Fight the bite: Tips to deal with mosquito and bee stings this summer

This warm weather has brought out the insects - and lots of them. Dr. Paul Roumeliotis has tips to keep bug bites at bay.

The sunshine and warm temperatures this week may be having you spending more time outdoors, but it has also brought out the insects.

Eastern Ontario medical officer of health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis dropped by CTV Morning Live to discuss tips to keep the bites from mosquitoes, bees and spiders at bay this summer.

Mosquito bites

Dr. Roumeliotis said “aside from being annoying,” mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus.

“West Nile Virus is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito and can cause anything from a mild cold to brain injury. That’s why we tell people to be careful of mosquitoes,” Roumeliotis said Wednesday morning.

“If you’re going outside and you know that you’re prone to mosquito bites, you can get the DEET.”

He warns that children tend to have more aggressive reactions to mosquitoes, and their whole arm or face can swell.

Dr. Roumeliotis says these are the signs of a mosquito bite and symptoms to watch out for:

• An itchy bump a few minutes after a mosquito bite
• A painful spot (hive) within 24 hours
• Large, swollen, red area where the bite occurred
• Swelling around the eye

If you are bitten by a mosquito, the doctor recommends applying calamine lotion, rub an ice cub over the spot or take an oral antihistamine.

“If you get bitten by a mosquito and you don’t get a reaction right away, you put heat on it,” Dr. Roumeliotis said, sharing a tip he received from a professor.

“It will actually deactivate the bite, and it won’t really cause the bump.”

To protect yourself while outdoors, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit offers the following tips:

• Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods or when mosquitoes are most active
• Use mesh bug jackets or hats
• Use mosquito netting or screened structures when sleeping outdoors

Bee stings

“Bee stings are painful, and it causes sharp, burning pain and discolouration around the sting,” Dr. Roumeliotis said Wednesday morning.

“If you have a local reaction, you treat it with ice, calamine, (or) an antihistamine. If you have symptoms beyond the bite, for example, and you have difficulty breathing, that’s a sign you’re allergic to the bee sting itself. It’s an emergency; you need to get emergency treatment and need an EpiPen for the future.”

Systems to watch out for if you’re stung by a bee includes a sharp, burning pain, skin discolouration surrounding the sting, swelling and itchy skin.

If you are stung by a bee, Dr. Roumeliotis recommends cleaning the wound, placing an ice pack on the area and taking an antihistamine or pain medication. You can also apply calamine lotion to the found.

Spider bites

Dr. Roumeliotis says you won’t find poisonous spiders in Ottawa and eastern Ontario

“I’m talking about the run-of-a-mill spiders you get here.”

The signs and symptoms of a spider bite to watch out for are a painful blister surrounded by a red skin colour.

“It’s not a bite, it’s not itchy; it’s painful,” Roumeliotis said.

If you suffer a spider bite, you’re recommended to clean the bite area with warm water and soap, apply a cold washcloth to the area and take an antihistamine or over-the-counter pain reliever.