Caterpillars are adorable and fun to watch, but they can also inflict very painful stings. The wounds caused by these insects can cause very slight symptoms or trigger a potentially dangerous allergic reaction. To heal the stings, you need to clean the affected area, manage the symptoms, and if your condition becomes severe, see a specialist doctor. Eventually, you will be able to fully recover from a caterpillar sting.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Clean the Toe Area
Step 1. Remove the caterpillar without touching it
If the insect is still on your skin, pick it up with tongs, tweezers, or thick gloves. Always avoid picking up a caterpillar with your bare hands, as it may sting you again.
Caterpillar bites are caused by its tiny spines that look like hairs, so it's important to avoid touching them with your fingers
Step 2. Use duct tape to remove the thorns from the skin
Get some electrical tape, packing tape, or something similar. Place it over the affected area, then quickly tear it off. The adhesive will collect all the poisonous hairs and thorns that are in the skin. This step is important to minimize the symptoms of stings and prevent others.
You can also use the sticky side of a bandage to remove hair or thorns
Step 3. Wash the sting area
Use warm, soapy water to thoroughly clean the affected area and surrounding area. Finally, be sure to wash both hands thoroughly to avoid problems if you have come into contact with the poison or thorns.
Part 2 of 3: Treating the Symptoms
Step 1. Apply a water and baking soda paste
Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with one or two tablespoons of warm water. Spread a generous amount of the paste thus obtained on the affected area and let it act for a few minutes. This remedy is supposed to reduce itching and other uncomfortable sensations. Apply the treatment every 2 to 3 hours.
Step 2. Use a hydrocortisone cream
If baking soda does not relieve your symptoms, wash the affected area and apply a large dose of hydrocortisone ointment. Let the treatment take effect, which can take up to an hour to exert its soothing action. Re-spread the cream according to the instructions on the package.
Step 3. Try an antihistamine cream
If the hydrocortisone treatment is also unsuccessful, wash the affected area well, then apply a large dose of antihistamine ointment. Wait up to 30 minutes and notice if you feel any difference. In many cases, these products have been found to be ineffective for treating the symptoms of caterpillar stings, but they may work for you.
Step 4. Apply a cold compress
Once you have applied the baking soda paste, you can put a cold compress on the affected area. Place an ice pack or bag of frozen vegetables on the area that has been stung for 10-20 minutes at a time. Repeat the treatment every hour or two.
Part 3 of 3: Getting Medical Care
Step 1. Beware of any serious symptoms
Caterpillar bites can cause very different reactions. Depending on the type of insect and your allergies, the symptoms can be very mild or very severe. The most common include:
- Itching and contact dermatitis, blisters, warts, small red wheals, pain
- Acute conjunctivitis, if hair gets into the eyes;
- Skin irritation and hives;
- Difficulty in breathing;
- Nausea and vomit;
- Contact with the South American caterpillar Lonomia can cause haemorrhages and kidney failure.
Step 2. Contact your doctor if symptoms get worse
If you experience blisters, large warts, or rashes that expand, call your doctor right away. It is very important to get immediate care, as some people can develop life-threatening allergic reactions to caterpillar bites.
Step 3. Call the Poison Control Center for more information
You can contact 06-3054343 at any time of the day or night if you have any questions about how to cure a caterpillar sting. You will be put in contact with a poison specialist who will advise you on how to treat your wound.
Step 4. Get the tetanus vaccine
If you haven't received a tetanus booster in the past 5-10 years, you should request it within 72 hours of a caterpillar sting. This will be helpful to you because the wound is exposed to bacteria and infections.
Advice
- Do not touch brightly colored or furry caterpillars.
- Don't scratch yourself after being stung.
- Consider the geographic area where you have been stung and make sure you keep pets and children away from there. Notify the authorities if you notice an excessive presence of these insects.
- If you are not a trained professional, avoid keeping wild insects indoors. If you want to keep caterpillars until they become butterflies or moths, there are specialized websites and catalogs from which to order eggs and equipment.
- Never play with animals or insects you don't know. They could be dangerous.
Warnings
- Always avoid letting children or pets play with unfamiliar creatures, even if they are as small as caterpillars. Teach your kids to especially avoid brightly colored and furry caterpillars; the intense hues and hairy crests are often the code of nature that indicates the presence of poison.
- Even caterpillars that don't bite can be harmful to your garden. Watch out for white, cobweb-like nests in trees; caterpillars of the species Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis and of the odd bombs are parasites capable of killing trees.
