the sting. How long the mosquito was able to suck also plays a role. If she was scared away in the meantime, it may be that she wasn’t able to secrete that much saliva.

Even if the itching can be very strong, giving in and scratching is not an option! Not only does the mosquito bite stay with you for longer, it is also possible that you scratch your skin and bacteria can get into it. This can sometimes lead to unpleasant inflammation.

What helps against mosquito bites?

Scratching is not a solution! But what then provides relief? Cold, for example, is a good remedy. Simply cool the puncture site with a cool pack, a cool washcloth or ice cubes. This numbs and provides a similar level of satisfaction as scratching. However, make sure that items from the freezer are packed in a towel to avoid direct contact and to protect the skin.

What also helps are appropriate ointments or creams from the pharmacy. They also usually have a cooling effect. There are also so-called electronic sting healers that can treat the sting with concentrated heat. But be careful: Not all of these products are suitable for children.

Many also swear by onion juice, which is applied directly to the sting, and poultices with vinegar water. In this article, we explain what you can do if your baby has been bitten by a mosquito .

Since every mosquito chooses its victims according to its own criteria, you can unfortunately hardly prevent a mosquito bite reliably. What helps, however, are mosquito nets over the bed and fly screens in front of the windows, with which you can at least keep the mosquitoes away from the bedrooms.