Bees

Here are a few bees that might sting you:

• Honeybees are a light brownish color and fuzzy.
• Hornets are black and white. They make oval-shaped nests in trees and small bushes.
• Wasps are maroon and have long, skinny abdomens. They like to live in porches.
• Yellow jackets are smaller than other bees. They have stripes alternating in yellow and black.

What do bee stings look and feel like?

Getting stung by a bee feels like getting pricked with a needle. Afterwards, bee stings may itch or burn. The sting may become raised or swollen, and may have a small black dot at the center, which is the stinger.

What should you do?

First, tell a grown-up. If you feel dizzy or sick, develop hives (red, itchy bumps) or have a hard time breathing, you could be allergic to bee stings. In that case, call 911 immediately. You might be having an allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. 

Anaphylaxis is a serious reaction in which the whole body can experience problems, such as swelling, stomachache, vomiting and dizziness. Anaphylaxis can be very dangerous because it can cause the person to stop breathing. 

If you are not allergic, first get an adult to help get the stinger out by using a scraping motion. Wash with soap and water and then ice the sting so it doesn't swell more.

How can you avoid being stung?

Try not to go barefoot outside for very long – you could step on a bee. Don't wear clothing with flowers on it or very bright colors. If you're outside in an area where there are bees, cover your arms and legs. If you're eating outside, cover food and drinks. Bees (especially yellow jackets) could climb inside a soda can and sting you when you try to drink. 

If there's a bee near you, don't run or wave your arms around because it could become angry. You should move slowly, or don't move at all until it leaves. 

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are flat and round, about the size of pushpins. They come out at night to bite people for blood. Bed bug bites are small bumps, and they're very itchy.

If you get bitten, first wash the bites with soap and water. Then you can use an anti-itch cream. Don't scratch or you could get an infection and have to go to the doctor.

How can you avoid being bitten?

Wash your sheets, blankets and pillowcases often and vacuum your room. There are also sprays to get rid of bed bugs if they're causing a lot of problems.

Mosquitoes

There are many different types of mosquitoes. The female mosquito bites humans because it needs the blood to lay eggs.

If you get bitten by a mosquito, there will be a bump, called a weal, around the bite. The bump will then go down and the bite will itch. You can put ice or anti-itch cream on it. Tell a grown-up if you've been bitten. Some mosquitoes carry diseases, but in the United States, most do not.

If you feel dizzy or nauseous, tell a grown-up. You could be having an allergic reaction, but it's unusual for this to happen.

How can you avoid being bitten?

You can wear insect repellent with picaridin, lemon eucalyptus or DEET. Ask an adult for help putting it on. Wear long sleeves or pants when outside.

Mosquitoes lay eggs in water, so make sure your buckets and watering cans are empty and that your flower pots aren't filled with puddles.

Fleas

Fleas are small, brown bugs with hard outer shells and claw-like legs. They latch on to warm-blooded animals to drink blood. They like to live on cats and dogs, but they can jump to people (from carpets, too) to bite them. Their bites are itchy and come in clusters of three or four bites.

If you get bitten, you can put on an anti-itch cream. Don't scratch too much because you could get an infection and have to go to the doctor.

How can you avoid being bitten?

You can keep fleas off your pets with special treatments for animals. If you have a bad flea problem, an exterminator can spray chemicals in your house to get rid of the bugs.

Gnats

Gnats are very small and live near water, where they lay their eggs. They are black and gray with six legs and long, narrow bodies. They can bite through clothes.

If you have been bitten by a gnat, the bite will swell and blood could come out of the bite. Gnats carry germs, so you should wash the bite with soap and water and put an antibacterial ointment on it.

If you get hives or feel sick, call a doctor. It could be an allergic reaction, which a doctor can help with.

How can you avoid being bitten?

Wear insect repellent and long sleeves or pants if possible. Be careful near rivers, creeks and streams.

Ticks

Ticks are small and brown, and they suck the blood of animals. The two most common types that bite people are deer ticks and dog ticks. Deer ticks are the size of a head of a pin and can carry Lyme disease. Dog ticks are bigger and can carry another illness called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

A tick bite might not hurt much, but you should always tell an adult if you have been bitten because some ticks carry disease.

