Summer in Australia means sun, fun, and... bug bites! From mozzie attacks at dusk to tick nips on bush walks, our Aussie homes encounter all sorts of biters. Don’t worry, we’ve got 100% natural, kid-safe remedies for each type. Read through this blog post to learn how to soothe every bite using simple ingredients you likely have at home. Let’s keep your kiddos (and you!) comfy and itch-free. 🏡💛
1. Mosquito Bites – Baking Soda Paste
Pesky mozzie bites leaving you scratching? Baking soda paste to the rescue! Baking soda helps neutralize the skin’s pH to ease itching (healthline.com).
How to: Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with a bit of water to form a paste. Dab it on the bite and let it sit ~10 minutes before washing off. This old-school remedy (even recommended by the CDC!) provides quick relief from itching and swelling.
Tip: This works a treat on midgie bites too (those tiny sandflies). Safe for the little ones’ sensitive skin, and no more “Mum, I’m itchy!”
2. Bee Stings – Papaya Pulp
Got a bee sting emergency? Head to the fruit bowl! Papaya’s natural enzymes (papain) can “chop up” venom proteins, reducing pain and swelling (wired.com).
How to: Mash a bit of fresh papaya into a pulp and gently apply it to the sting for 15 minutes. The papain enzyme in papaya breaks down the bee’s venom, naturally easing the ouch. It’s a sweet, fruity fix that busy Aussie mums love, and it smells better than meat tenderizer (an old trick containing papain)!
Bonus: Cool papaya feels soothing on angry skin, so your kiddo will calm down faster.
3. Wasp Stings – Vinegar
How to Soothe a Wasp Sting: Grab the vinegar from your pantry. Wasp venom is alkaline, so a splash of vinegar’s acidity helps neutralize the sting (insightpestnorthwest.com).
How to: Soak a cotton ball or tissue in apple cider or white vinegar and press it on the sting for a few minutes. You should feel the burn and swelling ease within minutes. This old remedy is simple but effective.
Why it works: The vinegar counteracts the wasp’s venom, bringing quick relief from pain.
Friendly reminder: Unlike bees, wasps don’t leave a stinger, so just clean the area and dab vinegar. No more tears, just natural relief.
4. Tick Bites – Lavender Oil
After a family bushwalk, found a tick bite on someone? First, remove the tick safely – then reach for lavender essential oil. Lavender oil is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial (bitebacktick.com), perfect for soothing bites.
How to: Dilute one or two drops of pure lavender oil in a teaspoon of coconut oil (to be gentle on skin) and dab on the bite area. Lavender helps calm redness and irritation, and its natural antiseptic properties can help prevent infection. Plus, it smells lovely and calming (so your little one associates “medicine” with a calming scent!).
Fun fact: Some studies even say lavender oil can deter ticks in the first place (mosquitojoe.com) but it’s ace for after-bite care too.
5. Ant Bites – Oatmeal Paste
Ants on the attack at the picnic? For those itchy ant bites, oatmeal paste is a game-changer. Oatmeal contains anti-itch compounds that soothe skin irritation (austiner.com).
How to: Mix equal parts ground oats and water to make a thick paste. Gently apply it to the bites and let it sit ~10 minutes before cleaning off. The oatmeal reduces redness and calms that crazy itch. This is the same remedy many of us use for chickenpox or mozzie bites – because it works!
Mum tip: An oatmeal bath (just chuck a cup of colloidal oatmeal into lukewarm bathwater) can comfort a kid covered in bites (healthline.com). It’s natural, safe, and soothing, your brekkie staple doubles as skin relief.
6. Spider Bites – Aloe Vera Gel
For minor spider bites (we’re talking non-venomous, everyday spiders 🕷️), fresh aloe vera gel is your best friend. Aloe vera is famous for its skin-soothing and healing properties (healthline.com).
How to: Snip a small piece of an aloe vera leaf (if you’ve got one in your garden) and apply the cool gel inside directly to the bite. Aloe’s natural anti-inflammatory effect helps reduce pain and swelling, and it keeps the area hydrated as it heals. It’s like a natural Band-Aid! Reapply a few times a day.
Note: In Aussie summers, aloe is brilliant for everything from sunburns to insect bites, a must-have plant in any mum’s backyard. (Of course, if you suspect a serious spider like a redback, seek medical help, but for the common household spider nibble, aloe’s got you covered.)
7. Chigger Bites – Bentonite Clay
Chiggers (scrub-itch mites) love warm, grassy areas and their bites can drive you bonkers with itching. Soothe them with a bentonite clay paste. Bentonite clay, made from volcanic ash, has a unique ability to draw out toxins and irritants from the skin (revivalabs.com).
How to: Mix a spoon of bentonite powder with water to form a mud-like paste and cover the chigger bites. As the clay dries, it literally pulls out the stuff causing the itch, reduces redness, and calms inflammation. Rinse off after it dries (20-30 minutes). This earthy remedy provides fast relief from the “scrub itch.”
Fun Aussie fact: Bentonite’s like a little outback spa treatment for your skin, it’s natural, messy fun, and effective. Your kids might even enjoy playing “spa” with some mud on their bites!
8. Flea Bites – Raw Honey
Flea bites on the family (often around ankles) can be insanely itchy. Good news: raw honey can help heal those spots naturally. Honey has been used for centuries as a topical healer, it’s powerfully antibacterial and anti-inflammatory (healthline.com).
