Youll also learn the warning signs of a severe reaction to a bite or sting.
Honeybees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and fire ants are common stinging insects.
If you happened to see the bug, it might be easy to figure out what it was.
Illustration by Tara Anand for Verywell Health
If you didnt see the insect, take a look at your surroundings.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are flying insects that feed on animal blood.
They can carry serious diseases such asmalaria,dengue fever,Zika virus, andChikungunyavirus.Only the females bite.
DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
However, some species are more likely to sting than others.
Bees typically will only sting if their hive is threatened or when theyre stepped on.
Bee stings can lead to pain, swelling, and hives.
DermNet /CC BY-NC-ND
Honeybee stingers are barbed on the end.
After the stinger enters the skin and injects venom, it stays behind.
Removing the stinger is the first thing you better do after you get stung.
you could use a dull edge to scrape the stinger, or grasp it and pull it out.
Whatever method you choose, the most important thing is to get the stinger out fast.
The longer it stays in the skin, the more venom it releases into the body.
Wasps come in different colors, such as black, white, and/or yellow.
Their bodies are smooth, not fuzzy, and their legs dangle when they fly.
Wasps tend to nest in trees or in the ground.Theyre rarely aggressive but will sting if theyre disturbed.
Since they dont leave their stinger behind, a wasp can sting multiple times.
Along with honeybees, yellow jackets are also responsible for the most insect stings children get.
As their name suggests, yellow jackets are black and yellow.
They nest in the ground and are scavengers.
You might see them around garbage cans and they can be unwelcome guests at picnics.
Yellow jackets can sting multiple times in a row.
They tend to nest in trees and on the ground.
Hornets can be aggressive and can sting multiple times in a row if they feel threatened.
Stings from a hornet can cause swelling, pain, and itchiness.
The area that was stung may also feel warm and look red.
To treat a hornet sting:
Fire Ants
Insect stings arent always from bugs that fly around.
it’s possible for you to also be stung or bitten by insects that are on the ground.
Fire ants can be found throughout the southern parts of the United States.
They are red in and nest in the ground.
The nests tend to have a mound of dirt on top that can be as tall as 18 inches.
Fire ants are most likely to bite and sting if a person steps on their nest.
They can sting multiple times and will attack if their colony is threatened.
Welts may form soon after being stung by fire ants which can turn into pustules.
Its important not to scratch them open because they can getinfected.
They feed on the blood of animals, including humans.
Fleas can spread diseases such as flea-borne typhus or cat scratch fever.
Flea bites are much smaller than mosquito bites.
They look like small, red bumps and can have a red outline.
Most flea bites appear in a group of three or four bites.
They may be clustered together or in a straight line.
Mites burrow into human skin and can cause itching and rash.
Scabies
Scabies is a skin conditioncaused by the human itch mite.
It is spread by prolonged skin-to-skin contact with an infected person.
People with scabies experience symptoms such as:
Scabies can only be treated with a prescription topical scabies medication.
The medication kills the mites.
Chiggers do not carry diseases, but their bites can be extremely itchy.
Chigger bites look like flat or raised red spots on the skin.
They are larger than flea bites.
More severe reactions may look similar to blisters.
It is also possible to get body lice or pubic lice.
The most common symptom of lice is itching in the infested area.
The best way to treat lice is to get rid of the infestation.
Ticks
Ticks are parasitic insects that live outdoors.
Ticks are important disease vectors.
They carry bacterial illnesses such asLyme diseaseand Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
They can also spread viruses and protozoan parasites such as Colorado tick fever andbabesiosis.
Ticks feed on human blood.
After biting, they remain attached to the skin and can be difficult to remove.
Do not pull or twist a tick or apply heat when attempting to remove it.
Doing so may remove the tick but leave the head beneath the skin.
Instead, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the surface of the skin as possible.
Apply even pressure and pull upward.
After removing the tick:
The best way to avoid tick-borne illnesses is to avoid being bitten.
If possible, stay out of heavily wooded or brushy areas.
If you must spend time in these places, wear long sleeves and long pants and wear insect repellent.
Always check your clothing and body for ticks after leaving areas where they are commonly found.
Spiders
Not all spiders have a harmful bite.
The bite can also look red and might turn into a blister.
If you are bitten by a spider, wash the bite with soap and water.
Most of the time, you will see the spider that bit you.
If you suspect a black widow or brown recluse bite, seek emergency care right away.
Bed bugs are not known to carry diseases, but they are very difficult to eradicate.
The best way to avoid bed bug bites is to prevent an infestation.
Bed bugs are often brought home from hotels.
Do not put your luggage or other belongings on the bed or upholstered surfaces.
Bed bug bites are usually small.
Bed bug bites can be itchy.
Some people may experience a severe reaction to a bed bug bite, though this is uncommon.
If you get stung, call 911.
Then, inject yourself with your EpiPen or have someone else do it.
Summary
Insect bites and stings are a common occurrence in kids and adults.
For most people, its a minor pain that will get better with a little home treatment.
American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Anaphylaxis.
University of Georgia Extension.Stinging and biting pests.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.Mosquito-borne diseases in workers.
Published 2022 Sep 21. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024559
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About mosquito bites.
Herness J, Snyder MJ, Newman RS.Arthropod bites and stings.Am Fam Physician.
2022;106(2):137-147.
2020;12(5):e8078.
doi:10.7759/cureus.8078
Freeman T, Carlson JC.Patient education: bee and insect stings (Beyond the Basics).
Michigan State University Extension.Getting rid of wasp nests.
Cedars Sinai.Insect stings in children.
American Academy of Pediatrics.Bee or yellow jacket sting.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Insect stings.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension.Red imported fire ant.
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Fire ant bites.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Getting rid of fleas.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About fleas.
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Flea bites.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About scabies.
2021;48(2):190-198. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.15650
American American Osteopathic College of Dermatology.Chiggers.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About body lice.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Head lice.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About head lice.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About ticks and tickborne diseases.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What do do after a tick bite.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Signs of Lyme disease that appear on your skin.
UCONN Health, Connecticut Poison Control Center.About spiders … brown recluse and black widow spiders.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Spider bites.
Riverside Spider Research.NOT RECLUSE.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: overview.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: how to avoid bringing them home.
2023;13(4 S1):e2023309S.
Published 2023 Oct 1. doi:10.5826/dpc.1304S1a309S
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Bedbugs: Diagnosis and treatment.
