The relationship with kids and creepy crawlies is a strange one. Kids find bugs interesting and will play with them, want to keep them as pets, and be bitten and stung by them at every opportunity until they eventually learn which ones should be avoided. This usually takes a
series of hurts, a lot of itching, and possibly even a trip to hospital, before the lessons are learned. Hopefully this advice might help take the pain and panic out of dealing with these situations.
TREATMENTS FOR ATTACKS BY CREEPY CRAWLIES...
Spider and snake bites
Most spiders and snakes are completely harmless to humans. They can bite as much as they like and they won't do any more damage than a needle prick. Like all puncture wounds however, there is a risk of infection - which if left untreated, can lead to gangrene. Most can still hurt however, and some may cause a nasty itch. If you are sure that the snake or spider is a harmless species, treat the bite as you would an ant bite (see below). If you are unsure, treat it as if it is highly venomous - better to be safe than sorry. Keep an eye on the wound for a few days and if it starts to swell, weep, or become red, sore and inflamed, a trip to a doctor for antibiotic treatment will solve the problem and prevent any further problems. Be aware that some bites may not look like the typically expected two puncture wounds. Most spider bites might easily be mistaken for a mosquito bite. Many snake bites may look more like a little scratch or just one tiny puncture mark - that could also be mistaken for a mosquito bite.
If you can't identify the species of snake or spider for certain, or if you suspect that the species is dangerous, get the person to calm down and sit or lay comfortably. Apply a long broad compression bandage (a 4 to 6 inch wide 4 metre long elastic bandage is best) by starting at the end of the limb and wrap the bandage firmly - but not tightly - around the limb, winding your way from the fingers/toes to the base of the limb or as far up the limb as possible. Be careful to not completely stop the blood flow to the limb by keeping an eye on the hand/foot to make sure it isn't turning cold and blue. Get them to hospital immediately. No matter what, if the person starts to show any of the following symptoms, they need to be taken to hospital immediately: nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, or fever. Do not wash the site of the bite and be aware that the snake or spider does not need to be caught to be identified for the type of antivenom needed. The hospital staff take a swab of the bite site and send it off to the laboritory for perfect identification as to the type of anti-venom needed.
Redback spider venom is somewhat unique. Compression bandages actually cause more pain and are ineffective. The bite itself may not be visible, but the area of the bite can be identified by a significant swelling and redness of the skin, that increases and spreads from the site of the bite. It creates an extremely painful stinging-burning sensation and becomes very tender and sore. The best immediate treatment is to place ice wrapped in a damp towel on the site of the bite. This will reduce the pain and swelling and slow down the spread of the venom. The person needs to be kept calm and rested as per above, and should be taken to hospital immediately. If the person starts to show any of the following symptoms, they definately need to be taken to hospital immediately: nausea, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, blurred vision, breathing difficulties, or fever.
Bee and wasp stings
Bees have a nasty tendency to leave their stingers lodged in your skin. The good news is that they can only sting once, after which they fly off and die. Wasps on the other hand, don't leave stingers behind, but can sting repeatedly. For bees, the stinger must be removed as quickly as possible. Never squeeze or pinch the stinger as that will only force more of the venom into your skin. The best way is to use something with a fine edge (such as a long fingernail, back of a knife blade, stiff piece of paper, etc) to scrape it out of the skin by placing the edge at the base of the needle in the skin without squishing the stinger and slide it out.
For bee and wasp stings, the best remedy is simply place ice wrapped in a towel on the site of the sting for a few minutes until the pain has eased somewhat. Keep an eye on the bite and the condition of the person that was stung, as allergies are quite common. If the victim starts to swell profusely, has trouble breathing, or any other extreme reaction, they need to be taken to hospital immediately.
Head lice
This very annoying little insect poses no health risk, but it is extremely irritating and itchy. They can not fly or jump, but rather spread from head to head by climbing from one hair to another. Children tend to play close together and brush heads in doing so. The lice quickly crawl from one head to the other, and even use the strands of hair like swinging vines to move around. Children then hug their loving parents, and the lice again go on the move and invade yet another head. Before anyone realizes it, every member of the family and half your friends and neighbours have lice.
The good news is that lice can not survive off of the human head. In theory, if everyone on the planet was vigilant about getting rid of lice, they would become extinct. So we don't have to panic and frantically wash and clean every bed sheet and pillow, vaccuum every nook and crany, and generally run ourselves ragged cleaning to get rid of them. All we have to do is get them out of our hair. There are many expensive harsh chemical treatments for lice removal, however, many are losing their effectiveness as lice are becoming more resiliant to them. Also, there is the risk of allergic reaction; not to mention, do we really want to be soaking our children's heads in insecticide?
The easiest, safest, and most effective way to get rid of lice is with a large cheap bottle of hair conditioner, clean water, a hair brush, and a good quality lice comb - the metal toothed ones are the best. Brush all the tangles out of the hair. Apply heaps of the conditioner to dry hair until it is totally drenched and dripping. This will stun the lice for approximately 20 minutes and they can't move around. You want to work quickly from this point as you don't want the little sods waking up and crawling around if you haven't finished within that 20 minute window. Quickly brush the tangles out from the hair again with the hairbrush. Starting at the hair line, separate a small section of hair and run the lice comb through to the end of the hair, starting at the scalp. Keep the hair that has been combed through seperate from the rest of the hair. Rinse off the lice comb to remove any lice and nits (eggs). Separate another piece of hair and repeat this process, until all the hair has been combed thoroughly. If necessary, add extra conditioner as you go, but keep in mind that more conditioner doesn't mean that you get extra time to do this. Rinse the hair with clean water. Clean the brushes and combs thoroughly before using them again. If any lice were missed, repeat the process once the hair is properly dry.
Bites from ants, beetles, fleas, mosquitos and other irritating but essentially harmless insects.
Most creepy crawlies are harmless, but many can cause an irritating itch and stinging sensation when they bite. There are two solutions to deal with this problem that are very simple and work to a degree, but combining them together works wonders. Wet a towel or cloth with vinegar, wrap some ice in the towel, and press gently on the bite. Vinegar helps relieve the itch and the ice helps relieve the sting and swelling.
(August 2007) (
