Many residents and visitors are flocking to Oakland County this summer to play at the parks, wade in the lakes and hike trails. As you venture into the great outdoors, ensure you’re prepared for wild animals and insects. This is part 3 of the summertime safety series – bites and stings.
Animal Bite Prevention
Animal bites can range from an actual wound to a potentially rabid animal, such as a bat flying where people are sleeping. Bats, skunks, foxes, and raccoons are most often affected by rabies.
- Vaccinate your dogs and cats regularly to protect them from exposure to rabid animals.
- Do not leave your pet’s food outside unsupervised.
- Do not handle stray, wild or dead animals. Keep away from unfamiliar animals.
- Keep garbage securely covered, as these items may attract wild or stray animals.
- If you find a bat in your home, do not release it. Safely capture it using the following instructions:
- Find a small container and a piece of cardboard large enough to cover the opening in the container. Punch small air holes in the cardboard.
- Put on leather work gloves. When the bat lands, place the container over it. Slide the cardboard under the container to trap the bat inside.
- Tape the cardboard to the container to secure the bat inside, then contact the health division to have the bat tested for rabies.
- Keep pets indoors and supervised when outdoors to limit their exposure to wild animals that might be rabid. Use a leash when walking dogs or keep them in a fenced-in yard.
Animal Bite Treatment
- Clean the wound immediately and thoroughly with soap and warm water.
- Call the Communicable Disease Unit at 248-858-1286 during regular business hours. If you are bitten or exposed after hours and need immediate assistance, please call 248-858-0931. If a pet is bitten, call their veterinarian.
Bee, Wasp & Hornet Sting Prevention
When outside for extended periods, take these precautions.
- Wear light-colored, smooth-finished clothing.
- Avoid perfumed soaps, shampoos, deodorants and colognes.
- Wear clean clothing and bathe daily. (Sweat may attract bees.)
- Wear clothing to cover as much of the body as possible.
- Properly dispose of food waste as wasps thrive on discarded food.
- Remain calm. Swatting at an insect may cause it to sting.
Bee, Wasp & Hornet Sting Treatment
- If you are attacked by several bees, wasps or hornets at once, run away. Bees release a chemical when they sting, which may attract other bees. If you’ve been stung, wash the site with soap and water.
- Remove the stinger using gauze wiped over the area or by scraping a clean fingernail over the area. Wasps, yellow jackets and hornets do not leave a stinger but can sting multiple times. Never squeeze the stinger or use tweezers as that can release more venom.
- Apply ice to reduce swelling and calamine lotion to reduce itching.
- Take antihistamine (Benadryl).
- If you experience trouble breathing, are stung more than 10 times, stung inside your nose or throat, seek immediate medical attention.
Tick Bite Prevention
Avoid tick hot spots
- If you have a pet, check with your veterinarian to see what preventative flea and tick medications are available. Always check your pet and yourself for ticks after being outdoors.
- Avoid grassy, brushy and wooded areas. If you are hiking, do not wander from the trail and walk in the center of the path.
Use repellents
- Apply an EPA-registered repellent on exposed skin. There are many repellents available – find yours here.
- Treat clothes (especially pants, socks and shoes) with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact or buy clothes that are pre-treated. Do not use permethrin directly on your skin.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying repellents.
Additional tips
- Tuck pant cuffs into socks so ticks cannot hide in the fabric folds.
- Look for or feel for ticks, especially around your scalp, ears, underarms, belly button, waist and back, pelvic area, knees, and in between legs. Check children and pets as well.
- Shower quickly after coming home.
- Wash your clothes in hot water and dry them on high heat for 60 minutes to ensure any ticks are dead.
- Monitor for emerging diseases related to ticks in Michigan.
Tick Bite Treatment
- If a tick is attached to you, use small-tipped tweezers to grab the tick. Then pull straight up and away from you. Don’t rip, twist or jerk the tick because that can cause parts of the tick to stay in your skin. If that happens, use the tweezers to remove any parts if you can. Put the tick in a resealable baggie and take pictures. Go here to verify what type of tick it is because some carry Lyme disease.
- Clean the bite area with antiseptic.
- Watch for rashes or flu-like symptoms, and contact your doctor if they appear.
Mosquito Bite Prevention
Mosquitoes can bite day and night, so be sure to protect yourself.
Use repellents
- Use EPA-registered insect repellent with either DEET, picaridin, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus oil (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD) or 2-undecanone. Do not use OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.
- If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and insect repellent second.
Additional tips
- Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants. You can also treat your clothing with 0.5% permethrin, but do not use permethrin directly on your skin.
- Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water. Every week, empty and scrub out items that can hold water, such as kiddie pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, dog houses or tires. You may buy mosquito larvicides like mosquito dunks that can be tossed into ponds, unused swimming pools, bird baths, rain gutters and animal troughs.
- Monitor West Nile Virus cases in Oakland County and related diseases in Michigan.
Mosquito Bite Treatment
Some mosquitoes can carry diseases like the West Nile Virus and Zika Virus, so be sure to monitor any bites.
- Wash the bite with soap and water.
- Use an ice pack for 10 minutes to reduce swelling and itching.
- Use an over-the-counter anti-itch or antihistamine cream to help relieve itching. You can also create a paste from baking soda and water, apply it to the bite and wash it off after 10 minutes.
- See a healthcare provider if your bites appear infected, you have a fever, you have swollen lymph nodes and/or you have increased skin swelling and redness.
For more information, visit the Oakland County Health Division website. Follow along with them for more safety tips and health news on Facebook and X.
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