Stings & bites

Insect stings and bites from mosquitoes, bees, wasps and other creatures trigger a local reaction in which the body releases histamine, giving the familiar redness, swelling and itch. Most stings are harmless and settle on their own within a few days.

Plants and herbs that help

Plantain (Plantago major), A chewed or crushed leaf placed directly on the spot soothes pain and itch, and is thought to draw out venom and histamine.
Aloe vera, The cooling gel calms swelling and discomfort.
Lavender, The oil has a mildly numbing and anti-inflammatory effect.
Honey, Can be applied thinly to the spot to soothe itching.

Recipes

Compress

Plantain compress (acute)

This is the only recipe in the apothecary that needs no kitchen. It needs a plant and a pair of teeth. Plantain grows in driveways, on paths and in the middle of lawns, and it is almost always right there where you get stung. That is no coincidence: it follows people and is trodden down without taking harm. You chew a leaf until the sap runs, and lay it on the sting. It sounds primitive, and it is. It also works. Learn to recognise it once, and you have it for the rest of your life.

5 minutesEasy

Salve

Plantain salve (for the cupboard)

Plantain grows in every driveway and gets trodden on all summer without taking harm. It has been called the doctor''s plant and the wayfarer''s herb, because it followed people wherever they went. The fresh leaf is emergency medicine you chew and lay on a sting. This salve is the version you keep in the cupboard the rest of the year, when the mosquito bites in August and there is not a leaf anywhere near the sofa. Make it now, while the leaves are still green and full of sap.

150 minutesMedium

Oil

Lavender mosquito spray

Mosquitoes find you by smell. The carbon dioxide you breathe out, the lactic acid in your sweat, the heat from your skin. A repellent works by laying another scent over the top, so they lose the trail. Lavender, citronella and peppermint do exactly that. They are mild enough to use on a child over three, and they smell of a summer evening rather than of chemical. Be honest about expectations: it lasts an hour or two, not a whole evening. Take the bottle out to the terrace and spray again when the mosquitoes find you again. They will.

8 minutesEasy

Warning

At signs of an allergic reaction (heavy swelling, shortness of breath, whole-body rash) seek urgent medical care.

The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.