Section: Your Personal HealthHOW TO KEEP THE BUGS FROM BITING Here are some things you can do to make bugs bug off. When spring and summer arrive, you aren't the only one eager to be outside in the sunshine. Buzzing, biting insects insist on sharing the outdoor warmth and can make real pests of themselves. What can you do?
First, try this "Name That Buzz Word" quiz to test your insect IQ.
1. This buzzer nests in the ground and in hollow trees. It stings in self-defense if frightened or angry and can sting many times since its stinger doesn't fall off. Name that buzz word.
2. These swarming, biting insects breed in lakes and rivers and are most active during the day. They are attracted to dark colors and particularly enjoy buzzing around people's faces. Name that buzz word.
3. Females of this blood-sucking species feed on mammal blood. They breed in stagnant water and most often attack in the early morning and evening. They sometimes carry dangerous diseases such as encephalitis. Name that buzz word.
4. Attracted to perfume and flowery prints, this insect leaves its stinger and venom sac in your skin when it delivers its painful bite. Name that buzz word.
Answers: 1. wasp, 2. black fly, 3. mosquito, 4. bee
Other Biting Bugs
Now that you have the buzzing insects straight, you'll need to know about the biting bugs that don't buzz. Fire ants live silently in grass and often surprise people with a stinging bite that swells with a cloudy fluid. Ticks are in wooded areas, and many times you won't even feel it when they bite. But tick bites can cause a round red rash and flu-like symptoms, if the tick carries Lyme disease. Ticks can also carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Both diseases can be serious and must be treated with antibiotics.
Black widow and brown recluse spiders are poisonous insects that can sneak up and bite with no warning, but you'll probably know they got you within a short while. Black widow bites can cause severe cramps spreading from the bite site, along with a high fever and high blood pressure. Brown recluse bites swell, blister, and begin destroying muscle tissue unless treated quickly.
Ways to Keep Bugs Away
The best way to prevent the pain and possible infection from insect bites is to stay away from bugs and encourage them to stay away from you. Some tips for avoiding them:
• Don't wear perfume, cologne, or scented hairspray when outdoors.
• Avoid areas such as stagnant water pools, flower gardens, and bee and wasp nests where insects hang out.
• Don't dress in bright colors or flowery prints if you plan to be outdoors in warm weather.
• Keep foods covered so as not to attract insects.
• Wear long sleeves, long pants, shoes, and socks to minimize skin exposure in wooded areas. Wear light colors so you can spot ticks easily.
• Stay on the trail when hiking. Stay out of tall grass and weeds.
• Shake out sleeping bags, clothing, and shoes when camping.
• Stay on a screened-in porch away from mosquitoes after dark.
What You Should Know About DEET
There are also quite a few bug repellent products on the market to help keep bugs away. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers products that contain DEET (short for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) to be the most effective repellents. But it's important to follow package directions carefully, since DEET can be dangerous if misused.
DEET products come in concentrations of 4 to 100 percent in aerosol and non-aerosol sprays, creams, lotions, foams, sticks, or moist towelettes. These products can be applied directly to skin or clothing. Doctors warn that too much DEET can cause serious health problems, such as rashes, headaches, insomnia, eye irritation, seizures, and encephalopathy (swelling of the brain). Repeated use has been known to cause tingling, mild irritation, and other skin and eye conditions. To avoid these problems, doctors recommend the following:
• Use DEET only on exposed skin, not all over the body and never near the eyes or lips. Never spray onto the face. If you use DEET on your hands, don't touch your eyes or mouth.
• Never use on cut, scraped, or irritated skin.
• If your skin burns when you apply DEET, you may be allergic and should wash it off immediately.
• Avoid spraying DEET in the air, since it's dangerous to inhale it.
• Be aware that in DEET-sunscreen combination products, the DEET reduces the SPF (sun protection factor) by one-third. Dr. Mark Miller, an environmental health specialist, recommends not using DEET-sunscreen combo products at all since "the two products have incompatible uses. You want to apply sunscreen generously and frequently and DEET infrequently and sparingly, so they don't make a good combined product."
• Use only EPA-registered products, and always follow label directions.
• If you help small children apply DEET, use formulations with 5 to 6.5 percent DEET, labeled for children. Teens and adults can safely use a 20 to 35 percent concentration.
• Do not apply DEET products more often than recommended on the label. Avoid repeated application day after day.
• Wash skin with soap and water to remove excess product when it is no longer needed.
Other Repellents
Besides DEET, there are other effective insect repellents available. Since DEET doesn't always work against ticks, you might want to try permethrin combined with DEET for this purpose. However, doctors caution that permethrin should not be applied to your skin. Instead, spray it on clothing or sleeping bags. It lasts about two weeks and through two washings. Wash pesticide-treated clothing separately from other clothing.
Citronella oil is a safe, natural insect repellent that isn't as effective as DEET, but is nontoxic. If you aren't out where there are swarms of pesty bugs, citronella may be strong enough to protect you. "Always use the least toxic repellent possible," says Dr. Miller. "If citronella works for you, it's safer than DEET."
Soybean oil is another natural substance that works well at repelling mosquitoes. It can sting your skin a bit and smells pretty bad, so be careful if you use it.
A new product called Controlled Release is supposed to prevent the skin from absorbing DEET and give long-lasting protection. Doctors say it appears to be safe, although it's so new that more studies are being done.
The Bug Button is another new product advertised to keep away mosquitoes, gnats, and many other insects. It contains nontoxic ingredients such as Philippine geranium oil and North American citronella oil injected into a plastic button you pin on your clothing.
Experts caution that no repellent is known to work against bees, wasps, or fire ants, so the best defense is to stay away. If you do meet a bee or wasp, don't flail around or bat at it; it will sting in self-defense.
When They Bite
Sometimes bugs won't bug off no matter what you do. Most bug bites hurt or itch but aren't life-threatening unless you're allergic. If you experience extreme swelling, dizziness, vomiting, or trouble breathing, it means you are allergic and should get to a hospital immediately. More than 100 people in the United States die each year from allergic reactions to bee stings when they aren't treated quickly enough. If you know you have such an allergy, it's a good idea to always carry an emergency EpiPen so you can get an immediate shot of epinephrine if you're stung.
In most cases, ice will cut down on swelling and an over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamine cream or pill will lessen itching. See your doctor for something stronger if the OTC medicines don't work. Avoid scratching the bite because it can become infected, and never use creams near your eyes.
Ticks embedded in the skin or hair must be pulled out completely using tweezers or special tick pliers. Wash the area with soap and water. If possible, keep the tick in a jar to bring to your doctor for testing in case you develop symptoms of Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Bee stingers should be scraped off with a fingernail or credit card to avoid squeezing more poison from the attached poison sac.
Don't Go Buggy
While bugs have been known to ruin outdoor summer fun, a bit of planning can prevent them from driving you batty. Make sure you watch out for their hangouts, use insect repellents safely, bring along some emergency supplies in case you get bitten--and you'll have a great summer.
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By Melissa Abramovitz
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Source: Current Health 2, Apr/May2000, Vol. 26 Issue 8, p20, 3p.
Item Number: 2998714