http://www.care2.com/greenliving/bee-sting-prevention-and-treatment.html
Bee Sting Savvy: Prevention and Treatment
By Melissa Breyer, Producer, Care2 Green Living.
In the midst of a serious and mysterious decline in honeybee colonies, it seems prudent to respect the bees that cross our paths. Swatting, smushing, and spraying should be avoided—and remember that when a honeybee stings you, she dies. Preventing stings is a boon to both the bees and us. Here’s how to reduce the risk of being stung–and just in case, how to best treat bee stings naturally.
Honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate. Nobody is quite sure what is causing the hives’ inhabitants to desert their colonies—now known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)—but it has become a great concern. In the last few years bee populations have declined as much as 60 percent on the West Coast and 70 percent on the East Coast. CCD poses a huge threat to food production as bees are needed to pollinate plants and are extensively used in agriculture for this purpose. And oh the honey!
Seems there is little we can do to help—but if we follow these tips and save a bee or two, it certainly can’t hurt.
Reduce the chance of getting stung (and save a bee):
1. Wear light-colored clothing.
2. Don’t use perfume or soaps, shampoos and deodorants with fragrance.
3. Avoid bananas and banana-scented products.
4. Wear clean clothing and be clean—our sweat makes bees angry.
5. Stay clear of flowering plants.
6. Keep your outside areas clean. Bees and wasps thrive in places with food trash: Picnic tables, grills and other outdoor eating areas.
Understand stinging behavior:
1. If a single bee is pestering you, remain still and cover your face, or lie face down on the ground. (The face is the most likely place for a bee or wasp to sting.)
2. Most bees will not attack if left alone, but swatting at a bee may cause it to sting.
3. If you are attacked by several bees at once your best bet is to run, or jump in water. Bees release a chemical when they sting which alerts other bees to come to their defense. The more bees that have stung you, the stronger the “alarm” will be.
How to treat a sting:
1. Scrape the stinger out as quickly as possible—do not pull or squeeze the stinger out as that may release more venom.
2. Clean with soap and water to prevent infection.
To reduce pain, itch and swelling:
Over the counter sting remedies vary in efficacy and may contain toxic ingredients as harmful as the bee venom! Instead try:
Ice: Ice lessens swelling by constricting vessels and reducing the flow of venom in the blood. And the numbing effect soothes pain and itching.
Baking soda: Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to the sting site. The alkaline nature of the baking soda helps to neutralize the acidity in the venom. You can also mix in some meat tenderizer which contains a naturally occurring enzyme (papain, from papaya) that helps to break down the protein in the venom.
Vinegar: When stung by a wasp, vinegar is the soother of choice. Use this trick to remember: Baking soda for bees (both at the beginning of the alphabet), vinegar for wasps (both at the end of the alphabet).
Toothpaste: Believe it or not, this is a great remedy which works on the same alkaline/acidity premise as baking soda. The presence of small amounts of glycerin in toothpaste may also add to its soothing properties. Also, a small tube of toothpaste is handy to pack in a travel first aid kit or picnic basket.
WHEN TO CALL 911
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 40 to 50 people in the U.S. die each year from allergic reactions to bee stings. Persons with severe reactions to insect stings should wear a medical ID bracelet and carry an insect allergy kit.
There are several signs of an allergic reaction to bee stings. Look for swelling that moves to other parts of the body, especially the face or neck. Check for difficulty in breathing, wheezing, dizziness or a drop in blood pressure. Get the person immediate medical care if any of these signs are present. Also seek emergency treatment if a person has been stung in the nose, mouth or throat—swelling in these areas may interfere with breathing.
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add your comment »Sting season has begun! Learn how to cure stings instantly at http://www.beestingcure.com/order
Bee Sting Cure Field Testing on
http://www.YouTube.com/BeeStingCure
George Ciccarone of Cincinnati's WKRC-TV interviews Ray Baker and others about the effectiveness of Baker's Venom Cleanser on stings in people as the stings occurs. This is a must see amazing video about how to cure bee stings with Baker's Venom Cleanser.
