Summer is finally here! Warm weather, sandals, sun, beaches, bbqs, and the longer days; who can complain, right? Well let’s not forget that with this wonderful warm temperature come insects bites and bee stings. You know what I’m talking about; the mosquito bites, bee stings, spider bites, should I go on? And of course, they leave ugly marks on our skin.
When you get a sting or bite from an insect we all have some sort of reaction due to the venom injected by the stinger. Some reactions may not be as severe as others. Usually the area will become itchy, red, and possibly painful. If you scratch the area it may actually become infected; but you can’t help it right? Most of us fall into that boat! And of course, we are left with an unsightly red scar that can turn purple or dark, dark red – not good for bathing suit weather!
As a side note to our beauty problem with bug bites, we should mention that the most dangerous reaction to a sting is not an ugly mark on your skin, but a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. It is usually found out when you’re a child, so you should know if you have it. Signs of a reaction include:
- Hives
- Flushing
- Itching
- Swelling
- Nausea
- Fever
- Trouble breathing
If you think you are having a severe allergic reaction call 911 so that you can be taken to the nearest hospital. Insect bites are not as painful as a sting however, the main concern with these types of bites are transmission of disease, such as the West Nile Virus. That’s why it’s important to handle your bites carefully.
Tips for preventing and treating insect bites and stings (so you don’t get scars and marks on your skin!)
- Remove the stinger by sliding something hard across the bite to get it out. Don’t squeeze or try to pinch it out, you’ll only make it worse.
- Clean the area right away with soap and water.
- Put some ice on the bit to minimize any swelling or redness that can start happening around the bite.
- Don’t stand in areas with still water. That is where the mosquitoes and biters love to live. Beware campers and explorers of marshes!
- Same goes for areas that attract bees and wasps, such as weeded areas and places where flowers bloom. (Let’s rethink that butterfly catching outing..)
- When you’re out on a path hiking, keep on the path and don’t go into the wooded areas. You’re probably not allowed there anyway. Serves you right if you get bitten.
- When you’re out in mother nature, keep your skin covered up. If you find that mosquitoes love you even when you’re not near their living areas, then sorry friends, you’ll have to invest in some light-weight summer clothes that cover you up – and wear pajama pants to bed, not shorts.
- Try not to keep sweetened drinks around your picnic tables. You’d only be inviting the bugs. If you are outside avoid drinking from a can; there may be an insect in that can. Pour your drink into a cup.
- Try to avoid going out during peak mosquito times, such as dusk.
The truth about bug repellents:
Most mainstream bug repellents contain a chemical known as DEET (a.k.a. N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide). Many professionals will tell you the chemical is safe to use, and it’s true, it is very effective at keeping mosquitoes away for long periods of time, and most people get by without any reactions to it. However, the green movement experts have something else to say about it, as they usually do. Luckily, they also offer some great natural alternatives that product developers are getting better at when it comes to effectiveness (compared to DEET). Here are some to try:
- Repel Lemon Eucalyptus
- OFF! Botanicals
- Fight Bite Plant-Based Insect Repellent
- MosquitoGuard
- Bite Stop
- Natrapel
- Beat It Bug Buster
- All Terrain
- Herbal Armor
- Buzz Away
- Green Ban
- Bite Blocker
- Pretty much anything with soybean-oil, geraniol, citronella, picaridin and/or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Other herbal remedies and essential oils, of which there can be many, like cedarwood, coconut oil and lemongrass.
While we’ve mentioned the above products that use alternatives to chemicals to get rid of bug bites, we haven’t taken a look at what other ingredients these brands use. For that we say, as our conscious consumer readers, please read your labels and remember that the less ingredients there are, the more likely the product is better for you. And please, leave your comments to tell us of any other news you have on this topic!
