What's New - Insect Bites   Insect Bites   Insect bites and stings are more common in the summer. Stinging insects that are common in the UK include: wasps bees and hornets. The sting is due to venom which the insect injects into the skin. Biting insects that are common in the UK include: midges, gnats, mosquitoes, flies, fleas, mites and ticks. An insect sting causes an intense burning pain and a local area of swelling around the sting. Insect bites rarely cause serious allergic reactions but can cause small itchy lumps that appear on the skin. Prevention • If your children are playing outside it is a good idea to encourage them to wear long sleeved clothing and long trousers if they are prone to bites and stings. • Avoid brightly colored clothing as they tend to attract insects. • Try using an insect repellent onto exposed areas of skin. • Food especially ice cream tends to attract bees and wasps to around the children and may increase the risk of them being stung. • Be calm and not panic if there is a bee or wasp nearby, flapping arms and hands frighten the insect and it may bite in defense. Treatment • If your child is stung by a wasp, bee or hornet you should calm the child down. • You can use the edge of a credit card or a fingernail to scrape out the sting if it is left in the skin. • Do not try to pluck the sting out as this may squeeze more venom into the skin. • If your child has a local reaction to the sting or a bite (swelling and redness about 1cm around the sting or bite) you can use a cold compress such as a cold flannel to ease the pain. • If your child is known to have a severe allergic reaction to stings (anaphylaxis) you should call an ambulance immediately and administer an adrenaline pen as prescribed by your doctor. • Painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can also help ease the pain. • Antihistamine syrup will also help to reduce the swelling. • If the swelling is severe and does not resolve you may need to take your child to see a doctor.     Return To Previous Page