What to do
Minor insect bite or sting
- 1Move to a safe area to avoid more bites or stings.
- 2Remove the stinger if one is left — scrape or brush it out; speed matters more than method.
- 3Wash the area gently with soap and water.
- 4Apply a cold pack for about 10–20 minutes to ease pain and swelling.
- 5Soothe itching with an over-the-counter anti-itch cream or medicine if needed.
Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) — emergency
- 1Call 911 immediately at the first signs — trouble breathing; swelling of lips, face, or throat; dizziness or fainting; weak, rapid pulse.
- 2Ask whether the person carries their own emergency allergy auto-injector and help them use it as directed on the device.
- 3Keep them calm and lying down (or sitting up if breathing is easier); be ready to start CPR if they stop breathing.
- 4Stay with them until EMS arrives — a reaction can return even after the auto-injector.
Animal or human bite
- 1Control bleeding with pressure; treat a deep bite like any serious wound.
- 2Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water — for possible rabies exposure, wash well to flush it.
- 3Get medical care — bites carry high infection risk; report the animal type and ask about rabies.
Tick
- 1Remove it promptly with clean, fine-tipped tweezers: grasp as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady, even pressure — don't twist, jerk, or crush it.
- 2Clean the bite and your hands afterward.
- 3Watch for a rash or fever over the following days to weeks and see a doctor if they appear.
When to use it
- Bee, wasp, hornet, and fire-ant stings — usually minor, occasionally anaphylactic.
- Mosquito, chigger, and tick bites on hikes and campouts.
- Dog and wild-animal bites, and the rabies question they raise.
- Knowing which scouts carry allergy auto-injectors before a trip — a planning point as much as a first-aid one.
Common mistakes & safety
- Anaphylaxis is the emergency to never miss. Trouble breathing or facial/throat swelling after a sting is a 911 call, not a "wait and see." Minutes matter.
- Help with the person's own auto-injector. It's their prescribed device — a reaction can also come back, so 911 goes with it every time.
- Don't cut, suck, ice, or apply a tourniquet to a snakebite. Those old "remedies" cause harm — keep the person calm and still and get help fast.
- Animal bites are infection-prone and can carry rabies. Even a "small" bite from a wild or unknown animal needs evaluation; never handle wild or strangely-acting animals.
- Remove ticks correctly and don't crush them. Twisting or squeezing can leave mouthparts behind or push fluids in — save the tick or note the date if illness follows.
- A bad sting to the mouth or throat can swell the airway even without allergy — treat swelling that threatens breathing as an emergency.
Going deeper
- Why anaphylaxis dominates this topic. The sting itself rarely kills; the body's overreaction can, within minutes — which is why recognition and 911 outrank everything else.
- Stinger speed over technique. For a bee stinger, getting it out quickly matters more than whether you scrape or pinch.
- "Save the tick" — or photograph it and note the date. The type of tick and how long it was attached affect disease risk, which helps a doctor later.
Official source
Insect bites and stings: first aid — Mayo Clinic →General first-aid information, not a substitute for training. See also CDC on tick bites and rabies. Snakebite, spider bites, and sting allergy have their own pages.