The great outdoors offers a lot of activities: swimming, sports, gardening, barbequing just to name a few. The outdoors is also filled with creatures that bite and sting. This can often put a damper on activities. Take heart! There are ways to prevent these pesky creatures from invading your fun.
If you are going to be out, keep as much of your skin covered as you possibly can. Wear long pants and shirts. If you are gardening, you might want to wear gloves to protect your hands.
Make sure you wear light colored clothing. Dark colors and big patterns attract insects.
Spray your clothing or skin with bug spray. These products are available at most groceries and discount stores. If you don't like the smell of the spray, wipes are now available. You wipe them over the exposed skin, as well as the face. They are less odorous and you don't take the chance of the spray getting in your eyes.
Avoid using strong scents. Use unscented deodorant. Don't use a lot of lotion or perfume when going outside. If at all possible, avoid using strong smelling shampoos, hair gels or hairspray. The strong scents will only attract the pesky creatures.
Standing water can stagnate and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. After a hard rain, empty any containers with water standing in them to ward off swarms off mosquitoes. This is very important, especially since the West Nile Virus has begun to be so prevalent.
Light citronella candles and torches when you are out at night. This will help to keep the bugs away. Depending on the activity, you may need several.
Install bug zappers. The bugs will be attracted to the light and will fly toward the zapper, thus being killed on impact.
Keep all doors and windows closed. If you have to have your windows and doors open, make sure they are protected by screens. Make sure that your screens are free of tears and holes.
If you do suffer from insect stings and bites, there are ways to ease your suffering. These are very common treatments and include some items that we all keep in our homes.
When stung, the first thing to check for is the stinger. If the stinger is still present, remove it by scraping over it to work it out. If you try and pull it out, you risk the chance of pushing it further in and causing an infection. If the affected area starts to swell, place an ice pack on it to relieve the swelling.
There are many topical creams on the market today that help alleviate the itching that often accompanies stings and bites. Rubbing alcohol is also effective in helping to stop the itching. However, if you have been scratching the bite or sting, alcohol could burn when applied. Pouring bleach over fire ant bites often relieves the sting and itching immediately.
Summer is a time to enjoy the outdoors. With these preventative steps and treatments there is no reason not to enjoy all that the great outdoors has to offer.
