Camp Aranzazu Nature First Aid Guide What to do when you don’t know what to do.

2 Camp Aranzazu Staff

3 - Catfish

- Fish Bite

- Stingray

- Jellyfish

- Coral Snake

- Water Moccasin

- Copperhead/ Cottonmouth

- Poison Ivy/ Poison Oak

- Bee/Wasp Stings - Ants

- Mosquito
- Scorpion

- Black Widow/ Brown Widow - Brown Recluse

4 Poison Ivy/ Poison Oak How to identify:

- Poison Ivy:

 -  Can be found at any height

 -  Have distinct leaf arrangements in clusters of 3 (usually one

larger leaf on the end of the stem and two smaller leaves flanking it)

 -  Have a green color in the summer and reddish orange in the fall

- Poison Oak:
- Usually grows as an upright shrub
- Have blunt tips and may seem hairy on both sides
- Edges of leaves are lobed or scalloped rather than smooth

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- Have blunt tips and may seem hairy on both sides

- Edges of leaves are lobed or scalloped rather than smooth
- Have green color in the summer and reddish orange in the fall

5 Poison Ivy/ Poison Oak First Aid

 -  Wash the exposed areas with soap and warm water as soon as

possible

 -  Any oil from the plant that is not washed off may result in a rash (usually forms
within 72 hours after exposure)
 -  Keep rash clean cool and dry
 -  Avoid scratching
 -  Itching can be treated with hydrocortisone cream and a cold

compress or calamine lotion

6 Bee /Wasp

 -  Wasps and bees can be difficult to distinguish at times, however,

here are some of the major differences:

o -  Wasps tend to have a more prominent coloring than bees

o -  Wasps can sting repeatedly
o -  Most bees lose their stinger after it is used once
o -  Wasp bodies tend to be smoother, and bees are most of the times

more hairy

 -  Some of the most common wasps found in Texas:

- Paper Wasps, Yellow Jackets, Hornets, Cicada Killers, Mud Daubers, Mexican
Honey Wasps

 -  Some of the most common bees found in Texas:

- Bumblebees, Carpenter bees, Squash bees, Leafcutter bees, sweat bees, and
Mason bees

7 Bee/Wasp Sting First Aid How to treat:

  -  If the stinger remains in the skin, remove it by scraping it over with a credit card
or fingernail (do not use tweezers, as squeezing it can cause more venom to release
into the skin
 -  Wash the area with soap and water
 -  Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling

- Wash the area with soap and water

- Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling
- Consider taking over-the-counter pain medication

8 Fire Ant Bite First Aid

 -  Wash the site with soap and cold water

 -  To calm the itching sensation, apply a topical steroid ointment such

as hydrocortisone and consider taking an oral antihistamine such

as Benadryl

 -  If bites are covering a large area, the hydrocortisone ointment can be covered
with first aid tape to increase the absorption of the steroid
 -  If the patient develops anaphylaxis, seek emergency services immediately

9 Mosquito

 -  Mosquito season happens almost all year round in Texas

 -  You will most likely find an abundance of mosquitoes near still

bodies of water or large puddles

 -  To avoid getting bites from mosquitoes use a strong bug spray containing DEET

10 Mosquito Bite First Aid

 -  Wash area with soap and water

 -  Apply a cold compress for at least 10 minutes to calm itching and swelling
 -  Apply mixture of baking soda and water to relieve itching sensation
 -  Apply antihistamine cream or use oral antihistamine such as Benadryl
 -  Do not scratch bites as they may become infected

11 Scorpion
  -  Scorpions are a common sight here at Camp Aranzazu
 -  They have a small flat body to help them hide in small cracks,

under rocks, or any other small space where they might catch prey

 -  They have two pincers/claws which are called pedipalps. These

hide under rocks, or any other small space where they might catch prey

 -  They have two pincers/claws which are called pedipalps. These help them hold
their prey while they eat
 -  Scorpions have a long tail with a curled stinger on the end to paralyze its prey
 -  Scorpions are nocturnal, so they tend to sleep during the day and are active at
night.

12 Scorpion Sting First Aid

- Clean the wound with a mild soap and water
- Apply cold compress to reduce pain
- Do not consume and food or drink if having difficulty swallowing - Take over-the-
counter pain reliever to ease any discomfort

*Most scorpion stings do not need medical treatment, however, if symptoms are severe,
seek medical attention*

13 Tick

 -  The most common time to get a tick bite is in the early spring and

late fall

 -  Ticks can be found in outside shaded areas

 -  It is important to monitor your symptoms after getting a tick bite
 -  Lyme disease is commonly spread by ticks

14 Tick Bite First Aid

 -  Remove the tick as soon as possible

 -  Use tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible
 -  Pull upward using even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick
 -  Once the tick is removed, clean the bite area and hands with

rubbing alcohol or soap and water

 -  Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet

  -  Watch for rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint

swelling, and pain for 30 days. Call your healthcare provider if you experience any
of those symptoms.

15 Black Widow

- The Black Widow is one of the two venomous spiders that are found in Texas

 -  The Black Widow is one of the two venomous spiders that are found in Texas
 -  These spiders can be found indoors and outdoors
 -  Females can be identified by their dark black color, globular shaped abdomen,
and red or yellow hourglass figure on its underside
 -  Males are smaller and tend to be brown and less easily identifiable
 -  The name “Black Widow” comes from the action of the female

eating the male after mating

 -  Black Widow venom is said to be 15 times more deadly than that of a

rattlesnake
 -  Black Widows can be found under woodpiles, boxes, meter boxes, and other
undisturbed areas

16 Black Widow Bite First Aid

Signs and Symptoms:

- Slight to sharp pain followed by redness around the bite - One or two small fang marks
(tiny red spots)

Treatment:
- Call for medical attention immediately
- Remain calm and reduce movement
- Apply ice to bite site
- Do not apply bandage/pressure
- Try to correctly identify spider or safely catch it to confirm its type

17 Brown Recluse

 -  Brown Recluse Spiders are golden brown in color and have a fiddle

shaped mark on their head

 -  They commonly live-in garages or basements and can be found hiding in boxes,
piles of clothes or any dark undisturbed area
  -  They are not aggressive spiders, but will bite when accidentally trapped or
threatened

18 Brown Recluse Bite First Aid Treatment:

- Call for medical assistance immediately - Stay calm

- wash area with soap and water
- Apply cold compact

- wash area with soap and water

- Apply cold compact
- Apply antibiotic cream to the bite

19 Brown Recluse Bite Signs and Symptoms:

 -  Pain, burning, itching, or redness at the site of bite (may come on several hours
or days after the bite)
 -  Deep bluish-purple area around bite (could be surrounded by a whitish ring and
larger red outer ring resembling a bull’s-eye)
 -  Ulcer or blister that turns to a black color
 -  Headache, rash, fever, nausea, or body aches

20 References

Heat exhaustion

Dehydration

Birding Activity