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With the beginning of summer comes the blooming of trees, gardens and flowers, which in turn attracts bees and wasps of all kinds. But that is not the end of the worry of a sting. Many stings take place during the fall months. Reason being, bees and wasps are cold blooded insects and they linger around people in order to absorb the body heat of humans, therefore increasing the chances of getting stung.
Last week, I witnessed a 4 year old girl with her hand and forearm swollen to her elbow, from a wasp sting that she received to her fingertip the day before. The sight of her hand and arm brought tears to my eyes because I knew that if she had had Baker's Venom Cleanser available when see was stung, none of her discomfort would have elevated to that extreme point of swelling and discomfort.
Our web site http://www.BeeStingcure.com has under gone some new additions worth taking a look at. Old news commentary video footage from 1988 has been added to http://www.YouTube.com/BeeStingCure and the link is available at our site.
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If you read The Live of Bees, the girl is told to hum. I have tried that and it works. Sit or stand still and hum. The bees move away.
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I've never seen the homeopathic remedy, Apis Mellifica NOT work! It's like a miracle. I also ask stinging insects to leave my home, and they always do.
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I've never seen the homeopathic remedy, Apis Mellifica NOT work! It's like a miracle. I also ask stinging insects to leave my home, and they always do.
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1st, CCD has just recently been discovered to have a comon virile link amongst its victims (bees, & eventually us). The cause though, is NOT one thing. It's happening because the bees are weak from all the demands humans put on them, and CCD goes far beyond one continent. Bees are overworked, held to a form of hostage slave labor due to them not being able to leave their queen kept in captivity, pesticides, having THEIR honey (they flew the equivalent to around the world to produce a mere amount) replaced with the cheapest of corn syrups, and in OUR stealing their wax which covers their honey supply for storage, my only research leads me to believe it's not possibly to get without killing bees. The cell phone thing may be true, but probably isn't. What's currently known about CCD is that bees get the virus because THEY'RE WEAK. We NEED to be more respectful to these amazing creatures. I no longer buy honey or beeswax. I use Agave Nectar and soy, nut, or veggie waxes. I'm not taking chances & think it's mean, but better co's are: Zapatista, Clarks, Burt's, & Ambrosia. Zapatista gets there's free range, which is RARE, & the owner told me he visited the caves w/out beekeeper protection, came out, & "the wise man" said he knew he didn't get bit but the other guy did. "The bees sense if you're they're friend." He also said he'd never been bit in all the years he's gathered ONLY SOME of their honey, the extra, & had NEVER warn a suit. I'll buy anything Zapat
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I got stung by a bee on my thigh 2 days ago. It had crawled up my pantleg and got trapped in there. It gave me all it had. It felt like it was drilling into my leg and actually drew blood! I had chewed up some plantain right away and applied it to the sting area, which usually works well for me. However, this time it didn't do a thing. I also applied tea tree oil and witch hazel, which also usually work for me. I also soaked in an epsom salt bath. Then I finally broke down and took some benedryl and rubbed it down with hydrocortizone cream. All that did is make me sleepy! I just measured it and it has swelled up to 9" by 7". can I just say YEEOWCH!? I haven't tried the baking soda or toothpaste yet. I'll try those things.
any other suggestions?
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I have heard tea tree oil works well on bee stings.
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Has anyone heard of using an onion on a bee sting? This has always been the remedy in my family from at least my great grandparents, maybe longer. We just cut off a chunk of onion and put the cut portion on the sting. When I first did it to my husband it worked so well he duct taped it to his arm where he got stung and went back outside to work. I would be interested if anyone else uses this or knows why it works.
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For itchiness, I used a 1-10% solution of teatree oil to alcohol in a spray bottle for affected/infected areas from both bites and ivy.
Although sleep-inducing, Benadryl (pill/capsule) taken internally will also reduce swelling and itchiness from allergic reactions/hives.
For anyone allergic to bee stings--please keep an epinephrine shot/pen and Benadryl on hand to reduce swelling and prevent the possibility of asphyxiation; to buy time en route to the hospital. My in-laws keep one around just in case (as well as snakebite kit), even though the "kids" have outgrown their childhood allergies.
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