| Login | Register
LIVESTRONG.COM Blog: 10 Mistakes People Make in the Gym with DietTribe's Jessie Pavelka
  • Food & Fitness
  • Members

How to Treat an Insect Bite

Last Update: September 18, 2008

Video By: LIVESTRONG.COM

Insect bites and bee or wasp stings can be annoying, painful and sometimes dangerous. Learn how to treat insect bites and stings in this first aid video.

Take Action

  • Remove stingers with tape
  • Apply baking soda & water paste
  • Use cold compress to reduce pain & swelling

About this Author

Captain Joe Bruni has over 30-years experience as a street firefighter and company officer. He also completed a great deal of research with other instructors who have co-authored articles with him. He has experience as a department training officer in the Fire and Rescue Safety & Training Division. He receives a great deal of pleasure and gain's excitement from watching firefighters put learned skills into practice. "I strive to touch the future of the fire service by passing on my experience, knowledge, and techniques that I have learned over the years. I have written several articles for Fire Engineering Magazine which are available upon request. In today's firefighting world, the amount of actual structure fires has dropped almost 50 percent. I believe training efforts have to be increased at all levels using experienced instructors who can pass on the knowledge."

Member Comments

Request a New Article or Video

We are regularly adding new articles and videos to the site to enhance our members' experience. Tell us what topics you want to read about or watch and we'll make sure you always find the content you need!

Video Transcript

CAPT. JOE BRUNI: Hi. I'm Captain Joe Bruni, with over 30 years of firefighting and emergency medical service experience. What we're going to go over and discuss is how to treat an insect bite. An insect bite can come from an insect such as a wasp, bee, hornet, or whatnot. Keep in mind, when treating the insect area that has been bitten, forceps should not be used to remove the stinger. Forceps can worsen the injury, because it could be used to squeeze the venom sac and release more toxin into the body. Consider the use of something like a piece of sticky tape, applied over the area and then quickly removed to try and release that stinger from the tissue. Then some type of baking soda and water paste, mixed together, can be used and applied over that site, and then some type of dressing applied over top of that insect bite to cover it and help prevent infection. After a dressing has been applied, some type of cold compress from a cold pack or ice can be used to help reduce pain and swelling. Remember, to treat an insect bite, do not use forceps to squeeze or try and remove the stinger as this will worsen the injury if the venom sac of the stinger is squeezed. Basically, consider the use of sticky tape, placing it over the site, and quickly remove to try and remove the stinger from the tissue, and then applying a paste of baking soda and water to the injury site; some type of clean, sterile dressing application after the paste, and then some type of cold compress, like a commercial cold pack or ice, placed over the area to remove pain and swelling.

advertisement

Related Videos

Related Articles

Related Topics

Write for LIVESTRONG.COM

Write for us

Do you work in health, fitness or nutrition? Share your expertise by writing for LIVESTRONG.COM

Learn More

Stay In The Know By Email

Receive emails packed with helpful information on health, fitness, nutrition and lifestyle.

Tools

The Daily Plate

Track your daily calories. See how many calories you burn and consume.

Body Mass Index

BMI is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight.

LIVESTRONG Loops

Map your local running, cycling, walking and hiking routes and track your calorie burn.

Stay Motivated

Find us on the web, receive emails and use our mobile app to keep you motivated.

Symptom Checker

This tool will help you to decide whether to treat at home or see a doctor.