A few days ago, one magazine published an article warning citizens that swarms of deadly insects such as vampire spider, Asian hornets, flying ants, German super wasps and Asian mosquitoes could flood the region.
If you are planning to travel to the UK or anywhere else experiencing or is set to experience the heatwave, here is a simple guide on insect bites treatment outside.
Contents
- Camping guide: Most effective mosquito and insect repellent
- Dry cow pies
- sage or rosemary
- garlic and vitamin B1
- Travel guide: best repellents
- How to treat prevent insect bites during your travels
- Can pee on an insect bite offer relief?
- How to stop itching
Most effective mosquito and insect repellent
Did you know that there are commercial mosquito repellents made of cow poop?
Sounds unhygienic but it works.
if you are planning a camping trip this summer this is what you need to do when setting up camp in mosquito-infested areas.
- Find dry cow poop
- Place the pies on fire for about five minutes (smoking)
- Place the pies around your camp to keep mosquitoes at bay
Expert tip: If its green or it smells, stay away from it.
Burn sage or rosemary
According to one paper, most plants contain compounds that help to prevent attacks from plant-eating insects. Some contain toxins, feeding deterrents, regulators and repellents.
Here is a list of plants that contain insect repellent:
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Lemon balm
- Citronella
- Catnip
- Marigolds
- Basil
- Garlic
You can use these plants to make your own repellent or burn some to keep insects away. I recommend you burn basil in your campfire.
Travel guide: best repellents
Products that contain DEET are safe and effective only if you follow the instructions. You can also use products that contain picaridin, a substance that is derived from pepper.
Remember, a good repellent will keep you and your family safe from malaria, dengue fever, encephalitis, and other insect-borne diseases. Also, when you buy, be sure that what you get is safe and effective (check reviews or warnings).
Insect bite treatment outside
Prevention is one thing, but what if you got bitten and are now in pain, what should I do?
Can pee on insect bite offer relief?
If you get bitten by ants, the best cure might be your own urine. Pee will extinguish the burning, pain and prevent itching. However, if you get bitten by a jellyfish, do not pee on the wound. Doing that will only worsen the pain.
Peeing on yourself is gross, but it will keep down the swelling.
What about kerosene?
Kerosene can be used to neutralize bee and wasp stings and reduce swelling. Resort to this if you don’t have a first aid kit.
How to treat insect bites and stings
What bit you?
Before you attempt to treat a bite, it is important to identify the type of insect that bit you. Insect bite treatment depends on the insect that bit you, some bites may require hospitalization and some can easily be treated.
That said. You can use the following to effectively treat bites:
- Hemorrhoid creams
- Basil paste (mash it up)
- To prevent itching from mosquito bites, rub deodorant on the wound or soap, soaked tea bag, oral antihistamine, or apply rubbing alcohol.
- Hydrocortisone cream
Expert tip: no matter what bites you, always wash your hands and wound to prevent infection.
If the bite gets infected or you experience difficulty breathing, feel your throat closing up, start wheezing or if you experience a hive breakout, go see a doctor immediately.
What to do when you get bitten
- Stay calm and move to a safe area to prevent more bites.
- Remove the stinger.
- Wash your hand and the area with soap and water.
How to stop the itching
The most annoying part of getting bitten is in my opinion the itching. The problem with itching is it leads to scratching and that can worsen the problem. To get rid of or to prevent itching you should:
- Apply honey on the bite
- Clean the area with rubbing alcohol
- Apply aloe vera
- Mild corticosteroid cream
