Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Treating Bites
• Part 2 of 2: Recognizing Bites
• Tips
• Warnings
• Additional articles

Bee and wasp stings are unpleasant and painful, although they go away rather quickly. In most cases, home remedies are sufficient and the bite will heal within a few hours, sometimes one to two days. In this case, one should distinguish between bee stings and wasps. You also need to know how acutely your body reacts to the bites of these insects in order to seek medical help in time if necessary.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Treating Bites

1. 1 Assess your body's response to bites. If you have been bitten by bees and wasps frequently in the past, or have received multiple stings, then you may develop an allergic reaction to the protein contained in the venom of these insects. An acute reaction to the bite may require further treatment or medical attention.
   • At soft reactions, irritation is localized exclusively in the area of ​​the bite. A red swelling with a diameter of about 1-1.5 centimeters may appear at the site of the bite. In some people, the swelling reaches 5 centimeters in diameter.The bite may itch. Often in the center of the swelling, where the sting pierced the skin, a white speck forms.
   • At moderate the reaction is the same as in the mild version, however, 1-2 days after the bite, the affected area grows, and its diameter exceeds 5 centimeters. Typically, the peak of a moderate reaction occurs in the first 48 hours and lasts 5-10 days.
   • Heavy a bite reaction is accompanied by the same symptoms as a mild to moderate reaction, as well as chronic rash (hives), diarrhea, coughing or difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue and throat, weak and fast pulse, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness. Urgent measures must be taken, otherwise such a reaction can be fatal. If you experience any of these symptoms after being bitten, you should call emergency medical attention immediately. If you are allergic to bee or wasp stings and have an adrenaline autoinjector (Epipen, Auvi-Q or other), inject yourself or ask someone to help you. Press the autoinjector against your thigh and hold it there for a few seconds. Wait for the ambulance to arrive.
2. 2 Determine which insect stung you. First aid actions will depend on which insect stung you: a bee or a wasp. However, in both cases, the first step is to reduce the discomfort and swelling at the site of the bite.
   • Wasps do not leave a sting, while in honey bees (but not bumblebees), the sting is serrated and remains in the skin after being bitten.
3. 3 Take first aid measures if there is no sting left after the bite. Gently wash the bite with soap and water. Use cold water to reduce discomfort, as hot or warm water will increase blood circulation at the site of the bite, leading to increased swelling. Then apply a cold compress or ice to the bite to reduce the swelling. If you are using ice, place a towel under it to avoid damaging your skin. Apply a cold compress or ice for 20 minutes every hour until you feel relief.
   • If the bite is very itchy, you can take an oral antihistamine to help relieve itching. An over-the-counter corticosteroid ointment can also help reduce the histamine response at the site of the bite.
   • If you feel pain at the site of the bite, you can take ibuprofen (Nurofen) or paracetamol (Panadol, Efferalgan). Follow the instructions supplied with the drug.
4. 4 Take first aid measures if a sting remains after the bite. The first step is to remove the sting. It should be located in the center of the bite site. A bag of poison is attached to the sting, so the poison continues to enter the body even after the bee has flown away. Not pull out the sting with your fingers or tweezers, as this will squeeze the bag, and the poison will enter your body faster. Wash your hands instead and then scrape the tip of the nail at the site of the bite to grab the sting and pull it out without squeezing the bag of poison. You can also scrape the bite with the edge of your credit card.
   • As with a wasp sting, wash the affected area with soap and water and apply a cold compress or ice to reduce swelling and discomfort. If you are using ice, place a towel under it to avoid damaging your skin.
   • To reduce inflammation, itching, and discomfort, you can take an over-the-counter antihistamine or apply a corticosteroid ointment to the bite.
5. 5 Use home remedies. For common bites that do not cause an allergic reaction (see below), home remedies are sufficient after first aid. In most cases, all symptoms caused by the bite will resolve within a few hours or 1-2 days. Various home remedies can be used to relieve symptoms. Try the following:
   • Prepare an ointment with baking soda and water and apply it to the bite.Baking soda can help soothe itching, swelling and irritation.
   • Apply honey to the bite to reduce swelling and discomfort. Honey has antibacterial properties.
   • Crush a couple of cloves of garlic and brush the bite with the resulting juice. Garlic also has antibacterial properties.
   • Lavender essential oil can help relieve pain after a bee or wasp sting - apply a couple of drops of the oil to the bite.
6. 6 Observe the symptoms for a while. For most people, the bite does not have a violent reaction, and the swelling and itching go away within a few hours with home remedies. However, the more severe the body's reaction to the bite, the longer the symptoms last. Pay attention to the following symptoms, which may appear within minutes to one hour after the bite - they indicate a severe reaction to the bite. Seek medical attention immediately if you develop any of these symptoms.
   • abdominal pain;
   • feeling of fear;
   • shortness of breath and wheezing;
   • a feeling of discomfort and tightness in the chest;
   • cough;
   • diarrhea;
   • dizziness;
   • rash and itching;
   • strong heartbeat;
   • unclear speech;
   • swelling of your face, tongue, or eyes;
   • loss of consciousness.
   • Be aware that acute reactions such as prolonged symptoms for several months, serum sickness, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and secondary parkinsonism (similar to Parkinson's disease) have been observed with bee and wasp stings after anaphylactic shock. However, such cases are extremely rare.

