I was curious about what makes mosquito bites itch, too, so I did a bit of reading and found out that when mosquitoes bite, they draw out blood while injecting some of their saliva. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant and proteins. The proteins are foreign substances that trigger the body’s immune system. To fight them, the body’s immune system releases histamine, a compound that helps white blood cells get to the affected area. Histamine is what causes the itchiness, inflammation, and swelling.
Perhaps the tape method you discovered eases the swelling from the bite, leading to less itch.
If you ever want to try something a bit more conventional in terms of an analgesic, Thayers sells a medicated witch hazel called 'Super Hazel' that contains a small amount of camphor and also aloe vera. It is very soothing for itchiness from bites. Now, if we can just get the little vampires to stop biting
Deb L.