It's summer time and not only is the sun out in abundance, so are the bugs -- and some of them come with a bite (or a sting). The good news is that there is plenty of natural relief for those annoying (and sometimes dangerous)  bites and stings.

First, however, a bit of caution is in order: make sure that the person bitten/stung does not have abnormal swelling or otherwise show signs of a serious allergic reaction. If they do, call 9-1-1, because some people can die from bites/stings if they are not treated immediately.

For most common insect bites or stings, the following suggestions should do the trick and provide fast relief and healing:

Common Insect Bites or Stings

Here are some natural remedies for common insect bites and stings:

• Tea tree oil.  If you are stung, remove stinger if there is one. apply tea tree oil liberally in a circular motion surrounding the entry point- be gentle touching the point of entry! Let dry and the pain and swelling should ease in two to three minutes. Re-apply if needed. 

• Baking soda.  Mix baking soda with water to form a paste.  Apply the paste and cover with a gauze bandage or paper towel and tape.  Leave on for one half hour or more until pain is gone.

• Relieve the itch from bug bites with an onion. The sulfur in onions neutralizes the chemicals that cause the itch. Simply slice a yellow onion in half and rub one of the cut sides on the bite. The itching should stop immediately. Refrigerate the onion in a sealed container to use again if the itching resumes. Make a fresh slice before reapplying it.

• Vinegar. Good for spider bites too.  Soak a cotton ball in vinegar and place it over the spider / bug bite. When we got bites on our hand or foot, we would put the soaked cotton ball in a bag and put our infected hand / foot in the bag over night. You would have to make sure that the bag was not tight around the wrist / ankle. You might also hold the soaked cotton ball in place by a band aid. By morning, the swelling and / or soreness should be gone as if you hadn't been bitten.

• Tobacco.  As a last resort, use some wet chewing tobacco, or wet cigarette tobacco and apply the same way to the affected area. Make sure the tobacco is juicy before you rub it on. Tobacco contains a mild analgesic and should ease the pain.

Other insect bite/sting remedies include mustard, ammonia, tomato slices, potato slices, and fresh garlic pieces or minced.

Brown Recluse and Other Serious Spider Bites

Brown recluse and some other spider bites can be very dangerous. If you get a bite that swells like a boil, with a red center that quickly hardens over, DO NOT try to squeeze or press on the swollen area or pick at it - you will only end up spreading the poison.

• Bentonite clay in combination with colloidal silver has been used successfully by many people for brown for brown recluse and other dangerous bites.  Use colloidal silver to hydrate the bentonite clay and apply liberally as a poultice to the bite area and cover with a bandage.  Change out the poultice and bandage twice daily.  To make the poultice even more effective, add a few drops of MSM and some tea tree oil.

• Another poultice mixture for brown recluse bites combines ground bromelain (or pineapple pulp), garlic juice, colloidal silver, tea tree oil and MSM.

• To aid in healing, take 500 mg of bromelain two to three times per day, drink plenty of water, and eat plenty of raw garlic.

• A good homeopathic/herbal medicine to use is ledum pallustre.

• Continue all treatments until redness and swelling are gone. If swelling and redness continue to grow, seek medical attention.

Insect Repellent Recipe

Herbalist Debra Nuzzi-St. Claire suggests combining the following essential oils to make a natural insect repellent:

• 1/2 ounce citronella oil

• 1/4 ounce lavender oil

• 1/8 ounce pennyroyal oil

• 1/8 ounce tea tree oil

• 1/8 ounce jojoba oil

Do not use this blend undiluted on your skin. Follow these instructions for diluting:

• To make an insect repellent oil that can be used on your body, add 16 ounces of jojoba or almond oil to the base oil mixture and blend thoroughly.

• For an insect repellent spray, add 16 ounces of vodka to the base oil mixture, pour into a spray bottle, and shake before using.