Wasps and Bees - How to treat stings
76
Wasp and bee stings can be a very serious danger especially if you are the person allergic to these stings. People have died from bee stings not even knowing they were allergic to them.
There is nothing more enjoyable than going out on the weekends and camping in the bush or even visiting a home of your friend where they have plants or trees out in bloom. This will encourage bees as they go from one flower to another pollinating them.
Or you may accidentally touch something where wasps have their nest and you will be shocked by the excruciating pain resulting from their sting
Bee on flickr by licht-
Action required if allergic to bees
It is very important if someone is stung and you know that person is allergic to these then seek immediate medical attention.
Treatment If you have been stung and are not allergic
Treatment If you have been stung and are not allergic
Others may have different ideas as to the best treatment. So I will list other forms of treatment.
Wash the affected area with water
Remove the sting if still there as soon as possible as it may swell and make it harder to find:
a. use tweezers to remove the sting
or
b. Use something flat to push it out.
Clean the Wound
To clean the wound you can use either peroxide (which actually draws anything out) or alcohol.
Clean the wound then place a mixture of ice and water on the affected area rather than just using plain ice. Or if this is not available then keep the affected area cool with water. Then wrap something around the affected area.
If still in pain you could apply a mixture of baking soda and water into a paste.
Note: If a stinger is left in the wound it could still release more venom into the body
The European wasps are even more dangerous than the normal wasp or bee.
How to identify European Wasp
The European wasp is different to the paper wasp. It can be identified because it does not look hairy and it has yellow banding over the black body.
The Australian paper wasp
These are usually tan in color with some yellow on face, and approximately about 12 to 15mm long. These make their nests from wood fiber; and normally formed like cones with round cells. These are painful when stung although not as dangerous as the European wasp.
Other hubs I have written
- Red Dog Wanderer from the Pilbara
Red Dog is the story of a dog that ruled many people of the Pilbara for years. He had them wrapped around his little paws. There are so many stories as to who this wonderful dog originally belonged to in... - Australia's Worst and Deadliest Spiders and Treatment
The Funnel-web spider is Australia's most deadly of all spiders. Both the male and female carry a deadly toxin, although the males believed to carry six times that of the female. The most dangerous time ... - Archerfish Hunts and Kills it Land-based Prey with Deadly Aim
The Archerfish has mystified people as to how it catches its prey for years. West Australian Scientists have finally unlocked the secret of how it kills and hunts its land-based prey. This cunning fish... - Old Lady Moth visits us every Christmas Have you seen it
As a child we always knew it was nearly Christmas as these moths would fly into our house. Mum would say look the Christmas moth is back, and we would laugh. I often wondered how it knew when it was Christmas... - Correct commands- How to Train your Dog
Training your dog is the most important part of owning your lovable pet. There is nothing worse than an untrained dog, it will cause disharmony in any household. Do not tolerate a dog that digs up the yard... - How to Keep Cats off Tables and Cupboards
How often have you gone to someones place and seen their cat on the table or on the cupboard walking around as though he/she owns the place? I cannot think of anything worse, than the thought of the...
CommentsLoading...
Lady E Oh yes thats for sure. The european are supposed to be the worst for stinging and pain
Very interesting and useful. I didn't know there were different ones. Australian... European...
Glad I stopped by. :)
maggs224, what you say is very true and they do a great job. Although at times I have to go around pollinating the vegies,pumpkins,cucumbers to get any vegies.
And have to be very careful of them as my husband is allergic to them he blows up.(swelling) thanks for stopping by to read and comment
I love bees, I love watching them on the flowers and I am fortunate not to have been stung by them.
My dad was a keen gardener and I can remember him having a big bumble bee on his hand once and he got me to stroke it. He said they were the little workers that made all our fruit trees have fruit on them. I have been fascinated by them ever since.
Wasps on the other hand I am not that keen on though I do like to photograph them if I get the chance.
support med, thanks for that, yes bees can be bad news if allergic to them although the wasp sting is much more painful. thanks for stopping by. I havent done a lot of writing lately as had so much to do with this house that we moved into. cheers
Your hubby is blessed to have your knowledge concerning his allergy to stings. I know everything has a purpose, but I cannot stand to be around bees or wasps. Voted/rate.
agvulpes, yes that is definitely true about stinging more than once. Our graddaughter was stung 3 times on her hand by one wasp. She was in agony. As to removing the stinger. There are so many ideas on this. After researching it I found that more said to use the tweezers but I know where you are coming from.
In a way its like snake bites, there are so many different ideas and it makes you wonder just which is the right way to go. I do know that ice definitely helps to ease the pain though. My husband is allergic to bees and has to be very careful. thanks for stopping by.
Eileen this is great advise as we are now coming up to wasp season. A couple of things to add to the discussion is that I have read that some variety of wasps do not always leave their sting in you and can actually sting more than once. One other thing I've been advised is to not use tweezers to extract the 'stinger'. The best method is to slide a knife blade along the stinger away from the wound so that it pushes any venom outwards and extracts the stinger at the same time!
Cheers Ag :-)
Katiem2 no problems glad you now know the difference they bite is what hurts the most though.
Its nice to learn the differences between wasps and bees. Thanks for the tips and help on how to treat stings. :)
djbryle, thanks hope you can tell the difference now. cheers.
Wow, this is a helpful hub! Now at least I could try to identify bees and wasps too... =) Thanks for sharing!
beats me, you are not on your own there, although wasps are worse I think.
Thanks for the tips. I've always been afraid of bees. When I see one, I run. harhar!
thanks for replying Eileen
Bayoulady, I would treat the same for bee or wasp as regard to removing the sting then apply ice wrapped in a cloth. Although if you are allergic then you need to use an epipen or similar
jill of all trades, I know what you mean as my husband is also allergic and he really blew up when bitten near a hive and he evidently stripped off as bees go into his clothing. They soaked him in a bath. Must be terrible.
Great tips Eileen!
I discovered I am allergic to bee stings the hard way. I got stung by a bee while in high school and I'll never forget that day because I turned into "monster" that day! My face as well as arms became so bloated I could not even recognize myself! Hahaha!
Thanks for sharing!
Any advice for hornet stings? We are plagued with them this year!
When I was a small child, many parents put tobacco on insect stings. (it worked..the pain seemed to be drawn out..)
bobbiRant, you are so right they are so painful especially wasps. thanks
This is great, I hate bee stings and they linger and hurt like fire too. I vote this up.
lillygrillzit, not sure, but will try and find out for you.
Thank you for sharing this information. I wonder what these large black/blue Wasps are that are huge and sting the dickens out of you are?
kj8 Yes I understand that you can use that but did not mention it as wasnt sure which one they use and did not want to lead anyone astray. Thanks for stopping buy and commenting
My son actually has an anaphylactic reaction to bees, he needs an epipen with him at all times.
Yes I dont blame you for being scared
I am afraid of being stung. Thanks for the advice.
daisyjae, right thanks for that helpful information.
Afterbite is awesome for bee stings, the pain goes away right away.
breakfastpop, yes my husband is allergic to bees so I know what u mean.
Thanks for the advice. I am so afraid of bugs it is insane.
Yes it is a need to know especially if you are allergic to them.
Helpful hub! Great tips on identifying different types of bees and wasps, too.
manthy Level 4 Commenter 9 months ago
Cool - This def works