Table of Contents
Bee Sting Cures
"A bee sting strictly means a sting from a bee (honeybee, bumblebee, sweat bee etc). In the vernacular it can mean a sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, yellowjacket or sawfly. Some people may even call the bite of a horsefly a bee sting. The stings of most of these species can be quite painful, and are therefore an object of dread for many humans.
It is important to differentiate a bee sting from an insect bite. It is also important to recognize that the venom or toxin of stinging insects is quite different. Therefore, the body's reaction to a bee sting may differ significantly from one species to another.
The most aggressive stinging insects are wasps (including bald-faced hornets) but not in general hornets (the European hornet is gentle). All of these insects aggressively defend their nests, although they have not developed a sting targeted at mammals like the honeybees.
In people who are allergic to bee stings, a sting may trigger a dangerous anaphylactic reaction that is potentially deadly. All be stings, including all species of bees release pheromones." (Wikipedia)
DISCLAIMER
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
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ACTIVATED CHARCOAL
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[YEA] 12/14/2011: Cameron from Brisbane, Qld, Australia writes: "I have used Charcoal for dozens of things, for Bee Stings use a Dressing, Make Up Removing Pad or even a Tissue; give it a soaking in water and put some Activated Charcoal on it. Put this Poultice on the sting, pain should be gone in under a minute. I have used this several times for Bee stings, it also works for ants and wasps, it would be my first choice for any poison including snakes but I would also rush to the ER for a Snake Bite."
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[YEA] 05/05/2008: Gean from Salina, Kansas writes: "I am very allergic to bee stings. I had gotten stung a few times during my childhood and teens, each time with more severe swelling. The last time I had gotten stung (stepped on a bee going barefoot), my leg swelled up like an elephant leg all the way to the thigh (the time before that it was just above the knee). So I knew it would be worse the next time, so I carried an Epi-pen around for a while until it expired. Then I carried nothing with me, but I knew if I got stung again esp. above the waist it would probably cut off my airway circulation. Well, lo and behold, about 20 years later I got stung again, right on my throat, so I yelled for my husband to call 911, thinking I was done for. Then a few seconds later I said, "Never mind! Hang up and help me mix up this charcoal!" So we took some powdered activated charcoal, mixed it with water, and applied it to the sting site. When the paramedics showed up a few minutes later (they had traced the call), we told them we were fine, since there was no swelling at all. I changed the charcoal poultice quite often during that first day, I don't remember exactly how often. Maybe every hour for a few hours. We also ground up some flax seed and mixed it with the charcoal and water. This makes it gelatinous and less runny. I kept the poultice on for about 3 days. Two days later I felt it itch and begin to swell, and then I realized the poultice had slipped off the sting site. So I knew I was still very allergic, and the charcoal had probably saved my life."
Replies09/20/2008: Ruth from Dennisport, MA replies: "The symptoms you describe are a localized reaction to the bee sting, not an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions are systemic (through your whole body) like hives. Even though the reaction can be painful and scary, it is not an allergic one. Treatment includes elevating the affected part, steroids and antibiotics (main stream medicine). Don't worry about an epi-pen unless you have some kind of affected breathing."
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AMMONIA
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[YEA] 11/06/2010: Henry814 from Valdosta, Georgia, Usa writes: "This is a boy scout remedy that I have know since my first camping trip. All bee and wasp stings are acidic. The best counter of these poison is ammonia. I was stung by a ground wasp on my leg. My scout master asked me to pee on a handkerchief and wrap the wound until we got back to our camp site. He gave me the "smelling salt" liquid, which is ammonia. I felt pain for a while, but the wound subsided very quick. Since then, I always have a bottle of household ammonia handy in the backyard. Fire-ant bites are the same. Try it. See if it work for you."
Replies[YEA] 11/07/2010: Ellen from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada replies: "Another excellent remedy for stings and bites is oil of oregano. You get instant relief and a reduction in swelling. Oil of oregano can be applied for many problems, but it should be taken interally for only a very short time as it will eventually eat away at your organs. I cured my candida in two weeks using oil of oregano, taking 4 drops 3 times per day. After this time, I stopped and the candida never came back. It's easy and very effective. Good luck. Sue"
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APIS MEL
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[YEA] 08/24/2007: GT from Vero beach, Florida writes: "Had a nasty bee sting recently. Used homeopathic Apis mel. low potency like 6C Immed. took the pain, sting, swelling away!"
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APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
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[YEA] 07/28/2011: Cheryl from Abilene, Tx writes: "went outside barefoot and stepped on a red wasp - it stung me - instense pain - came in the house and applied Apple Cider Vinegar with a paper towel - within a few minutes the pain was gone and didn't even know i'd been stung - Apple Cider Vinegar works better than bleach on a sting."
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[YEA] 07/07/2011: Sheila from San Diego, Ca, Usa writes: "Running barefoot in the grass when there is something flowering amongst said grass isn't the smartest thing to do -- I was stung on my instep by a bee this afternoon.
My foot was on fire! Poor bee, though. I managed to get the stinger out after limping to my picnic blanket. It was the most painful thing I've felt in a long while. I limped to my car to get home for an ACV soak.
I didn't use straight ACV, but diluted it, so that's probably why I didn't have a miraculous recovery like others on EC. It took about 15 minutes to get the discomfort to lessen. There's still a mild throb, but I can walk just fine now. There is still a little swelling, which is better than a lot of swelling. I'll be using straight ACV next time. Hopefully there isn't a next time."
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[YEA] 08/13/2010: Laurie from Saukville, Wi writes: "I was outside on the deck yesterday and got stung by a wasp. I rushed inside to see what Earthclinic viewers recommended. Took some ACV and applied it with a cotton ball, then held it there about two minutes. Pain gone and redness gone. It works!"
