What Goes in the Truck Kit: Bites, Stings and Rash on a Tree Crew

October 12, 2026Workplace Safety & Compliance6 min read

Tree crew groundworker on a bucket truck step applying an itch-relief stick to a bite on his forearm, first-aid kit open beside him

Every tree crew has the same summer. Mosquitoes at the drop zone. Ticks in the brush pile. A yellow jacket nest in the hollow of a limb you just cut. A forearm rash on Wednesday from a vine you didn’t see on Monday.

None of these are big emergencies most days. But they slow the crew down, keep people up at night, and once in a while one of them is serious. A small kit in the truck handles the everyday stuff and helps you spot the serious stuff early. Think of it as an itch relief kit outdoor crew members can grab without digging. Here’s what goes in it and how to use it.

What the job puts you up against

NIOSH lists stinging insects, ticks, mosquitoes and poisonous plants as hazards for outdoor workers. Tree crews get all four, often on the same job.

Stinging insects. Bees, wasps, yellow jackets and hornets nest in trees, hollow limbs and the ground under them. A saw cut or a dropped limb can set off a whole nest.
Ticks. They wait on tall grass and low brush and grab on as you walk past. They crawl to warm spots: behind the knees, the waist, armpits, the scalp.
Mosquitoes. Worst at dawn, dusk and near standing water, which describes a lot of storm cleanup.
Poison ivy, oak and sumac. Urushiol, the oil in the plant, sticks to gloves, ropes and saws, then gets onto your skin. The rash shows up a day or two later.

What goes in the truck kit

Before the job: repellent. The easiest bite to treat is the one you don’t get. I.C. Insect Repellent Lotion is an EPA-registered IR3535 repellent (EPA Reg. No. 70759-2-91651). It repels mosquitoes and ticks for up to 8 hours. It’s a lotion, so there’s no spray drifting around the cab, and it’s odorless and non-greasy, so it won’t make your grip slick on the saw. Put it on exposed skin and follow the label.

After a bite or sting: an itch and pain stick. I.C. Itch & Pain Relief is a roll-on stick with two actives. Diphenhydramine HCl 2% relieves itching and pain. Zinc acetate 0.1% dries the oozing and weeping of poison ivy, oak and sumac. The roll-on ball means you can put it on with one hand without getting it all over your fingers. It’s alcohol-free and odorless.

For poison ivy rash: the same formula, made for the ivy kit. I.C. Ivy Relief has the same actives in the same roll-on stick. It relieves the itch and pain of a poison ivy, oak or sumac rash and dries the oozing and weeping. Some crews keep Itch & Pain Relief in the first-aid box and Ivy Relief with their ivy products. Either one covers both jobs.

Also in the box:

Fine-tipped tweezers for ticks.
A cold pack for stings.
Soap, water and paper towels, or a poison ivy wash for when you get back to water.
Any prescribed epinephrine auto-injector for crew members with a known sting allergy. Everyone on the crew should know where it is.

Read the Drug Facts on each stick before you use it, and follow the directions and warnings there, including where not to use it and how often.

How to handle each one on the job

A sting. NIOSH’s steps: have someone stay with the person to watch for an allergic reaction. Wash the site with soap and water. Get the stinger out by wiping gauze over it or scraping a fingernail across it. Don’t squeeze it or use tweezers. Put ice on it. Don’t scratch. Once it’s clean, the itch stick helps with the itch and pain.

A tick. CDC’s steps: grab the tick close to the skin with fine-tipped tweezers. Pull up with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk. Then clean the bite and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Don’t use heat, nail polish or petroleum jelly to make it back out. Write down the date and where you think you picked it up.

Mosquito bites. Wash, then the itch stick for the itch. Reapply repellent per the label if you’re still working.

Poison ivy contact. Wash the skin as soon as you can. AAD says washing within 10 to 20 minutes can sometimes still prevent a rash. Wash gently, rinse with plenty of cool water, and clean under your nails. Wash gloves, tools and clothes too, or the oil will get you again. If a rash shows up, Ivy Relief helps with the itch and the oozing.

When it’s more than the kit can handle

Call 911 right away if someone who was stung has trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, dizziness, or feels faint. That can be anaphylaxis, and it’s life-threatening. Use their epinephrine if they have it.

See a clinician if:

A poison ivy rash covers a large area or is on the face, eyes or genitals.
You get a rash or fever in the weeks after a tick bite. Tell the clinician about the bite.
A bite or sting gets more red, swollen or painful after a day or two.
Anyone feels ill after being stung.

The kit is for comfort and for the small stuff. It doesn’t treat infections or allergic reactions.

End-of-day check

Before you head home, check for ticks: knees, groin, armpits, waistband, behind the ears and in the hair. Wash ropes, saws and gloves that touched vines. Put work clothes in the wash separately. Restock the kit so it’s ready tomorrow.

For the full tree crew routine, see our arborists and landscaping page and the Field Notes for tree crews.

FAQ

What’s the difference between Itch & Pain Relief and Ivy Relief?

They have the same actives: diphenhydramine HCl 2% and zinc acetate 0.1%. Both relieve itching and pain, and the zinc acetate dries the oozing and weeping of poison ivy, oak and sumac. Ivy Relief is packaged for the poison ivy kit. Itch & Pain Relief is packaged for general first aid.