It’s beneficial to know medicinal plants for insect bites on those summer days. Sunny days and balmy nights – that’s what makes us humans lively, but also mosquitoes, horseflies, and wasps are now on the move again. It’s good that there are natural remedies for insect stings and bites that quickly and reliably alleviate the consequences of an unexpected sting. Some plants can even keep insects away from us.

During the day, wasps fight us for the cake or lemonade, at night, mosquitoes buzz on our ears – summertime is insect season. Their bites are usually harmless in our latitudes, but they are definitely unpleasant.

Don’t scratch bites

If an animal bites you, don’t scratch it. Otherwise, it itches even worse, and the bite can get infected. It makes more sense to use natural homemade remedies for insect bites such as ribwort or onions because they relieve the itching and reduce swelling.

This is especially important after an attack by braking, as they prefer to stay near cow pastures and bring germs into the skin with the bite.

A trick: suck out the area to remove pathogens. It is also advisable for wasp and bee stings to prevent the poison from spreading in the body.

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Important to know in case of a bee attack: They usually lose their barbed stings when they bite. You should remove it carefully with tweezers immediately without squeezing the poison sac on the sting.

Mosquitoes find incense (Plectranthus coleoides, left) repulsive. A few plants in the balcony box in front of the bedroom window ensure that you can spend the night without the annoying buzzing.

When airing the house, however, the light should be turned off; otherwise, an animal might dare to enter. Tagetes (right) also keeps insects away, including flies. They are not comfortable at all with the fragrances emitted.

The crushed leaves of the savory (left) soothe the itching if you press them on a mosquito bite. A poultice with arnica tincture works wonders for swellings after a bite. The same applies to treatment with a homeopathic ointment made from the flowers of arnica (right). In addition to the external treatment, you can also take arnica globules (D 30). Five sprinkling globules are recommended three times a day.

If you swallow a wasp with a drink and get stung in the throat, it can become threatening. Here you should suck ice cubes and call the ambulance. This also applies if a sting causes severe swelling, shortness of breath, nausea, or circulatory problems. This is usually due to an insect poison allergy, which can be life-threatening.

In the case of brake stings, it is advisable to disinfect the area to prevent inflammation. But often you don’t have a wound spray at hand. Vinegar water and lemon juice (left) are beneficial. Ribwort plantain (right) grows on almost all roadsides and is ideal for preventing stitches from swelling. You grind one or two leaves between your fingers and then apply the sap to the area.

Preventing insect bites

To make sure that nothing happens at all, you should always cover drinks outdoor and drink from cans with a straw. Avoid perfume and strong-smelling cosmetics – they magically attract insects. Light-colored clothing keeps mosquitoes away. And so that they do not disturb sleep, you can build plant barriers, for example, with pots full of incense in front of the window.
Plant power helps with the itching

6 herbs for insect bites and stings

1) Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot is best known as an excellent curing herb for cough. But the juice from its grated leaves stops sting hurt. In case of emergency, grate a few coltsfoot leaves between your two hands and apply it onto the sting.

2) Leeks

Leeks are incredible herbs for natural insect bite relief. The bottom, white part of the leek brings relief from almost all types of insect bites when applied as a compress on the bite.

3) Basil

Basil brew takes away stubborn itching. You cook four tablespoons of fresh leaves in half a liter of water for about five minutes. Then strain, cool – preferably in the refrigerator.

4) Onion

In the case of wasp stings, laying on a few fresh onion slices on the bite is highly recommended because they also prevent inflammation.

5) Lemon

The lemon juice disinfects a prick, cools and soothes. Simply swipe the affected area several times with the fresh cut surface

6) Sorrel

The sorrel is one of the plants that reduce itching and inhibit swelling. If you put a leaf on the insect bite, it also has a cooling effect.

Tips against mosquitoes

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in rain barrels and puddles. The development from egg to insect takes only about three days in summer. As a precaution, rain barrels are covered with lids so that the females do not reach the water surface to lay their eggs. Pots or coasters filled with water should be emptied regularly. In garden ponds, fish are responsible for controlling the annoying mosquito larvae.

Image credits: wildeherb snaped.fns.usda.gov/ wikipedia greengoldfarms wildfooduk