If you have been outside in an area with ticks, have an adult check for ticks that may be on your body (scalp, too!). If you find one, have an adult pull it off using tweezers, then put a little rubbing alcohol on the bite to clean it out.

Call the doctor to see if you need to be treated for any diseases carried by ticks. The doctor might want you to save the tick in a jar so they can test it for disease.

Reviewed by: Adolescent Interest Group

Last reviewed: August 2019

Spiders: Black Widows

Black widows are poisonous, but few people die from their bites. They bite if you disturb them. They're about the size of a dime, not including legs. They're black and they have a figure-eight-like yellow or reddish orange pattern on their stomachs.

Black widows like to live in piles of wood or rocks. If you get bitten by a black widow, the area will start to swell about 30 minutes after being bitten. It will probably hurt.

You must tell an adult right away! Wash the bite with soap and water, then put ice on it and elevate it, above your heart if possible. Move the area that was bitten as little as possible. If an adult can safely catch the spider (dead or alive) and bring it to the doctor, it would be helpful but not necessary.

It is important to see a doctor if you are bitten by a black widow. You might have a toxic reaction to the bite and feel dizzy, tired, sick, or have stomachaches, seizures, fever or headaches. If a doctor does not treat the problem, you could develop heart problems or go into shock.

A doctor will give medicine to relax the muscles and/or an antivenom to fight the spider's venom.

How can you avoid being bitten?

Don't play in piles of rocks or wood. Don't touch spiders or spiderwebs. If you're outdoors without shoes or keep your shoes in a garage, shake them out before you put them on.

Spiders: Brown Recluses

The bodies of brown recluses are the size of a dime. They are all brown but they have a darker violin shape on their heads. Brown recluses live in dark places – like wood or rock piles, basements, attics, closets and garages.

You may not feel it if you get bitten by a brown recluse. It takes a while to hurt – usually about six hours. The bite might turn darker colored, and then even darker in a few days with crust on the top. You must tell an adult if you think a brown recluse has bitten you! They're hardly ever deadly, but they are poisonous enough to cause health problems.

Wash the bite with soap and water and then ice it and elevate it. Try to keep the bitten area still. If you can, get an adult to bring the spider to the doctor (it can be dead but should not be smashed).

See a doctor if you think you have been bitten by a brown recluse. You might have a toxic reaction to the bite and feel dizzy, sick, tired, or have a stomachache, seizures, fever or headache. Without treatment, you could develop heart problems or go into shock.

A doctor can help with anti-inflammatory medicines, anti-itch medicines or antibiotics. If the bite is really bad, they might have to do a skin graft, where skin from one part of the body is used to create new skin over the injured skin.

How can you avoid being bitten?

Try to avoid being in piles of rocks or wood. Don't touch unknown spiders or spiderwebs. If your shoes are outdoors or stored in a garage, shake them out before you put them on.

Spiders: Tarantulas

Tarantulas are two- or three-inch-long black, hairy spiders. They don't like people, so they will hide if people are around. They only sting people if bothered.

Tarantula bites are like bee stings. If you get stung, you should wash the sting with soap and water and ice it to reduce swelling.

Some people have allergic reactions, so if you have a hard time breathing, feel dizzy, or nauseous, get a doctor. It could be an anaphylactic reaction. There are medicines to fight this allergic reaction.

How can you avoid being bitten?

Don't bother tarantulas if you see them. They won't hurt you if you don't bother them.

Scorpions

Scorpions are three-inch long arachnids (related to spiders) with eight legs and two claws. The only deadly ones in the United States live in the Southwest, but the other types all have venom that can cause pain. Scorpions live where it is cool, damp and dark – like in wood or rock piles. They usually leave their hiding places at night.

The sting of a scorpion will hurt and change color. Stings by the type of scorpion that lives in the Southwest can also cause more serious reactions – such as twitching muscles and difficulty breathing.

If you get stung, you must tell an adult right away! First, put ice on the sting. If you live in the Southwest, or develop more serious symptoms, see a doctor – he or she can give you medicine to reduce symptoms and counter the venom.

How can you avoid being stung?

It is best to avoid playing in areas where scorpions live. If you’re in a place where scorpions live, shake out your shoes before putting them on.