Those who sting and bite

Peaks of tick activity occur in May – June, August – September – it is during these periods that they are dangerous to humans, as they can transmit infectious diseases, including tick-borne encephalitis...

It is important to know that when visiting forest areas, children should use repellents (preparations that repel ticks) according to the instructions for their use. Wear tightly fitting clothing and a head covering. After being in the forest, the child should be checked for ticks. Ticks should be removed with tweezers, pointed forceps, or thread, after which the skin should be treated with a disinfectant solution (iodine, alcohol, etc.).

In the summer, the chances of being stung by wasps, hornets, bees, and other stinging insects also increase:

In 2019, in Slutsk, a ball that children were playing with fell into a decorative well. One of the girls tried to retrieve it, but wasps flew out of the well and began to sting the children. Adults were also affected - a woman who rushed to help the girl and several passersby. It turned out that the decorative well was built around an old stump, inside which there was a large hollow. That is where the wasps settled. After the ambulance took the victims away, the rescuers destroyed the nest.
On September 12, 2018, in the Slutsk district, wasps caused a fatal outcome. A 63-year-old woman was at her summer house in the village of Meleshki with her husband. She was making jam when her husband, while clearing straw, disturbed a wasp nest. The wasps stung the man several times, but he did not pay much attention to it. Then the wasps attacked the woman. The insects stung the pensioner four times, and she suffered an anaphylactic shock. The woman died.
In 2018, five kindergarten children were hospitalized in Grodno after being stung by wasps during a walk.

Stings from stinging insects are accompanied by pain, significant swelling, and a sharp exacerbation of allergic reactions.

SNAKES

In addition to stinging insects, snakes can also be encountered in the countryside. In Belarus, there are only three species, of which only one is truly dangerous – the viper. Its distinguishing feature is the characteristic zigzag pattern on its back. This reptile mainly inhabits mixed forests, clearings, swamps, along riverbanks, lakes, and streams, in dense thickets:

In 2017, an unfortunate incident occurred in the summer in Minsk. A boy came out of the entrance into the yard and immediately saw children gathered in one place. Right in front of the entrance lay a snake. The children were poking it, playing. The boy also joined in the fun, but as soon as he brought his finger close to the snake, it bit him. The parents called an ambulance and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The child was taken to the intensive care unit of the city hospital. It turned out to be a viper bite. The victim was given antivenom serum, and he spent several days in intensive care. The snake was caught by the Ministry of Emergency Situations staff.
On July 20, 2018, a boy from Ivye was hospitalized after being bitten by a viper. The child was riding a bicycle through the forest when the snake fell onto the handlebars. The boy tried to shake it off, but the snake bit him. The victim was taken to the hospital.

And if you are heading to places where you risk seeing a viper, wear appropriate clothing and footwear: high rubber boots, thick non-tight pants, etc. Remember that a snake will never attack first if it is not disturbed, so if you see a viper, freeze and let it crawl away. If it assumes a threatening posture, immediately step back and do not make sudden movements. When defending yourself, do not extend your hands forward and do not turn your back to it. If you have a stick, hold it in front of you pointing towards the snake.