Health

Easy home remedies for insect bites and stings

Sep 13, 2016

There’s nothing worse than when you’ve being stung or bitten by an insect.

From burning pain to intense itching and swelling, these bites and stings can have a range of side effects.

If your first aid kit is running low on supplies, there are a variety of easy home remedies you can use to treat your bites and stings.

Whether it’s a tiny bee sting or a painful ant bite, here are some useful home remedies you should try next time you’re stung or bitten.

Remember, these should only be used as a guide. If you’ve been bitten or stung by a spider or scorpion or you’re having side effects to another insect bite, you should seek medical assistance immediately.

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

If you’ve been stung by a bee, apple cider vinegar can help ease redness and swelling. First, pull out the stinger using the edge of a credit card or your finger nail. Once the stinger is out, soak the area where you’ve been stung in apple cider vinegar. Dip a cotton ball in the vinegar, and tape it to where you’ve been stung.

2. Papaya

It turns out this fruit actually contains enzymes that can offset insect venom. All you have to do is cut a slice of papaya and lay it on the area you’ve been stung or bitten for an hour.

3. Baking Soda

They say baking soda can be used for just about anything and they’re not wrong. This handy household item can help relieve your stings and bites. There’s two ways you can use it. Either add some baking soda to a skin lotion and rub it in place to ease inflammation, or mix a teaspoon of baking soda and a glass of water, dissolve it and then apply it with a cotton bud or cloth. Compress the area for 20 minutes.

4. Ice

It’s the first go to product we go to when we’ve been bitten or stung – and there’s a reason for that. Try applying an ice pack to your sting or bite for up to 20 minutes to reduce swelling and numb pain. An ice cube can also help. Just rub the ice cube on the bite or sting to ease inflammation and itching.

5. Onion

They might make you cry sometimes, but onions can actually help if you’ve been stung or bitten by an insect. Simply cut an onion in half and rub it on your sting/bite. Apparently, onions have enzymes that can ease inflammation.

6. Aspirin

No you don’t have to swallow a tablet. Instead, making an aspirin paste can stop your from scratching after being stung or bitten. Just crush up an aspirin tablet, add some water to make a paste and rub it on your sting/bite. It turns out aspirin can help reduce the effects of insect venom.

7. Lavender Oil

Not only does it smell good, but lavender oil can also take the itch out of insect stings and bites. Dab your sting or bite with the oil and wait 15 minutes. If you’re still itchy, try again.

8. Sugar

It’s not quite the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down, but using a bit of sugar can help you if you’ve been stung by a bee or wasp. Just dip your finger in water, dab it in sugar and apply it to the sting site.

9. Tea Tree Oil

Simply applying a drop of tea tree oil several times a day can reduce the swelling around where you’ve been stung or bitten.

10. Deodorant

Your humble, everyday deodorant can actually help you if you’ve been bitten or stung. Simply spray or roll on your deodorant, it could just help reduce skin irritation.

11. Peppermint Oil

Known for it’s cooling effects, applying a drop or two of peppermint oil can ease the burning feeling if you’ve been stung or bitten by a bee or wasp. Peppermint oil also boosts your circulation, allowing for a quicker healing process.

12. Garlic

Apparently if you smear a crushed clove of garlic on the skin where you’ve been bitten or stung, it can help soothe a bee or wasp sting.

13. Toothpaste

If you’re using a toothpaste that contains peppermint oil, trying dabbing a little bit of it on where you’ve been stung or bitten. It’ll work the same as the peppermint oil in cooling the area.