How to Treat Caterpillar Bites

Although it looks interesting and adorable, caterpillars have the ability to sting people. Caterpillar stings can cause minor symptoms or lead to a dangerous allergic reaction. To treat a caterpillar bite, you need to clean the sting, treat the symptoms, and consult a medical professional if symptoms become severe. That way, it will be easier for you to recover from a caterpillar sting.

Table of Contents

Cleaning the burn

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Remove the caterpillars without touching them. If the caterpillar is still on your skin, use forceps, tweezers, or thick gloves to pick it up. Never touch the caterpillar with bare hands as it may sting again. ^{[1] X Trusted Source US National Capital Poison Center Go to Source}

Caterpillar stings are caused by small, hair-like spines that pierce the skin. Therefore, you need to avoid touching the body of the caterpillar with bare hands.

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Use tape to remove sharp spikes from the skin. Use Scotch tape, cloth tape, or something similar. Place the tape over the sting and quickly peel it off. The tape will stick to the poisonous hairs or thorns still on the skin. This step is important to minimize sting symptoms and prevent further stings. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You can also use the sticky part of the dressing to remove any hairs or spikes.

Symptomatic treatment

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Apply a mixture of baking soda and water. Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1-2 teaspoons of warm water. Apply a lot of the mixture on the sting and leave it for a few minutes. The baking soda mixture helps relieve itching and other unpleasant symptoms. Reapply the mixture every few hours. ^{[4] X Trusted Source US National Capital Poison Center Go to Source}

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Use hydrocortisone cream. If baking soda doesn’t help, you should wash off the mixture, then apply a generous amount of hydrocortisone cream to the sting and let it sit. It may take about an hour for the cream to soothe the sting. Reapply the cream according to the instructions on the product packaging. ^{[5] X Trusted Source US National Capital Poison Center Go to Source}

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Use an antihistamine cream. If hydrocortisone cream doesn’t work either, wash it off and then reapply plenty of antihistamine cream to the sting. Wait about 30 minutes to see if there is a difference. In many cases, antihistamine creams have proven ineffective in alleviating symptoms of caterpillar stings, but you may find the cream works for you. ^{[6] X Trusted Source US National Capital Poison Center Go to Source}

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Cold compress. After applying baking soda or cream, you can apply a cold compress to the sting. Place a bag of ice cubes or frozen vegetables on the sting every 10-20 minutes. Continue cold compress every 1-2 hours. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Medical treatment

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Watch for signs of serious symptoms. Caterpillar stings can cause a variety of symptoms. Depending on the type of caterpillar and the type of allergy, symptoms can be very mild or very severe. Common symptoms include: ^{[8] X Research Source}

Itching and contact dermatitis, blisters, ridges, small red bumps, pain
Conjunctivitis if caterpillar hairs get in the eye
Rash and hives
Shortness of breath
Nausea and vomiting
Hemorrhage and kidney failure can occur after exposure to the South American Lonomia moth

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See a doctor if symptoms get worse. If blisters, large streaks, or a widespread rash appear, you should see a doctor right away. This step is important because some people can experience a potentially fatal allergic reaction to a caterpillar sting. ^{[9] X Trusted Source US National Capital Poison Center Go to Source}

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Call the Poison Center for more information. Call a Poison Control Center (eg Bach Mai Hospital Poison Center) as soon as possible if you have any questions about how to treat a moth sting. The poison control specialist will answer the phone and give you recommendations on how to treat the sting. ^{[10] X Trusted Source US National Capital Poison Center Go to Source}

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Tetanus vaccine. If you haven’t had a tetanus shot in the last 5-10 years, you should get one within 72 hours of being bitten by a caterpillar. Wounds or bites can become infected and infected. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Advice

Do not touch or handle hairy or light colored caterpillars.
Do not scratch the sting.
Take note of the geographic area where you were stung and make sure to keep children or pets out of the area. Alert the authorities if the number of caterpillars increases abnormally.
Unless professionally trained, you should not keep wild insects as pets. If you want to grow caterpillars into butterflies or moths, you can order eggs and farming equipment from some special websites and brochures.
Never play with strange animals or insects. They can be dangerous.

Warning

Do not allow pets or small children to play with foreign creatures, even with small creatures such as caterpillars. Teach young children especially to stay away from brightly colored, spiky caterpillars as vibrant colors and pointed feathers are often signs of toxicity from nature.
Even moths that don’t sting people can harm your garden. Look for nests of white, spider-like caterpillars on trees; Evergreen moth cocoons and Gypsy Moth caterpillars are parasitic and can kill plants.

Things you need

Adhesive tape (cloth tape, Scotch tape, clear tape) or commercially available face mask
A mixture of baking soda (bicarbonate salt) and water
Ice packs or frozen food (anything cold or frozen will do)
Clean water and soap
Analgesic
Cold pack
Hydrocortisone cream
Antihistamine cream

Steps