Insect Bites and Stings in Spain: Mosquitoes, Ticks, Wasps and What to Do
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera, MD
Licensed Physician No. 484814280 · Official Medical College of Bizkaia (Spain)
Fast online assessment of bites and stings, with a licensed, English-speaking GP in Spain.
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera
Licence No. 484814280 · Urgent, non-emergency care
Common Symptoms
Spain's climate suits mosquitoes, ticks, wasps and biting flies, and the Asian tiger mosquito now bites by day along most of the Mediterranean coast and the islands. Most bites are harmless but itchy; a few need medical care. You may notice:
- Itchy red bumps, often in clusters or lines (mosquitoes, midges, fleas, bed bugs)
- A large, hot, swollen area around one bite that keeps growing for 24 to 48 hours
- Blisters, weeping or crusting where you have scratched
- A painful, swollen sting from a wasp, hornet or bee
- A tick still attached, or a small dark scab with a ring of redness after a tick bite
- An itchy, burning rash on the arms, neck or face after contact with pine processionary caterpillars (spring, pine woods)
- A sharp, intensely painful sting in the foot at the beach (weever fish) or a jellyfish sting
Bites look alarming when they swell, and it is hard to know whether a hot, red patch is a normal reaction, an allergy or the start of an infection. Most large local reactions are not infected and settle in a few days; a video consultation can tell the difference and spare you an unnecessary trip to urgencias.
You don't have to figure this out alone
Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is an independent, bilingual GP licensed in Spain. Book a 20-minute video consultation in English or Spanish for €50, with a private electronic prescription issued under Spanish law when clinically appropriate.
How We Treat It
The doctor will look at the bites on camera, ask when and where you were bitten, and check for fever, spreading redness or allergic symptoms. Care usually includes:
- Washing the area with soap and water, a cold compress and not scratching, so the skin does not break
- A non-drowsy antihistamine for itching and, for inflamed bites, a short course of a steroid cream when appropriate
- Advice on removing a tick safely with fine tweezers, close to the skin, and what to watch for over the next weeks
- Antibiotics only when a bite is genuinely infected (spreading redness, warmth, pus or fever), in line with NICE guidance, never for an ordinary itchy bite
- A plan for wasp or bee stings, including referral for allergy testing after any reaction beyond the sting site
- Prevention that works in Spain: repellent with DEET or icaridin, covering up at dusk and dawn, and by day where tiger mosquitoes are active
A reaction that is large but not infected does not need antibiotics; most need time, cold and an antihistamine. Tiger-mosquito bites are no more dangerous than others, but a fever within two weeks of being bitten in late summer should be checked, as Spain has recorded locally acquired dengue in some years. After a tick bite, a fever, headache or rash in the following two to three weeks needs assessment for tick-borne infections such as Mediterranean spotted fever.
Clinical Evaluation & Evidence-Based Protocol for Insect Bites and Stings
During a telemedicine consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera (licensed medical practitioner No. 484814280 at the Official Medical College of Bizkaia), clinical evaluation adheres strictly to evidence-based medical (EBM) standards. The doctor conducts a thorough history, evaluating symptom duration, aggravating factors, prior treatments, and drug allergies to establish an accurate differential diagnosis.
Private Electronic Prescriptions (Receta Médica) Issued Under Spanish Law
When clinically indicated, Dr. Yelamo issues a private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Electrónica Privada) under Spanish law. The digital prescription contains a secure QR verification code accepted at all 22,000+ registered community pharmacies across Spain for immediate medication dispensing.
Itemized Invoices for Travel & Private Health Insurance Reimbursement
After your consultation, you receive an official medical report and an itemized invoice. The invoice shows Dr. Yelamo's licence details and tax ID. You can send it to your travel or private health insurer (such as Bupa, Allianz, Cigna, AXA or a US travel policy) to claim the cost back.
Preparing for Your Online Medical Consultation
Before your appointment, note when your symptoms started and any medicines you have already tried. Have your allergies and your usual prescriptions to hand. For a skin, rash or eye problem, sit in a well-lit room so the doctor can see it clearly.
