Also called: Bug bites
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Insect Bites and Stings
Most insect bites are harmless, though they sometimes cause discomfort. Bee, wasp, and hornet stings and fire ant bites usually hurt. Mosquito and flea bites usually itch. Insects can also spread diseases. In the United States, some mosquitoes spread West Nile virus. Travelers outside the United States may be at risk for malaria and other infections.
To prevent insect bites and their complications:
- Don't bother insects
- Use insect repellant
- Wear protective clothing
- Be careful when you eat outside because food attracts insects
- If you know you have severe allergic reactions to insect bites and stings (such as anaphylaxis), carry an emergency epinephrine kit
It sits within Skin, Hair and Nails and Injuries and Wounds.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Insect Bites and Stings
13 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research already completed
- Cimex Lectularius or Bed Bugs : Vector of Infectious Agents and Pathogenic RoleCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice
- A Clinical Study to Develop a Controlled Human Infection Model Using Leishmania Major-infected Sand FliesUniversity of York
- A Clinical Study to Develop an Uninfected Sand Fly Biting ProtocolUniversity of York
- Determining the Complete Protection Time of an Insect Repellent With 30% Citriodiol® Against Three Species of Ticks.ARCTEC
- The Significance of Blood-tryptase and c-Kit Mutation in Insect Venom ImmunotherapyMeir Medical Center
- Clinical and Immunological Evaluation of Children With AllergiesNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Bug Bites and StingsNemours Foundation
- Identifying Insect Bites and StingsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Insects and Scorpions at WorkCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Treatments and Therapies
- First Aid: Insect Stings and BitesNemours Foundation
- Insect Bites and Stings: First AidMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Prevention and Risk Factors
- DEETEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Find the Repellent that is Right for YouEnvironmental Protection Agency
- Preventing West NileCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Protect against Mosquito Bites when TravelingCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Protecting Yourself from Stinging InsectsNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks, and Other ArthropodsEnvironmental Protection Agency
Related Issues
- Insect Sting Allergy (Ant, Wasp and Bee Stings)National Jewish Health
- Stinging Insect AllergyAmerican Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
- Traveler's Health: Avoid Bug BitesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Flea InfestationsNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Insect Bites and StingsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Insect Bites and Stings. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Insect Bites and Stings, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.