First Aid for Bee and Wasp Stings

When a bee or wasp stings you, the distinctions that make one insect a bee and one a wasp hardly matter. However, it's important for you to know one distinguishing factor: wasps are more aggressive than bees.

Bees are “vegetarian,” feeding their young only nectar, and they live in hives built from natural wax secretions. Bumblebees and honeybees simply look for nectar and pollen to take back to their hives for food. If you leave them alone, chances are, they will ignore your un-honeyed arm or leg.

Wasps (also called hornets) are more belligerent. They, too, go after pollen and nectar, but because their tongues are shorter, they are unable to get nectar from many flowers that bees can. Therefore, wasps feed their young other insects in addition to nectar. Wasps build their nests from paper or wood, or they burrow into the ground. Yellow jackets are a type of wasp.

A honeybee (left) looks similar to a
yellow jacket (right), but it is much less aggressive.

At First Bite: Symptoms of Bee and Wasp Stings

One sting from a bee or a wasp will cause a burning feeling at the site of the bite. It will hurt—probably a lot—but the pain will be localized. The site might swell, turn red, and itch. Multiple stings are more serious. They can cause fever, headache, muscle cramps, and drowsiness.

Stings are not usually life-threatening, but they can be if you have an allergy to the bee's venom. Signs of allergic reaction include nausea, excessive swelling, trouble breathing, bluish face and lips, choking, shock, and unconsciousness. If someone is sensitive to bee stings or if someone receives multiple stings (which can create an allergic reaction even in non-allergic persons), call for emergency help immediately. Watch the victim's vital signs and treat for shock or breathing difficulties if necessary.

Another crucial difference between bees and wasps lies in what happens when they sting. When a bee stings, it leaves both its stinger and a venom sac inside the victim's skin. Even though there's retribution in the fact that the bee “committed suicide,” its venom sac gets implanted in the skin and continues to release foreign secretions.

When a wasp stings, it leaves behind only a stinger, no excess venom. And sometimes it doesn't even leave the stinger. Sometimes the stinger stays intact on the insect, enabling it to sting again and again. It's not uncommon for one yellow jacket to sting seven or more times before its stinger “drops off” in a person's skin.

However, treatment is the same for bee stings (which leave venom sacs and stingers) and wasp stings (which leave stingers but no sacs).

1. If the stinger is clearly visible in the skin, gently “scoop” it out with the edge of a toothpick, a long fingernail, or a pocket knife.

"Scoop" out the stinger with a knife,
using an upward prying motion.
2. Wash the affected area with soap and cold water. Then apply ice in a compress or wrapped in a towel or cloth to alleviate pain and slow down the body's venom absorption. (Always wrap the ice before placing it on the skin; plain ice sticks and causes more irritation.)
3. Apply calamine lotion or a mixture of baking soda and water.
4. If the victim is not allergic, you can give him or her aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen to help relieve the pain. If that seems to take care of it, the treatment is finished. If you are treating a more serious bee sting or multiple stings, proceed with the steps.
5. For multiple stings, soak the entire affected area in cool water. If necessary, place the victim in a tub of cool water. Add one tablespoon of baking soda for every quart of water.
6. If the victim has an allergic reaction, call for emergency help. Then have the victim lie in a prone position. Keep the affected area immobile and, if possible, lower than the heart. This will slow down the venom's circulation.
7. Tie a strip of cloth, a belt, a watchband, or the sleeve of a shirt two to four inches above the affected area. The bandage should be snug, but loose enough to fit a finger underneath it. (This ensures that you are not completely cutting off circulation.)
8. If the affected area starts to swell near the strip of cloth, tie another strip two to four inches above the first. Then remove the first strip.

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to First Aid Basics © 1996 by Stephen J. Rosenberg, M.D. and Karla Dougherty. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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