Insect Bites and Stings

Lesson objectives:

• Learn how to safely treat the bites and stings of:
  • ticks
  • bees and wasps
  • chiggers
  • spiders

1. Ticks are small, hard-shelled arachnids that bury their heads in your skin.
   1. How can you protect yourself?
      1. Wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
      2. Inspecting yourself for ticks every day, especially the warm and hairy parts of your body.
   2. If a tick has attached itself
      1. Ask an adult to help you.
      2. The adult will grasp the tick with tweezers close to the skin and gently pull until it comes loose.
      3. It’s important not to squeeze, twist, or jerk the tick, which could leave its mouth parts in the skin.
      4. Wash the wound with soap and water, and apply antibiotic ointment.
      5. After dealing with a tick, thoroughly wash your hands.
      6. If you develop a rash or flu like symptoms or otherwise feel ill in the next days or weeks after being bitten, talk to your doctor.
2. Bee and Wasp stings
   1. Bee and wasp stings are unpleasant, but are not normally very serious.
      1. They can be very serious if the person is allergic to bee stings.
      2. If the person is allergic, call 911 immediately
   2. If you get stung:
      1. Scrape away a bee or wasp stinger with the edge of a card such as:
         1.  A Whittling Chip or
         2.  A Gift Card.
      2. Another method is to put a piece of tape on top of the sting to pull out the stinger.
      3. Never try to squeeze it out. That will force more venom into the skin from the sac attached to the stinger.
      4. An ice pack might reduce pain and swelling.
   3. Some people have severe allergies to bee and wasp stings.
      1. If someone has trouble breathing after being stung or feels his or her throat swelling or closing up, seek medical help immediately, and alert an adult.
      2. Find out if the person is carrying a kit for treating anaphylactic shock, and help him or her administer the medication.
3. Chiggers
   1. Chiggers are almost invisible. Their bites cause itching and small welts. Try not to scratch chigger bites.
   2. You might find some relief by covering chigger bites with calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream.
4. Spider bites
   1. Most spider bites are not serious.
   2. Only a few types of spiders’ bites cause serious reactions.
      1. Victims of these spider bites should be treated for shock and seen by a doctor as soon as possible.
      2. When possible, try to identify the spider, but be sure that you don’t put yourself in danger to do so.
   3. Black Widow.
      1. The bite of a female black widow spider can cause redness and sharp pain at the wound site.
      2. The victim might suffer from:
      3. sweating
      4. nausea and vomiting
      5. stomach pain and cramps
      6. severe muscle pain and spasms
      7. shock
      8. Breathing might become difficult.
   4. Brown recluse.
      1. The bite of a brown recluse spider doesn’t always hurt right away, but within two to eight hours there can be:
         1. pain
         2. redness
         3. swelling at the wound.
         4. An open sore is likely to develop. The victim might suffer fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, joint pain, and a faint rash.