The weather may be glorious – but a plague of unwanted guests is infiltrating the country, eating us alive and causing havoc for the tennis players at Wimbledon, who this week had to contend with the consequences of flying ants’ mating rituals. While most bites and stings are relatively harmless, some bug attacks can be far more serious. Bites from blood-sucking horseflies – numbers of which have rocketed in recent weeks – can land you in hospital and even lead to potentially fatal sepsis if they become infected.
So how can you protect yourself? Here, Professor James Logan, head of disease control at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, gives his expert verdict… wasp and bee stings inject venom into the skin, causing red and itchy swelling. The most common bee – the honey bee – leaves its stinger inside its target’s skin after striking.
About five per cent of the population are allergic to bee or wasp venom, resulting in an anaphylactic reaction. It can happen even if you’ve been stung before and have not reacted.
Treatment: Remove the bee stinger to prevent further venom being released into the skin. Take a credit card or fingernail and swipe sideways along the skin, catching the stinger. Do not grab and pull it out – this will squeeze out further venom. After talking to your GP or pharmacist, take antihistamines and use ice packs to stop the itching.
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