No matter which area of the country you live in, the season for outdoor activities should be in full swing—from barbecues to Little League to picnics at the park. But there's one constant nuisance that can cause potential health problems—biting and stinging bugs.

However, you shouldn't allow your concern over keeping your family and friends safe from the potential problems of bites and stings to dampen your outdoor fun. There are several steps you can take to keep bugs at bay and enjoy the warm weather.

Problems with Synthetic Insecticides and Repellents

To keep biting and stinging pests away, most people still tend to use synthetic repellents and insecticides. I don't believe these products are particularly safe.

Advertising created the public perception that organophosphates are harmless compounds. This lie has to be one of the most effective marketing campaigns ever conceived. There are natural repellents and insecticides that are very effective, and I certainly recommend them over the synthetic varieties.

Most commercial repellents have a similar problem. They use DEET as their active ingredient, which is a health risk to small children. Repeated applications of DEET can cause various neurological health problems in young kids. And products with concentrations of DEET above 50 percent can also affect some older kids and adults.

Fortunately, you can protect your family—young and old alike—from bites and stings, and still keep them safe from chemicals.

Natural and Safe Options

If you can tolerate the smell (I can't), eating a clove or two of garlic every day until it eventually permeates your skin will cause you to repel insects (in addition to driving away your family and friends). However, a high daily intake of vitamin B complex can work the same way for some people (but without offending your loved ones).

If you happen to be one of the people whose body chemistry will allow a high intake of B vitamins to act as a repellent, you should make sure you're getting 100 mg of B1 each morning and evening.

Good results can also be obtained with repellents and insecticides that are based on plant oils as their active ingredients. The Bioganic Company makes a line of natural insecticides and repellents that contain these various plant and tree oils.

Eugenol, the oil from cloves, is the active ingredient in their insecticides. It blocks the neurotransmitter octopamine that is unique to insects. Once octopamine is disrupted, the insect quickly dies because its nervous system has been destroyed.

While eugenol has an anesthetic effect on people when applied topically, it actually only interferes with the nervous systems of insects. Since birds, fish, and mammals don't have octopamine, they aren't affected by these natural compounds.

My favorite repellent for the mosquitoes and other flying insects that invade our family barbecues is Bioganic's ShooBug. Like all of Bioganic's products, it primarily consists of natural plant and tree oils that are considered safe and non-toxic to humans, animals, and the environment.

Bioganic's parent company, EcoSmart Technologies of Tennessee also has products for the professional and agricultural markets. If you farm, raise animals, or use commercial pesticides, I suggest you contact them for information on their natural alternatives.

Dealing with Bites and Stings

If you or someone you know happens to get bitten or stung, seek medical attention immediately if the offending critter was a black widow, brown recluse, or scorpion—or if the person shows any signs of breathing difficulties, dizziness, paleness, or other signs of anaphylactic shock from any other type of bite or sting.

When dealing with an insect sting, don't remove the stinger with tweezers or your fingernails since it will inject additional venom when squeezed. Instead, scrape out the stinger and treat the wound with a neutralizing agent.

Bites and stings cause pain because the venom or secretion is either highly alkaline or highly acidic. Applying a cotton pad or cloth soaked with vinegar or lemon juice will neutralize alkaline bites and stings, while baking soda will work on acidic types.

When you don't know whether the bug was acidic or alkaline, you should separately experiment with small amounts of an acidic liquid and baking soda to see which eases the pain. Then apply a larger amount of the one that worked.

When we're cautious, use natural methods, and treat any wounds correctly—biting and stinging bugs shouldn't be a disruption to our outdoor activities. So enjoy yourself and do what you can to keep bugs at bay.

Until next time,

Dr. David Williams

See also:     Insect Bites, Bee & Wasp Stings       Bug Bites