Part 2 of 2: Recognizing Bites

1. 1 Distinguish between wasps and bees. Although they both sting painfully and can be confused, in order to properly treat a bite, you need to know the difference between them and be able to distinguish between them. Bees and wasps belong to the order Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera) insects, however, they differ in appearance and behavior:
   • Bees and wasps have different body proportions. The body length of the bees is about 2.5 centimeters. Some bees are completely black, others have a black or brown body with yellow stripes. In addition, the body of the bee is covered with hairs. Unlike bees, wasps have a narrow waist and a sleek, shiny body. Bees have two wings, and wasps have four.
   • Bees live in much larger colonies of over 75,000, while wasp colonies have fewer than 10,000 insects. In the winter, the wasps hibernate and the bees are awake, although they hide in the hive during the cold winter months. Unlike all types of bees, wasps do not produce honey. Bees feed on pollen and nectar of plants, while wasps, in addition to pollen, also eat insects.
   • The honey bee can only sting once. Bees have a serrated sting, which, when bitten, breaks off the body of the insect and remains in the skin of the victim. After the attack, the honey bee dies. At the same time, a wasp or bumblebee can sting several times.
2. 2 Take a closer look at what the bite site looks like. Bee and wasp stings are very similar. If you do not notice the insect itself, then it will be difficult for you to determine who exactly stung you. Pay attention to the following signs:
   • Sharp sharp pain at the site of the bite.
   • Red swelling that occurs within minutes of being bitten.
   • Small white spot where the sting pierced the skin.
   • There may be slight swelling around the bite site.
   • Look closely for a sting in the center of the swollen area that the honey bee may have left.
   • Act according to which insect stung you, and pay attention to the body's reaction.
3. 3 Don't provoke bees and wasps. As a rule, bees behave peacefully and only attack when provoked, while wasps are more aggressive because they are predators. If there are wasps or bees nearby, do not make sudden movements. Try to slowly leave the hazardous area. If you try to swat a wasp or bee, it may sting you.The best way to avoid wasps and bumblebee bites is to keep them out of your territory.
   • Wasps and bumblebees are attracted to sugary drinks, food, and food waste. If you are going to have a picnic in nature, take out the food only before you eat, and hide it immediately after eating to avoid attracting insects. Check the contents of glasses and plates to avoid accidentally swallowing an insect.
   • Cover debris tightly to keep insects away.
   • When working in your garden, do not wear yellow, white, or any other color that resembles plant flowers, as this can attract insects. Use red clothing whenever possible, as bees and wasps do not perceive this color. Do not wear too loose clothing that insects can get underneath.
   • Minimize insect-attracting odors. Try not to use perfume, cologne, scented soaps, hair spray, or other perfume products.
   • Don't go barefoot. Bees and wasps often descend to the ground.
   • Do not turn on the street light unnecessarily at night. Light attracts insects and predators that hunt them - for example, wasps.
   • Don't try to crush the wasp. When killed, this insect releases a chemical that attracts other wasps. When bitten, bees also secrete a substance that attracts their fellow bees.

Tips

• Try to find out who stung you: a bee or a wasp. If there is a sting in the skin, do not try to squeeze it out.
• In most cases, the reaction to a bee or wasp sting goes away within a few hours.
• Assess your allergic reaction to the bite. Call an ambulance immediately if necessary.

Warnings

• Call an ambulance if you have an acute reaction to a bee or wasp sting. Your healthcare team will give you an adrenaline injection to help relieve your symptoms. The injection will decrease the histamine response, increase blood pressure, and decrease the compression of the lungs. In an acute reaction, a delay in the injection of epinephrine can be fatal.

Additional articles

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