Treating Bee Stings

Although summer brings beautiful weather allowing beach tanning, swimming, and other enjoyable activities, it also brings annoying pests, including bees and wasps. Bee stings are painful and can be lethal if the sufferer has allergies to bee stings.

After being stung, the first thing you should do is to get away from the bee. Bees emit a smell attracting other bees when they are in danger. Next you should remove the stinger. Do not scrape it off, but rather try to pull it out. The faster you remove the stinger, the less severe the reaction will be.

If the sufferer does have allergies to bees, search them for an EpiPen. If he/she is supposed to have an EpiPen, but does not, call 911 and watch for itching, redness, hives, and shortness of breath. If the sufferer does not have allergies to bees the pain should be gone quickly and swelling will only last a day or two. You may use an ice pack to reduce swelling. If there is any itching antihistamines and lotion can help soothe it.

For cases of multiple bee stings (I had a cousin who  stepped on a bee hive and suffered from 18 bee stings) if there are over 10 stings or there are stings in the nose, mouth, or throat, the victim should be taken to the hospital immediately, even if he/she is not allergic to bees.

Just a reminder that only honey bees leave a stinger behind. Wasps and hornets do not leave a stinger (so don’t be looking to pull one out), but they can still cause an anaphylactic reaction.

You can use a few tricks to avoid bee altogether. For example if you avoid fragrances like body spray, scented soaps, and hair sprays, and if you avoid bright clothing, especially with a floral design you can outsmart some bees. As well, you should be cautious when drinking from a soda can. Bees can climb in and give you a shocking and painful surprise when you take a drink.