Black widow spider and insect bites
You can treat and reduce the pain and itching from insect bites. When you notice a red swelling on your skin you probable have an insect bite and you are reacting to it. If it starts to itch try not to scratch the area. You could make it worse and start an infection. Most of the time if you have small bites on your ankles it is from flees and gnats.
Ticks in the west can carry Colorado Fever and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Ticks are a threat early in the summer, and after vegetation has grown. They become rare at the end of summer and into winter. If you are backpacking or hiking make sure to check yourself several times for ticks. Try and avoid tall grass and shrubbery areas ticks love to hide there. You should not use alcohol, nail polish, hot matches, petroleum jelly to remove ticks this can make the tick bite worse. If you have Benadryl or another antihistamine, these can control the swelling caused by some insect bites.
If you are bitten by a spider suck as the black widow spider it will feel like a pin prick .
You should watch the area for redness and swelling about an hour after the bite.
Bee and wasp stings sometime leave in the stinger so it needs to be remove carefully. When you are camping or hiking you should not turn over logs and stones. Spiders like to hide in these areas and will bite if they feel threaten. Make sure to look in your boots or shoes before you head out on a hike.
Biting insects can hide in your foot wear. If you do get an insect bite it usually can be treated on the spot. Mosquitoes, gnats and flees bites will not show up immediately so you need to watch the area for any signs of infection. Tick bites you need to cut off the oxygen to the head of the tick to remove the tick safely. When you have been bitten by an insect you should stop all strenuous activity. Watch for hives and bee's nests around hollow rotted logs and low lying tree limbs too. Black Flies have a terrible and nasty insect bite that can itch and sting, black flies will also swarm over you, they will crawl and wiggle to get under clothing to get your skin and bite Unfortunately Deet doesn't work as very good to repel blackflies like it does for mosquitoes
When you are stung by a bee or wasp remove the stinger gently and do not squeeze it this could release more venom. If available you need to ice the area of the bite or apple a cold compress. You can use antipruritic creams that can be applied to the area of the bite and keep it clean. If you notice that you are having faintness, difficulty breathing and coughing you could be having a bad reaction to the bite. You need to get to the emergency room immediately or to the nearest doctor. Watch for redness and swelling in the area of the insect bite. You can purchase first aid kits that are compact and fit into your backpack.
Make sure you seal your cuffs and pant legs tightly with some tape or some kind of rap.