Nobody can reasonably know how many insects in total those 900,000 types actually represent. The estimate is about 10 quintillions -- a figure with 19 zeroes in the equation. In the United States, it is estimated that there are 91,000 species of insects -- mostly ants/bees, beetles, butterflies, moths and flies.
Most insects will never come in contact with a human. And unless you spend a great deal of time in the outdoors, you’ll likely never see more than ants, wasps, flies and the occasional butterfly in your existence.
But make no mistake about it – insects can present problems, particularly when they are active during the summer months. The World Health Organization claims the mosquito is the most dangerous animal in the world, responsible for more than 1 million worldwide deaths each year, thanks to malaria.
The Risk of a Bite
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that the majority of insect-related injuries come from bites, particularly from mosquitos, wasps, bees and hornets and yellow jackets. In the South, red and black fire ants also have their fair share of victims. The CDC attributes roughly 40 deaths per year to bug bites.
Bug bites can spread diseases, and they cause redness, pain and swelling in the bitten areas, with some bites causing reactions that spread to other parts of the body.
Patients have experienced hives, itching, flushing and sometimes anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition in which the body goes into shock. There’s also Lyme disease, which causes overwhelming fatigue and achy, stiff joints. This is contracted from tick bites, mostly in the Northeast and upper Midwest.
The CDC estimates anaphylaxis occurs in about 0.4 to 0.8 percent of children and 33 percent of adults and results in about 40 deaths per year.
Prevention Is Preparation
Bug bites are a fact of life, particularly if you spend any amount of time in a suburban or country setting outdoors. Preventing bites before they happen is key. It’s absolutely essential and perhaps life-saving if you have an allergic reaction to insect bites.
The key to stopping bites is to present as little opportunity to as possible. To do that, use insect repellent and wear clothing that will cover most of the areas that bugs usually target – legs, arms and other exposed areas. Wear a hat and always make sure to check clothes for ticks and other hangers-on before discarding them once you’ve finished with your outdoor excursion. Don’t walk barefoot in grassy areas -- insects thrive in tall grass. If you have to go into areas where insects are likely to nest – areas containing standing water, garbage disposal areas, thick shrubbery, picnic areas or house eaves, make sure you wear gloves, insect repellent and appropriately heavy clothing.
One absolute is that you should avoid heavy use of aftershave, hairspray, perfume or deodorants that signify potential targets to insects.
Even with all those precautions, you sometimes will experience a bug bite. Here are some suggested treatments if you encounter a problem.
Bee/Wasp/Hornet Stings
Look carefully in the affected area and see if the stinger is still in the bite. Use tweezers or a fingernail to remove it. Be careful not to pinch the stinger because it may still be capable of injecting more venom into the bite.
Use ice on the affected area, putting a towel between the ice and the bite to protect skin. Elevate arms or legs if they were the sting areas, and make sure you remove any jewelry, like rings, that might be hard to remove if the area swells.
Pain can be controlled with any over-the-counter medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Use an antihistamine for itchy conditions or apply calamine lotion or a solution of baking soda and water.
The symptoms should abate within two to five days of treatment following the incident.
Fire Ants
Those who encounter fire ants usually receive multiple bites when their mounds are disturbed. The result is boil-like blisters that can sometimes fester into a secondary infection.
Wash the affected areas with plain soap and water, and then ice it to reduce the potential for swelling and ease any pain. Topical treatments include steroid creams to ease itches and pain. The bites should go away in about a week.
Mosquito Bites
These are mostly itchy nuisances, but try to avoid scratching the affected areas. Treat them with cortisone cream or calamine lotion to treat the redness and itchy conditions. You also may put a cold pack or ice in a towel on the area.
Bedbugs
The bedbug is a nearly microscopic bug that inhabits the sleeping areas and are on the rise in American hotels after years of dormancy.
Most bedbug bites are painless, but some turn into itchy areas and may swell into welts. Bedbugs are bloodsucking parasites that attach and bite. If you have sustained many bites, visit your doctor. The bites could turn into blisters and a skin infection. Most can be treated with ointments to ease itching, cold compresses and over-the-counter pain medication.
Ticks
Make sure you wear the proper clothing if you’re going to spend time in the suburbs or rural areas. Wear hats and appropriate covering clothing and boots when hiking. Make sure you inspect your body and clothing when removing it at the end of the day. If you discover a tick, don’t panic. Visit your doctor to treat any infection, swelling and redness.
Allergists May Help
If you have a strong reaction to bug bites, it may be time to visit an allergist to undergo a series of treatments that can help combat severe reactions. If you have a bug allergy (usually diagnosed using a skin prick test that draws a small sample of blood), then you may be a candidate for an epinephrine auto-injector, which can ward off anaphylaxis if used immediately after the bite.
These treatments are particularly important if you are sensitive to bug bites. The effects are cumulative – you will have a worse reaction the second time you are bitten, and so on. Many avid hikers, aware of the risks, keep two epinephrine auto-injectors on hand.
If your doctor recommends it, you may undertake a series of allergy shots, which build up tolerance over time by giving you small doses of insect venom. The treatments can last as long as five years, but they will lessen your chances of a fatal reaction.
Ultimately, most bug bites are going to be minor inconveniences for the vast majority of Americans. Take reasonable precautions, and you should be able to enjoy the great outdoors with minimal discomfort.