How to Naturally Treat Insect Stings

Enjoying the outdoors is fun until someone gets an insect sting. Forget expensive medical products--there are natural ways to treat insect stings and save money in the process. There are also simple ways to repel bugs from your yard and from wanting to bite you. Here are some things to prevent insect bites and treat insect bites naturally when they do happen.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Cornstarch
• Toothpaste
• Lavender essential oil
• Vegetable oil
• Whole lemon
• French's yellow mustard
• Tea tree oil

1. Remove the stinger. Never squeeze the insect bite area as this will put more venom into your system.
2. Use cornstarch to treat bites by making a thick paste. Mix water and cornstarch together well and apply right onto the bite area. This should reduce some of the itching.
3. Use dirt and water to make a mud paste. This is good for insect bites, but also good for wasp bites after the stinger is taken out.
4. Use lemons for bee stings. Cut a slice of lemon and lay the pulpy side directly on the bite.
5. Use toothpaste to dab onto the bite. Use the regular kind of toothpaste for bites, not the gel kind. Leave it on the bite until it is dry and flakes off.
6. Daub regular French’s yellow mustard on wasps or bee stings. Doing this will pull out poisons and toxins, and that will speed along healing.
7. Use tea tree oil on a cotton swab and dab it onto the bite. This will take the itch out of the insect bites.
8. Here's an all-natural insect bite lotion recipe to apply directly onto the bite. Take 2 tsp. lavender essential oil and 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil and mix well. Apply directly on the bite.

Tips & Warnings

• To prevent mosquitoes and other insects from making a home in your yard, think about planting repellant herbs such as lemon balm, rosemary and basil. Catnip and rose geraniums also help ward off pesky insects.