Other Bites & Stings

Since human oral flora harbors more pathogens than that of animals, people bites have a higher incidence of serious infections and complications.

There are many kinds of scorpions, but only one kind - centruroides - administer a potentially lethal sting.

Wasp stings are painful and, if left untreated, can pose health risks. If a wasp pays you a nasty visit, quick action can minimize the amount of venom your body absorbs. Proceed as follows:

Centipedes have a painful bite, but the good news is that the pain is often the worst of it. Centipede bites are not toxic enough to be deadly. If you are bitten by a centipede, here are steps...

Chiggers are the larva of the harvest mite, commonly found in temperate climates. Like mites, they tend to bite the surface of the skin. Here's how to treat the area if you are bitten.

Yellow jacket stings are painful and inconvenient for most people, but they are particularly dangerous in individuals who are allergic to them. Here's how to treat a yellow jacket sting in someone...

Insect repellents can keep the bugs away when you're outdoors. Many will repel ticks, chiggers and mosquitoes. But how do you know which insect repellent is right for you?

The type of wound or skin rash you develop following an insect sting can be used to identify the insect concerned. Also, while it may be difficult, careful observation of what the insect does...

Scorpions are small creatures found mainly in desert and tropical regions of the world. If you are stung by a scorpion, you can treat the sting yourself in many cases, but a poisonous scorpion...

A sting that's merely painful for one person could turn deadly for someone with an allergy to hornet stings. If you are with someone who demonstrates an allergic reaction to a sting, you can save...

Most mites are not terribly interested in biting humans and would much prefer to snack on a dead bird or a juicy plant. If, however, some pesky mites do get into your house, getting rid of the...

With so many insect repellents available on store shelves, even the most educated shopper can get confused. Do you want an aerosol, a lotion or a pump spray? Do you want it scented? Should it...

Bot flies lay their eggs on mosquitoes. If a mosquitoe bites you, the eggs can hatch under your skin. The hole left by the bite lets the developing bot fly breathe. Here are some tips for...

Catfish are found in both fresh and salt water. They are a non-aggressive fish with whiskers protruding from their mouth area. They also have three spines that can stick into skin and a stinger as...

We live in a world where we exist with other creatures. It is only a matter of time before you suffer a bite or sting. No one wants to be bitten by a dog or a snake, but unfortunately it has...

Choosing the right insect repellents for your children can be easy when you stick to products that are natural and non-toxic to humans. By carefully reading the label on the package, and by...

Citronella oil, which is derived from some varieties of the lemongrass family, can be used as a safe, non-toxic insect repellent. Citronella oil can be applied directly to skin in diluted form, or...

Lemon eucalyptus oil, when used in conjunction with other types of insect repellents, offers natural and long-lasting protection from insect bites. Lemon eucalyptus can keep bugs away from you and...

Recent studies have shown that pure cinnamon oil is particularly effective in killing mosquito larvae, as well as acting as an all-purpose insect repellent. By adding a few drops of cinnamon oil...

Pure castor oil, which is extracted from castor beans, is an odorless and tasteless oil that is used for a variety of skin ailments. In recent years, castor oil has been used in conjunction with...

Rosemary oil is extracted from the fragrant, woody plant that grows throughout much of the world. Rosemary oil, when used in conjunction with other oils, can form an effective insect repellent...

With its pleasing aroma and overall effectiveness, lemongrass oil has become one of the most popular of all natural insect repellents. Lemongrass oil, which is closely related to citronella,...

Cedar oil, which is extracted from the bark of cedar trees, is a safe and natural insect repellent that is particularly effective against fleas. By mixing pure cedar oil with other types of...

Peppermint oil, while unusually fragrant to humans, acts as a repellent to most insects, especially mosquitoes and fleas. You can apply dabs of concentrated peppermint oil to focal points on your...

Clove oil, along with citronella, can be one of the most effective natural ingredients to use as an insect repellent. Just be sure to dilute the clove oil before applying it to your skin, since it...

Geranium oil, taken from the flower of the same name, is part of a family of natural and effective insect repellents that include lemongrass and citronella oils. By combining and adding geranuim...

Last winter, while visiting my family in Hawaii, I fell off a surfboard and slammed my foot into a patch of sea urchins! The bottom of my foot was impaled by over 95 spines (I stopped counting...

Chiggers are the larvae of harvest or scrub mites. The mites go through four life cycle stages: eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults. They are only parasitic in the larval stage. The larval mite will...

Rattlesnakes are found throughout most of the continental United States and are extremely dangerous and poisonous snakes. Avoiding a rattlesnake attack is the best defense you have against one of...

This is my proven method of how to de-lice your family without chemicals

An herbaceous plant found abundantly in North America, Europe, parts of Asia, and northern Africa, the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is spiked with tiny hollow spines. When an animal or human...

Stingray injuries can be extremely serious. In fact, it was a stingray that killed the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. While most stingray injuries do not prove fatal, they are definitely serious...

While sea urchins are some of the least aggressive animals in the ocean, they are nevertheless responsible for injuring numerous divers and swimmers who inadvertently step on their spine-covered...

Slivers and thorns can work their way deep into your skin, and cause a great amount of pain for their size. Here's how to get 'em out of there!

Due to the highly basic composition of tobacco, it tends to neutralize the acidic nature of a bee or other insect sting. In addition, reduces the swelling associated with this swelling. This old...

Nature has provided us with instant relief from insect bites if we know where to look. Try this the next time you find yourself having been bitten by an insect. [This is not to take the place of...

In healthy adults, infection by hookworms isn't very serious, causing mild diarrhea or cramps. The parasite is more dangerous for babies, pregnant women and undernourished people. Though hookworms...

Head lice are tiny parasitic bugs that live on human scalps and survive on human blood. While not dangerous, these bugs cause constant itching and can be very annoying. They are not a result of...

According to the International Shark Attack File, the chances of actually being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million. Of the several hundred different species of shark, only a small...

The odds of being attacked by a shark are 1 in 11.5 million according to the International Shark Attack File. There are several hundred species of shark, only a fraction of which have been linked...

Nothing ruins a fun-filled day at the beach like a marine sting. One minute you're splashing about in the water, and the next you're on shore cursing the day jellyfish and other stinging marine...

If you have leeches on your skin, removing them should be done with care, as bleeding is common. Here are some tips to removing leeches.

Puffer fish is sometimes consumed as part of dinner around the world. However, puffer fish is extremely dangerous to eat because it can contain some of its poisons in the flesh of the fish....

There are approximately 1,400 species of scorpions throughout the world. Only 25 of these species have a venom strong enough to be lethal to humans. The majority of the lethal species live in...

Sea lice bites are a common occurrence for people who spend a lot of time in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Ocean and in the waters off the coast of the Eastern and Western United States. The...

Sea lice bites are a common occurrence for those who swim in the Caribbean Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the waters off the coast of the Eastern and Western United States. Sea lice are tiny...

Sea lice may be the most common stinging creature encountered by swimmers at warm ocean beaches. The name sea lice is a bit of a misnomer since these rash causing creatures are really the larvae...

I have been stung by many wasps and have handled it well. Once i got stung so bad that it swelled up bigger then a baseball.

If you have poison ivy, poison oak or the like, you've probably been putting everything under the sun on it to relieve the itch. The most effective thing I've ever done for the itch was absolutely...

Hickies are temporary red marks on the skin caused by excessive kissing or sucking--with enough force to break open some blood vessels around the surface or beneath the skin. Hickies are also...