Chemical Engineering in Daily Life – Question 65: After being stung by bees, mosquitoes, or ants, should acid water or alkaline water be used to relieve itching?
Thread Content
Living on Earth, one is inevitably bitten by mosquitoes, stung by bees (wasps, hornets), and bitten by ants, which causes itching, swelling, and overall discomfort. After returning to the country, I often see the beautiful arms and legs of our young girls covered with big red bumps, sometimes even several of them, which are quite noticeable. There are many home remedies for relieving itching and reducing swelling after being bitten or stung. I checked, and almost all kinds of creams, oils, waters, liquids, tinctures, alcohols, essences, juices, milks, pastes, and so on that are readily available to you have been recommended. If you had to choose between an acidic liquid (acetic acid) and an alkaline liquid (baking soda dissolved in water), which would you pick? 1. I was bitten by an ant ； 2. I was bitten by a mosquito ； 3. Stung by wasps or bees.
Soapy water is generally used to neutralize it
1 uses an acidic liquid, 2 and 3 use an alkaline liquid.
Alkaline liquids are generally used! !
Use an alkaline liquid: soapy water, baking soda water
Alkaline liquids such as soapy water are generally used. 1 and 3 require soap water, as formic acid in ants, and the venom of wasps and bees are all acidic. I don’t know about mosquitoes.
It’s an alkaline liquid. This summer, my finger was stung by a bee; I heard that tung tree sap can help reduce swelling and relieve pain, so I tried it, and it indeed worked very well
Last year, I was out in the mountains with some friends. While we were trying to catch a native rooster, one of the guys didn’t notice that he had been stung by some insect, and the pain was unbearable for him. So someone suggested trying applying some ointment, but it caused even more pain than before. So, this is a good question. When bitten or stung by insects, it’s important to use the right treatment; do not apply medications blindly, as this could worsen the symptoms. I hope the correct answer will be announced, :)
Catch the bug that bit you and take it to a doctor to have it checked
Formic acid, also known as ant acid, is a secretion of bees, certain ants, and caterpillars; therefore, after being bitten by mosquitoes, it should be neutralized with slightly alkaline water
Ants use formic acid; alkalis are used, and I’m not sure about the latter two, but they should also be acids.