Insect
Allergy
Insect
stings are a major cause of
anaphylaxis in the US. Approximately 4% of adults in the
USA report systemic reactions to insect stings. In adults
with a history of these reactions, there is a greater than 50% chance
that the next reaction will be as severe or worse. If you
have had any allergic symptom remote from the site of an
insect sting, then you are considered at risk for venom anaphylaxis.
Fortunately, treatment is available for this potentially life-threatening
condition. Venom allergy is diagnosed by performing allergy
skin testing (a blood test is available but is less sensitive).
If test results confirm venom allergy, then desensitization shots
can reduce your chance of recurrent reactions by 95%. Testing
should be done 6 weeks after your most recent sting to prevent false
negative results. Insect stings for which allergy treatment
has been proven effective include wasps, hornets, bees and fire
ants. Learn
about stinging insects or view a
chart to help you identify the culprit insect.
Biting
insects have also been reported to cause allergic reactions.
These include the kissing bug, bedbug, mosquito, blackfly, deerfly,
horsefly and flea. Skin testing is available for mosquito
but treatment (desensitization shots) has not yet been studied.
Bees,
Hornets, Yellow
Jackets and Paper Wasps
Bees
and wasps pose a threat to the public because of the allergic
response many people have to their stings. Stinging is usually a
defensive behavior when a colony or an individual wasp or bee is
threatened.
Bumble
bees  are
large bodied, yellow and black and are covered with fine hairs
giving them a fuzzy appearance.
Honey
Bees 
are smaller than bumble bees, have finer hairs and have a subtle
yellow and black striped abdomen.
The
bald-faced hornet
makes the most common large exposed nests. The hornet is largely
black with yellowish white markings and also has the same thick
size from the head to the abdomen.
Yellow
Jackets 
are a type of short, stocky wasp. They have a cross-banded
black-and-yellow abdomen. Most common species build their
nests in the ground.
Paper
wasps 
are long and slender, with a spindle-shaped abdomen. Their
nests 
consist of a circular, horizontal comb of paper cells, suspended
from a support by a slender stalk. The cells are open on the lower
side while the larvae are growing. Outside activities are affected
by the activity of these wasps. Picnics, fairs, garbage cans, and
dining areas are a few places to which they are attracted. These
areas all have sweet beverages, fruits, and meaty foods.
Hints
for preventing problems:
1.
Keep all food and beverages in covered containers.
2. Clean up spills as they occur, whenever possible.
3. Use covered waste containers; thoroughly wash trash cans daily.
4. Clean areas where food or soft drinks have fallen on tables.
5. Have a fan nearby to help keep the wasps away.
Some wasps attract to different kinds of perfumes, soaps, or colognes.
If you are attending a function that is outdoors, you may not want
to use fragrances.
For very
detailed stinging insect identification please visit this
site
|
