Can we talk bugs... Again?

tsoebbin

I'm curious... I understood 🐝 bees and bugs are not our friends due to bites and stings increasing the risk of cellulitis.

But i think I'm confused. If you get a bug bite, clean it right away and keep it covered with antibacterial cream how the heck can we get infection?

Or is the swelling from the bite itself cause the problem?

How do you all protect yourself? I'd love to hear your thoughts/tips/advice. 🌻

Icietla

Well, some just carry infectious disease/s. Some may leave body parts, or likewise foreign bits thereof, in the sites where they wound us. Some inject stinging toxins. Some wounds bugs make cause itching, and scratching in reaction thereto can cause or spread infection. Fingernails are typically veeeeery dirty. So is hair.

I do not go out during or near times of darkness outside.

Some aggressive wasps like to hang around and guard some fig trees. Best to stay away from fig trees. Some ticks hang out in tree canopies just watching for critters passing under them, onto whom they can drop. Best not to pass under any tree canopies if you do not need to go under them. Best never to walk along nor near any roadside ditches. There may be worse hazards in those areas.

If you have a wasp-nest, hornet-nest, or ground-hornet-nest at your place, have someone deal with it who knows what they are doing. The time to kill those critters by poisoning (properly done with a pressurized jet stream from a distance) and to ruin their nests (render them uninhabitable) is in the evening time, when darkness has set in, when every single last resident of those nests has gone home to settle in for the night.

Do not leave home without a cooler carrying ice cubes, frozen bottles of water, or the like. Also, for any travels away from home, always have with you some individually packaged antibacterial towelettes, such as Wet Ones in the individual packages. For home, always have in your freezer some ice and at least a couple of (conforming) Cryogel type cold packs.

I have antibacterial bar soaps with Triclosan. I have Band-Aid brand Hurt-Free first aid antiseptic pain relieving liquid for minor wounds. I have Hibiclens type surgical scrub. I have Triple Antibiotic Ointment.

Keep some clean tweezers and a good magnifying device. And of course you would want to keep on hand typical sterile wound dressing supplies.

With the approval of your Doctor/s, you might keep on hand a course of Augmentin and a course of Cephalexin.

Do your best to keep your pet/s protected from bugs. Do your best to keep your pet/s screened from fly access (in your house; on your porch; in their travel crate/s -- drape their travel crate/s with light-colored, lightweight, breathable woven fabric such as cotton muslin). If a fly gets into your home, consider its presence an emergency, and make its eradication your top priority. Using your exterior doors (whether to enter or exit) only in "airlock" fashion -- using them only in a series, with either door in the series always being fully closed before the next is opened at all -- will go a long way towards minimizing fly invasions.

tsoebbin

I need to check my car bag to see what else I should have in it.

What do you think about electronic bug zappers, do they work at all?

Icietla

I am opinionated about bug zappers. Some I would not recommend, and some I would highly recommend.

I am going to the Oncologist tomorrow to learn of my new Pathology results and of my next treatment plan. I am veeeeeery tired.

It is going to take me probably a couple days to type my response to your question. Meanwhile, do not purchase any bug zappers, OK?

tsoebbin

I'm always open to learning new things about all of this. The bug bites seem like something so hard to control I'm looking forward to what you have to share.

Sending positive thoughts your way for pathology results tomorrow. 🌻

hugz4u

Some good advice above but we have to live also.

Personally I have long sleeve bug shirts that I wear during mosquitoe time. They protect from ticks too. I live outdoors practically so I've found a way around bugs. I get some of my cloths dipped from insectshield.com. The military uses this method. If it's good enough for them in the jungle is perfect for my yard! 10 bucks a piece. So worth it. If you can't afford to get a few pieces dipped choose a big oversized scarf and dip that. I throw it over me when sitting outside. No bites on arm yet. Of course I'm careful even still. For some reason they are always attracted to le arm. Maybe the stagnant le fluid smells yummy.

I have bug zapper that apparently works indoors but don't need it yet. I close up at dusk and just have screens up. I hate bug spray but have in car so my days are not spoiled if caught without bugshirt.

Wasps and bees are tricky. Wasps love yellow color. There is a reason bee keepers wear white. If I wear a bright pattern outside a bee with find me. I look like a flower! When I see wasp I move away. If I can't, I remain calm and dead still till they move. I'll try and protect my arm by covering it with good arm offering that instead. So far so good. Off course sometimes we just forget or get stung. Alcohol wipes, Antibiotic cream, bandaid. Watch it for growing signs of redness or flulike symptoms. I have antibiotics on hand to start if I need to before I go to Emerg.

Best purchase yet. Cheap Bug tent that covers my patio set. There on sale now as summer ends. I spend time in that tent if it's dusky and I want to enjoy outdoors.

This is extreme and maybe looks crazy butI've been known to put a down jacket on if I have to pick flowers or get garden veg at dusk if I'm not near my bug shirt, even in the summer heat. Not sure but it's my theory that they would have a hard time getting their stingers thru down. I'd rather sweat to death than get bit and it's a quick trip to the garden

Our flys don't bite here so I'm fortunate. I hate them landing in kitchen and have swatter ready. When doggy notices them he gets excited. And his eyes and ears show me the whereabouts. It's quite funny to watch us work as a team. When I kill it I show him and say good boy treat him up and remove fly. What's the saying"there is more than one way to skin a cat"! Dont worry ....no skining cats here though!

marijen

Have you guys heard about the Kissing Bug that sucks your blood and causes Chagas? It’s been in the news...

marijen

I have a bug tent (mosquito netting) on hand just in case, West Nile virus or whatever. But funny thing this summer broke records of days over 90 and no ants! First time on six years.

Icietla

Tsoebbin, I think the largish lighted units (some of them are also gas-powered) for outdoors use are expensive energy sucks that attract flying bugs. The biting bugs will likely be attracted by your body's vapors if you are out there where they can smell you. All through the days, there are birds, bugs, and other critters outside eating bugs. Throughout their flight, some flying bugs are continuously eating other flying bugs. All through the nights, there are bats, bugs, and other critters eating flying bugs.

I am partial to the racquet-shaped electric flyswatters for household use. There is no swatting motion needed with them. The larger the bug, the more on-and-off (frying repeatedly) needs to be done with the switch/es powering the grid. Easy, bloodless, no mess -- just fry the bug and then tip the flyswatter over a wastebasket. Just never let the (powered) metal grid contact anything metallic, nor any of your flesh. Never wipe the metal grid with anything wet nor damp, either. They must be kept out of the reach of any persons not of sufficient maturity to appreciate their danger and to use them responsibly. Here are some of mine.

JO-5 -- How terrible! I hope you and your daughter will get to feeling much better.

Back in the 1990s, before I moved to Panama, I checked with L.L. Bean about anti-bug mesh suitable for draping a bed for protection from mosquitos and smaller flying bugs. At that time, they offered (in their principal store, not in their catalogs) several types in any amount wanted (to be sold off-the-bolt).

Marijen -- yes, those are Assassin Bugs.

Here is a related discussion thread.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/64/topics/862189?page=1