How to: Dab a tiny drop of raw (unprocessed) honey on each bite. Honey reduces inflammation and can help prevent infection in scratched-open bites (austiner.com, healthline.com). Plus, it forms a slight sticky barrier that might keep fidgety kids from scratching more (hard to scratch without making a mess, eh!).
Sweet tip: Manuka honey (from NZ/Aussie bees) is especially renowned for skin healing, but even the regular local honey from your pantry can do the trick. Just be ready for a bit of stickiness, maybe cover the area with a loose bandage if your little one is extra wiggly.
9. Horsefly Bites – Ice Compress
Aussie summers in the countryside or near water often come with horseflies (those big, biting flies. Ouch!). Their bites can swell up fast. The simplest remedy is still the best: apply ice.
How to: Wrap an ice cube or ice pack in a cloth and hold it on the bite for 10 minutes at a time (healthline.com). The cold numbs the area (ahh, relief) and slows down the inflammation. If you’ve got a particularly angry horsefly welt, alternate ice on and off for a few cycles (10 min on, 10 min off). Cold therapy reduces swelling and eases pain you’ll see the redness go down quickly. No fancy ingredients needed, just good old H₂O. This trick works for bee and wasp stings too in a pinch, and it’s 100% safe for everyone. Keep a few ice packs in the freezer ready for summer adventures!
10. Bed Bug Bites – Chamomile Tea Bags
Waking up to lines of itchy red bites? Could be bed bugs (ugh!). After ensuring you treat the infestation, here’s a soothing remedy for the bites themselves: chamomile tea bag compresses. Chamomile is famous for calming inflammation and itch, both when sipped and when applied to skin (nobedbugs-hk.com, amerisleep.com).
How to: Take a used chamomile tea bag, chill it in the fridge, then place it on the bite areas for 10-15 minutes. The coolness reduces swelling, and chamomile’s natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties ease the itch. It’s like a little spa moment for your bites.
Extra tip: Brew a cup of chamomile tea for yourself too, while the tea bag works on your skin, sipping the tea can help calm you from the inside. And remember to wash bedding in hot water to evict those bed bugs, a clean home (plus Resparkle’s natural laundry powder) will help keep pests away.
11. Lice Bites – Neem & Coconut Oil
If your kids have come home scratching their heads, it might be lice. Those nits not only nest in hair, they also cause itchy bite bumps on the scalp. A natural one-two punch to handle it: neem oil + coconut oil. Neem oil, from the Indian neem tree, is a known anti-lice remedy (it contains compounds that disrupt lice life cycles) (healthshots.com). Coconut oil helps by smothering lice and soothing the skin.
How to: Warm up 1–2 tablespoons of coconut oil, mix in a few drops of neem oil, and massage into the scalp and hair thoroughly. Leave it on for at least an hour (you can cover the hair with a shower cap). Comb through with a nit comb to remove the critters and eggs, then shampoo out. The combo of neem and coconut relieves the itch and makes hair slippery enough to remove lice. Bonus: no harsh chemicals, so it’s gentle on your kiddos. (Neem’s strong scent isn’t the nicest, but it’s worth it!) Follow up by washing bedding and maybe a spritz of disinfectant on furniture (try a natural one like Resparkle Organice Disinfectant Cleaner) to avoid re-infestation.
12. No-See-Um (Midge) Bites – Witch Hazel
Those nearly invisible no-see-ums (biting midges) can invade BBQs and camping trips, leaving clusters of itchy red spots. A handy natural remedy is witch hazel, an old-fashioned astringent from the witch hazel plant. Witch hazel tightens the skin and takes down inflammation (mosquitonix.com).
How to: Pour a bit of witch hazel (available at chemists) onto a cotton pad and dab your no-see-um bites. It immediately gives a cooling, tightening sensation that calms itching and redness. This stuff is gold for any kind of bite, actually – mossie and midges alike. It’s gentle enough for kids’ skin and dries quickly (no oily residue).
Trivia: Many Aussie mums keep witch hazel on hand not just for bug bites, but also for cleaning kids’ scrapes and calming skin after mozzy bites or even after shaving. It’s a true multi-tasker from nature’s cabinet!
Bonus tip:
Resparkle Disinfectant Concentrate is made from 100% plant-based extracts and works as a powerful antimicrobial. Just dilute it to create your own natural sanitizer.
Stay Bug-Free with a Clean Home (Bonus Tip)
Prevention is better than cure, right? Along with these bite remedies, keep bugs out of your home naturally by maintaining a clean environment. Crumbs, standing water, and clutter can invite pests like ants, flies, and mozzies. Regular cleaning with family-safe products will help deter unwelcome insects. We love using Resparkle’s All Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant around the house – they’re plant-based and effective, so you can keep your home sparkling and less attractive to bugs (all without harsh chemicals). A tidy home and sealed screens mean fewer bug bite incidents to deal with in the first place.
Wrap-Up – An Itch-Free Aussie Summer! ☀️🦘
From mozzie bites to midge nibbles, now you’re armed with natural remedies for each one. No need for heavy chemicals or panic – a quick trip to your kitchen or garden can bring soothing relief to your family’s bites and stings. Share this blog post with fellow mums (or anyone prone to bug bites) so everyone can enjoy an itch-free summer. Save these tips for your next adventure, and let nature’s remedies come to the rescue. Here’s to a summer of barbies and beach days minus the scratchies!
Happy healing, and remember: a little knowledge (and a little Resparkle) goes a long way in keeping those bugs at bay! 💚