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Summer brings a whole range of pleasures, but also one big nuisance – ubiquitous insects. They trouble especially allergy sufferers, but even a mosquito that slips into the bedroom will annoy almost anyone. But whatever bit you, it’s always good to know which insect it was. That way you’ll know how to treat the bites and also how to avoid further bites. Repellents often work only on certain types of insects.
Mosquito
The mosquito is probably the most common disruptor of sleep or a summer evening by the water. Few people, however, know that some people can be allergic even to a mosquito bite, so we often take it lightly. If you are not allergic, the characteristic bump and itching will disappear on their own in a day or two if you don’t scratch. You can treat the bite with cold water or a soothing preparation and speed up the healing process. Allergic people, however, experience unpleasant side effects, such as:
- joint pain
- headache or dizziness
- increased temperature
- swollen lymph nodes
Similar symptoms also occur if a mosquito has infected you with some contagious disease.
Fleas
The belief that fleas don’t bite humans is not entirely true. Fleas can bite you even if you don’t keep any pets; they can be carried by, for example, hedgehogs, mice, shrews and moles or some species of birds. The red welts left by fleas are easily recognizable. Their bites are also very itchy. The wounds should be washed with ammonia, or better with a special preparation, and then allowed to heal. You can get rid of fleas with a suitable repellent, or with products based on essential oils.
Bedbugs
If you find bedbugs at home, it’s best to move out and burn all your things. Getting rid of these unpleasant tenants is practically impossible and requires an expensive and aggressive chemical bath of the whole apartment or house. Even such an attack, however, bedbugs can survive under certain conditions – they are among the most resilient species on the planet. If they bite you, it will happen at night while you sleep. You can recognize their bites by three to four stings in a regular line or triangle. They most often appear on the back because bedbugs like to settle in mattresses and bed frames.
Spiders
Although spiders usually avoid people and prefer the dry and dark corners of your home, it can happen that you find a spider bite on your body. The species that live in the Czech Republic are fortunately completely harmless to humans. Most local spiders won’t even pierce human skin. Those that do leave two small marks right next to each other that disappear within a week. Lately, however, the number of exotic spider keepers has been growing, and some occasionally escape their owners. Some of them could be dangerous to humans. So if a bite from a spider does not heal, it’s better to see a doctor.
