If you’ve ever had the unfortunate luck of getting stung by a bee, you know how unbearable the after-effects can be. Since everyone is different the body’s reaction and response to pain management treatments will differ from person to person. Luckily there are a ton of remedies out there! Here are the first steps you should take when stung, and a few home remedies that exist to help soothe the pain while your body heals:

So you’ve been stung, what should you do first? Your first order of business is to check if the insect left their stinger behind, and remove it as soon as possible if necessary. Honeybees are known for losing their stinger when they sting, but most wasps and other bees do not. Avoid using your fingers or tweezers while removing, as that can cause more poison to be squeezed into the wound. For best results, scape at the stringer with your nail or a credit card until it wiggles free.

But what if I’m allergic? If you know that you have a bee sting allergy, call your doctor immediately and go the the emergency room. If you’ve never been stung before, or haven’t been previously diagnosed with an allergy, look for symptoms of an allergic reaction. These can include, but are not limited to, difficulty breathing, hives or rash, swelling of the face, throat or mouth, anxiety, heightened heart rate, or dizziness. Any of these symptoms can be a sign of an allergic reaction and should be brought to the attention of your health care provider immediately.

I don’t appear to be allergic, just in pain. What can I do? As we mentioned earlier, the poison left behind by a bee’s stinger can cause severe discomfort for hours, and sometimes days after the initial sting. Taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen and running the sting under cold water is a good start, but if that doesn’t help, here are a few tricks you can try to relieve the pain:

  • Icing the sting for 20 minutes can cause rapid relief, lasting up to 5 hours.
  • Applying toothpaste to the site should relieve itching in 15 minutes and can last up to 5 hours as well.
  • Mixing vinegar, baking soda and meat tenderizer, and applying it to the sting should make symptoms disappear within an hour. Reapply as needed.
  • Rubbing calamine lotion or hydrocortisone into the bee sting will provide up to 4 hours of moderate relief.
  • Fitting for a bee sting, applying honey to the site can soothe the wound and alleviate symptoms slightly for about a half hour.

For more home bee sting relief remedies, click here!

Dealing with a bee or wasp infestation is no simple task, which is why we recommend you seek expert advice. If you need to have a nest removed, or would just like to take precautionary measures to keep your friends and family from being stung this summer, call Pest Control Unlimited at 888-649-9919 today!