They’re typically found in straight lines across the skin. They’re usually in clusters of three to five bites

Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Registered in England. All Rights Reserved. Usually you won’t spot bed bugs around the house, so it’s difficult to know whether a bed bug has bitten you, or a spider or mosquito. If there are bed bugs in your home, you may spot:The bites are not usually painful, and if you’ve not been bitten by bedbugs before, you may not have any symptoms. Most spiders don’t pose a threat to humans, and in such cases, their bites are harmless or mildly irritating like a bee sting. For persistent play biters, you may have to attach a lightweight lead to their collar so that you can easily lead them to another room (behind a stair gate is a good idea) for a short time apart from you. Make sure you attach this prior to any episodes as it won't be any fun trying to attach the lead to a wriggly and mouthing puppy. This week we are looking at two words which may be confused by learners of English: produce and product. Improve your English with Collins.

To minimise the opportunity for bites and stings, keep your arms and legs covered, with long-sleeved clothing and full length trousers. ‘Don’t walk around barefoot – keep your shoes on,’ says Dr Lee. You should also cover any food and drinks, remembering insects can climb inside cans. ‘Avoid rubbish bins and refuse areas and keep the lids on your bins,’ she continues. If you’re at home, keep windows and doors closed. ‘You can use a net covering at windows or a bead covering at doorways to stop insects getting into the house,’ says Dr Lee. ‘Keep your car windows closed.’ Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. Rare complications include fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting, hemolytic anemia, rhabdomyolysis, and kidney failure. Goldman BS, et al. (2022). Caterpillar and moth bites. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539851/ Bees and wasps are not generally aggressive and don’t look to sting people, however it is extremely common for people to accidentally step on them in bare feet, or for them to fly into us and then sting. When bees or wasps sting a person, they inject venom through their stinger into the skin of the victim.

It likes to hide in quiet, dark places like closets and bookshelves and is native to the South and South Central regions of the United States. Scorpions have a reputation for stinging. Many species have barbed tails equipped with venom, some strong enough to kill a human.

You have symptoms of a widespread infection such as a fever, swollen glands and other flu-like symptoms. We spoke to pharmacist Navid Sole from Peter’s Pharmacy and Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy about how to identify, treat, and ultimately prevent bites and stings from occurring – plus, the symptoms of a bad reaction, and when to consider seeing a doctor: What causes a reaction to insect bites or stings? It's because puppies investigate the world using their mouths so it’s perfectly natural to expect them to nibble and bite fingers and hands when they are young. Puppies also need to use their mouths and teeth a great deal to find out how this important part of their anatomy works. Puppies will typically attempt to play with humans by mouthing and play biting. It is something that they did in the litter with their siblings (and usually mum) and it’s a very normal part of learning how to play with dogs.

When do puppies start mouthing?

Keep a variety of toys to hand so you can redirect play biting safely. If your puppy begins to mouth your hands, try not to move your hands away or squeal (this will excite your puppy and encourage more vigorous play!) Instead, gently transfer them onto a toy by animating it and allow them to play with that instead.

Fleas are minute, irritating insects, that like to feed on our blood and that of our pets. They are a real nuisance and their bites are itchy and sometimes painful. Getting rid of fleas is hard and requires professional pest control treatment for total eradication. Pet owners are most at risk of flea infestations, but it is possible to have fleas in your home without pets.

If the bite is painful, take paracetamol or ibuprofen, so long as there are no medical reasons you cannot take these medicines. ‘Lidocaine spray, a local anaesthetic spray for the skin, may be helpful,’ says Dr Lee. ‘If the area is very swollen, or the rash is extensive, sometimes a doctor may prescribe a short course of prednisolone (steroid) for you,’ says Dr Lee. ‘Steroids are very powerful anti-inflammatories, and safe to use in short courses.’ 5. Look out for signs of infection Unlike bumblebees and carpenter bees, honeybees can only sting once due to their barbed stinger that can remain in the skin. Call 911 or your local emergency services number immediately if symptoms of a severe reaction are present.