Clinical Follow-Up & When In-Person Urgencias Are Necessary
Video care works well for common infections, mild sudden symptoms, skin rashes and repeat prescriptions. Some warning signs need emergency care in person: severe shortness of breath, a high fever you cannot bring down, chest pain or a stiff neck. If you have any of them, call 112 in Spain straight away.
When to Seek Immediate In-Person Care
Call 112 or go to urgencias immediately if you have:
- Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing, dizziness or collapse after a sting or bite (anaphylaxis)
- Many wasp or bee stings at once, or a sting inside the mouth or throat
- Fast-spreading redness, severe pain, fever or feeling very unwell (possible cellulitis or sepsis)
- A bite near the eye with the eye swollen shut, or any change in vision
- Fever, severe headache, a widespread rash or confusion in the weeks after a tick bite
- Severe pain, numbness or muscle cramps after a scorpion or spider bite, or any bite in a baby or young child who is unwell
Frequently asked questions
Why do mosquito bites in Spain swell so much?
Some people react strongly to mosquito saliva, especially to a species they have not met before, such as the tiger mosquito. The result is a large local reaction: a hot, red, itchy swelling that can reach several centimetres and keeps growing for up to 48 hours before it fades. It is an immune reaction, not an infection. Cold compresses, a non-drowsy antihistamine and, if the doctor agrees, a steroid cream usually settle it.
How do I know if a bite is infected?
Infection usually appears a day or more after the bite, not straight away: the redness spreads outwards, the area becomes more painful rather than itchy, there may be pus, a red streak running up the limb, or a fever. Those signs need a medical review the same day. A bite that is itchy, red and swollen but comfortable to touch and without fever is almost always a normal reaction.
I found a tick on me. What should I do?
Remove it as soon as you can with fine-tipped tweezers, gripping it as close to the skin as possible and pulling steadily upwards without twisting. Do not use oil, petroleum jelly, heat or your fingers. Clean the site, note the date, and photograph the tick if you can. Ticks in Spain can transmit Mediterranean spotted fever and, mainly in the north, Lyme disease. Watch for a fever, headache, a dark scab at the bite or a spreading ring-shaped rash over the next three weeks, and book a consultation if any of these appear.
Are tiger mosquitoes dangerous?
The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is established across the Mediterranean coast, the Balearic Islands and increasingly inland. Its bites are itchy and often swell more than those of the common mosquito, but for most people that is all. It can transmit dengue and chikungunya, and Spain has recorded a small number of locally acquired dengue cases in recent years, so a fever with headache, muscle pain or rash within two weeks of being bitten should be assessed.
What should I do after a wasp or bee sting?
Scrape a bee sting out with a card or fingernail rather than squeezing it, wash the area, apply something cold and take an antihistamine for the itch and swelling. Pain and swelling at the sting site are normal for a day or two. Any symptoms away from the sting, such as hives elsewhere, swelling of the face, wheeze or feeling faint, are an emergency: call 112. Anyone who has had that kind of reaction should be assessed for allergy and carry an adrenaline auto-injector, which the doctor can discuss with you.
Can an online doctor really assess a bite?
Yes, for most bites. On a video call the doctor can see the size, colour and pattern of the reaction, compare it with a photo from earlier in the day, and check for fever or allergic symptoms. If the picture suggests an infection that needs antibiotics, a prescription can be sent to a Spanish pharmacy when clinically indicated. If you need in-person care, such as removal of a deeply embedded sting or an injection, the doctor will tell you where to go.
Online consultations are for urgent, non-emergency care. In a medical emergency call 112 immediately or go to your nearest emergency department.
Tue · Thu · Fri · SatOne named doctor, from first call to follow-up
Book a secure 20-minute video consultation with Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera for €50. Same-day slots are often available. For urgent, non-emergency care; in an emergency, call 112.
Book a Video ConsultationPart of Urgent Telemedicine Consultations
Explore other treatments
Sore Throat Treatment
UTI Treatment
Pink Eye Treatment
Yeast Infection Treatment
Sinus Infection Treatment
Cold Sore Treatment