School is out for the summer, the sun is shining and life is grand! There is one caveat that can damper summer…bug bites. Although everyone reacts differently to insect bites and signs and symptoms of insect bites vary by insect, no one wants to get eaten alive or spend their time swatting insects.

There are many home remedies and over the counter products you can purchase to help stop itching bug bites, but what works? According to The Stir, there are eight "proven" itch stoppers you can probably find in your house right now.

1.) Scotch tape: It may sound crazy and it is (a little), but if you put a bit of scotch tape OVER the bite, you do two things: seal the bite off from the air AND keep yourself from scratching it and making it worse.

2.) Nail polish: It works for the same reason scotch tape works in terms of sealing off the bite.

3.) Aspirin: Take a couple pills, mash them up with water, and apply as a paste, the itch will stop immediately. But even if that doesn't work, at the very least, the aspirin will help relieve the inflammation and redness, which will make the overall healing time (and itching time) much shorter.

4.) Apple cider vinegar:. With bug bites, it's said to neutralize the pH balance.

5.) Banana peel: This has been used for years to help soothe poison ivy or poison oak. It has a medicinal, moisturizing element and can neutralize the itch of bites and other ailments.

6.) Table salt: Apparently if you moisten the bite with a little bit of water and then put table salt directly onto it, the itch will cease.

7.) Rubbing alcohol: This allegedly dries the bite.

8.) Lemon juice: The same astringent properties in lemon or lime juice that make them good natural cleaners and helpful with toning the skin can take the itch out of any sting or bite quickly.

For more information on bed bugs, fleas, mosquitoes or ticks refer to our educational pest identification center. If you find yourself itching and identified an insect bite take the necessary precautionary measures and always consult your physician. If you identify the bites as bed bug bites or flea bites, inspect your home immediately for any signs of an infestation or call your local Clifton Park pest control professional. Head over to our Facebook Page and comment on this post and let us know what you do if you have a bug bite!