Bites and stings

Summer is aswarm with six-legged (and eight-legged) biting critters such as mosquitoes, gnats, midges, horseflies, ants, fleas, lice and even ticks and spiders which can make life a misery. Find out how to tackle bites and stings.

Bite protection
Your first port of call should be to reach for the insect repellent - sprays, roll-ons or gels. You can even get products that combine sun-screen with insect repellent in one for double protection.

Cover all exposed skin with long trousers and long sleeves, especially from dusk onwards when most biting insects become more active. Spray a repellent inside openings of clothes for extra protection or wear impregnated wrist and ankle bands. If walking in long grass, always tuck trouser legs into socks and boots.

You may not know you've been attacked until you notice red, intensely itchy or painful lumps on exposed areas of flesh. As hard as it is, do try to avoid scratching as this increases release of histamine in the area and can make the reaction worse.

To reduce itching and swelling, apply an ice pack (eg bag of frozen peas wrapped in a clean cloth) for 2 - 5 minutes at a time. Then apply a soothing treatment such as Arnica cream, Pyrethrum Cream, antiseptic cream, antihistamine cream (consider tablets if seriously affected), local anaesthetic cream or an anti-inflammatory cream (eg 1% hydrocortisone) to reduce itching and discomfort.

It's worth bearing in mind that in the UK, tick bites can pass on Lyme disease. If a red rash appears around a tick bite within one to three weeks and begins to spread, consult a doctor. When travelling abroad, you also need to be aware of other diseases transmitted through biting insects such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and malaria. It can be a good idea to use a mosquito net over your bed at night. Spray the net with an insect repellent each evening to provide an extra insect barrier. Plug-in repellents that slowly vaporize during the night are also available.

Stings
If a bee leaves its sting and poison sac lodged in your skin, remove it gently by scraping with a fingernail, credit card or a sterile needle - don't grasp with fingers or tweezers or you may force more venom into the wound. Wash the affected area with soap and water. As bee stings are acid, apply a little baking soda mixed with water to neutralise the chemicals present. Wasp stings (and gnat bites) are alkaline, so apply a little wine vinegar or lemon juice will help to relieve pain. You can also apply a drop of neat lavender oil directly onto a bite or sting, and repeat every five minutes up to a maximum of 10 drops.