Some of the best ways to protect your skin from insect bites and stings are to wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts, long pants and boots, to keep your car and house windows closed, and to avoid flowering plants. But in the warm summer months, the first two suggestions are almost unthinkable, and the third is unavoidable, which unfortunately makes bites and stings almost inevitable.

But thanks to several Boiron single medicines, relief from the pain, itching, burning, and swelling caused by these bites is right around the corner. Our pharmacist, Christophe Merville, D.Pharm, recommends that if you are stung by a bee, you should remove the stinger and disinfect the area. He also suggests using the following four single medicines, depending on the type of bite or sting. Apis mellifica offers relief from bee stings, wasp and mosquito bites, as well as bed bugs and fleas.* Tarentula cubensis 6C works well on spider bites, while Urtica urens 6C does the trick for chiggers (especially when partnered with Histaminum 30C) and jellyfish stings.*

Finally, if you’re heading into a mosquito-dense environment, Dr. Merville recommends to start taking Ledum palustre 6C one day before your trip. Continue the dosage throughout the trip to help lessen your body’s reaction when a bite occurs. Ledum won’t prevent bites, so you’ll still need to apply a repellent, but it will start the healing process immediately and reduce swelling and itching.

*Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated.