Summer Safety: Treating Bug Bites and Stings
June 17, 2004 -- You're out on the porch with a glass of lemonade and a good book when along comes unwanted visitor: a mosquito. Or a bee.
Bugs are one of the unpleasant accompaniments to warm weather, but from their perspective, they're simply trying to survive — and reproduce.
"When insects and their relatives — spiders and ticks — bite or sting you, they are doing it for one of two reasons," said Dr. Michael J. Raupp, a professor with the University of Maryland's department of entomology. "Either they want to get food for development or laying eggs, or they are defending themselves or their hives."
In the average bee hive, there might be 30,000 honey bees. But you would not get stung unless you crashed into it, in which case female worker bees would defend their hive to the death, Raupp said.
Honeybees can sting you just once. Their stinging cousins — paper wasps and yellow jackets — do not have a barbed stinger, which means they can sting you multiple times.
"The best thing to do is squash it and get away," Raupp said. Bees and wasps may cause a life-threatening allergic reaction in 1 to 1.5 percent of the population.
If you are stung by a bee, remember to scrape away the stinger, rather than pull it out, doctors advise.
"Never squeeze the stinger or use tweezers," ABCNEWS' Medical Editor Dr. Tim Johnson said. "It will cause more venom to go into the skin and injure the muscle."
Remove the stinger by scraping a fingernail over the area, or by using a 4-by-4-inch piece of gauze and wiping it over the area.
Geeky — But Tick-Free
If you are unlucky enough to have an American dog tick get under your skin, it will attach itself and feed for more than 10 days. After the feeding, the tick can lay up to 5,000 eggs, and increase in size up to 120 percent.
Ticks can also carry ehrlichia and Lyme disease. But if you know where they congregate, you can try to avoid them. "If you walk your dog or live in an area where there is tall grass, before you go into an area like this you may want to tuck your pant leg into your sock," Raupp said. "This looks really geeky, but it is a surefire way from keeping ticks from reaching your skin."
If you do get a tick bite, do not use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products that you may have heard work to pull out ticks, Johnson said. It is a myth that they will work.
Instead, use a tweezer to grasp the tick firmly and as closely to the skin as possible, Johnson said. With a steady motion, pull the tick's body away from the skin. The tick's mouthparts may remain in the skin, but do not be alarmed. The bacteria that cause Lyme disease are contained in the tick's midgut or salivary glands. Cleanse the area with an antiseptic.
Mosquito Avoidance
Hungry female mosquitoes find people to bite by detecting the carbon dioxide that humans exhale — so unless you hold your breath, they're going to find you. However, only the female mosquito bites humans. They are after blood, which they use to make eggs. A single blood meal can produce 100 eggs.
After a mosquito bite, you run the risk of infection from overzealous itching, encephalitis or malaria.
The best way to prevent mosquito bites is to wear insect repellent that contains DEET. When outdoors wear light-colored clothing, long sleeves and long pants. Some people believe that vitamin B may act as a mosquito repellent, but it is an old wives' tale.
Spiders are also troublesome multi-legged creatures, and if you look closely, you'll see that they have fangs.
"When a spider bites you, it will leave two marks as it injects its venom into your tissue," Raupp said. "Usually, spider bites only result in a small welt or reddened area. However, there are a couple of spiders that can cause more damage, such as brown recluse and black widow." Black widows are shiny and black with a red hourglass shape on their abdomen. Females are the only ones that have a poisonous bite, though they are shy and usually retreat. The male black widows are harmless. The bites are most serious for young children and the elderly.
Brown recluse spiders are also commonly referred to as "fiddleback" spiders or "violin" spiders because of the violin-shaped marking on the top of the head and thorax. Those who are bitten may not even notice it, but a small white blister usually initially rises at the bite site surrounded by a swollen area, and may result in a painful wound that takes a long time to heal. The bites are most dangerous to young children and the elderly.
Aggressive house spiders have long, hairy legs, a brown body and darker markings on their oval abdomens. They are about 1 and 3/4 inches long, including legs. They will only bite when in distress, such as when they are caught between clothing or bed sheets. The bites are rare, though, and usually less dangerous than brown recluse or black widow bites.
Picnic Spoilers
Another common summertime pest is also a picnic spoiler: Allegheny mound ants, which can be found throughout the northeastern United States. They are reddish brown, may be 3 to 6 millimeters long, and can contain as many as 3,000 to 4,000 ants per colony. Plus, they go after humans.
"They are going to try to bite," Raupp said. "The bite isn't serious. Down South we have a much more serious ant pest called Southern fire ant. These guys can both bite and sting. The sting is very nasty. It leaves a wicked welt on your skin and it can also cause allergic reactions."
Swelling from a fire ant bite can last up to 10 days and can lead to infection. They are especially dangerous to those with sensitivity to the venom, and can cause rashes, swelling and even paralysis.
When should a bug bite send you to the emergency room?
People who are allergic to bee stings, or certain bites, such as spider bites, are in danger of going into anaphylactic shock, Johnson said. It is very rare, with only a few thousand cases in the United States each year, but it is very dangerous when it happens.
The symptoms of such a reaction are: swelling all over, a tightness in the throat, and difficulty breathing. A victim should get immediate medical treatment. People who know they are allergic often carry epinephrine.
Of course, any bite can get infected, which becomes apparent if there is swelling or oozing at the site of the bite. To treat an infected bite, keep the site clean and use antibiotics to clear the infection, Johnson said.
Quiz
1. If you are stung by a bee, you should use a tweezer to take out the stinger. a. Trueb. False
2. The following is a symptom of an allergic reaction to a bug bite: a. Swelling b. Clammy skin c. Feverd. Vomiting
3. If a tick attaches itself to you, to get rid of it you should: a. Try to suffocate it with petroleum jellyb. Burn it with a hot matchc. Cover it with nail polishd. None of the above
4. To avoid mosquitoes:a. Wear an insect repellent that contains DEETb. Wear long sleevesc. Wear light-colored clothingd. All of the above
Answers
1. b. False. You should scrape out a bee's stinger with your fingernail, not a tweezer. 2. a. Swelling up, difficulty breathing and tightness in the throat are among the symptoms of allergic reaction. 3. d. None of the above. Use a tweezer to remove a tick from your skin.4. d. To avoid mosquito bites, wear an insect repellent with DEET, long sleeves, long pants and light-colored clothing outdoors.