Replies[YEA] 06/21/2011: Honor from Seattle, Wa replies: "Worked great for a bumble bee sting right to the arch of my foot. Pain gone after about a minute. Hope the bee made it. :("
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[YEA] 05/20/2010: Jamie from San Jose, Ca, Usa writes: "My poor grandmother suffering from dementia was stung by a bee recently. She tried icing it for about 10 minutes and was still in pain so i checked this website and read that ACV was good for bee stings. We soaked a cotton ball with organic ACV and applied it directly to the sting and her pain was completely gone in 3 minutes!! I love ACV!!"
Replies07/19/2010: Molly from Greenville, N.c Usa replies: "I raise ducks and geese as pets and my neighbors wanted two. So when they came over to pick them up, the ducklings jumped out and ran to a bush. Well, we didn't know that there was three yellowjacket nests there. Within minutes there were 30 or so on this one duckling (3 weeks old) and he was dark colored so it attracted them even more. I picked out all the YJ's and ran inside and got Dawn dishwasher detergent and washed the wounds. Then I picked out the stingers and drowned the wounds in ACV. When I taught a water safety course at school, I learned that putting ACV on a jellyfish wound would stop the pain, so I tried putting it on a YJ sting. It worked in a short period of time. Thanks! :))"
[YEA] 08/09/2010: Trevor from East Corinth, V.t. Usa replies: "The Apple Cider Vinegar remedy worked very well. My sting went away immediately."
08/09/2010: E.j. from Brevard, N.c., Usa replies: "Hi Trevor, Started to use last month and it helped lower my number. (I am a prediabetic). Would like to ask if anyone knows the different from blackstrap molasses and sorghum syrup? The reason I am asking is sorghum is grown local in my area of NC. And N. GA. It is also a grass! I have some in my shelves. Thank you for any answer! E.G."
[YEA] 07/03/2011: Carina from Cochranville, Pa, Usa replies: "A pesky little bee stung me on the arch of my foot today, and since ACV seems to do the trick for so many things, I tried it on the bee sting. Two minutes later: no swelling, pain OR itch as I usually get and I never thought about it again! YEA for ACV!"
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[YEA] 08/27/2009: Russell from Denton, Texas, Usa writes: "Hi,
I was stung on the toe (ouch!) by a nasty red wasp this morning while taking out the trash... my business partner referred me to this site and I read about Apple Cider Vinegar. Thankfully, I had just bought some last night for the first time, and quickly submerged my toe. Within 10 seconds, the pain was almost completely gone. 5 minutes ago I was unable to sit still because of all the pain, and now I feel great!
Thank you for the great advice.
Sincerely,
Russell"
[YEA] 11/21/2009: Turtlewalk from Santa Ana, Ca replies: "My daughter was saving a bee from the pool today (doubt she'll do that again) and got stung on her thumb. It began to swell immediately. We put baking soda on it and iced & elevated it. She kept asking for relief from the pain. I found this site and dunked her thumb in Apple Cider Vinegar a few minutes ago. She says the pain is almost gone."
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[YEA] 06/15/2008: Nick from Colorado, Colorado writes: "I was watering my plants and my finger touched a living bumblebee and it stung me and it hurt bad. So I put 4tbs. of apple cider vinegar on it and it worked in a minute!"
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[YEA] 08/17/2007: Mary from Dartmouth, Massachusetts writes: "I was doing some yard work and must have upset a hornets nest. The hornets were swarming around on the ground and I was stung on the leg and on my forearm before I realized what was going on. I was a bit frightened since the last time I was stung by a hornet, many years ago, my arm swelled up a lot and was very itchy so I was afraid of a more severe reaction. I had recently read how ACV worked on so many things, I immediately put ACV on the stings. Within a minute or two, the pain from the stings was gone! The next day there wasn't even a mark where I got stung. Amazing!"
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[YEA] 09/28/2006: Sandy from Caldwell, TX writes: "Apple Cider Vinegar will cure an allergic reaction to many stings by killer bees. An elderly woman who lives alone out in the country told me this story. She had a gentleman fixing fence for her in a pasture when he disturbed a nest of African killer bees. They swarmed him and he ran to his truck and drove to the womans house. He fell out of his truck and drug himself up to her gate and yelled at her to help him. She said by the time she got outside his eyes were rolling back in his head and all he said to her was some bees had stung him . She ran back into her house and got a shotglass of apple cider vinegar and took it out to him. She shook him and told him he had to drink the ACV so he opened his mouth and she poured a small amount in. He refused to drink anymore so she set it by him while she ran in to call 911. She said by the time she went back outside the man was sitting up and had drank the rest of the ACV. By the time the EMT's got there the man was up walking around. They checked him out and said he was fine. The man said he never goes anywhere without a bottle of ACV just in case because it saved his life. He swears by it."
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APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA
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[YEA] 03/28/2007: Sharon from Vinings, GA writes: "I was trying to put a wasp outside that had flown into my kitchen (not a believer in killing any wildlife)... unfortunately it stung me through the paper towel as I lifted it from the window. Ouch!! I immediately dunked my finger in apple cider vinegar and baking soda (2 TBLS ACV and a shake of Baking Sod). The pain subsided after about 30 seconds and never returned. FAST REMEDY!"
Replies[YEA] 07/02/2008: Crystal from Liberty, KY replies: "My son was stung and we used this! It worked GREAT! THX"
09/18/2009: Valeria from Windsor, Sc replies: "umm my dad just got stung by like 5 yellowjackets should i just use 2tbls and a shake or more than that for my remedy??"
[YEA] 10/21/2009: Laurie from San Antonio, Tx replies: "I was stung by a bee or wasp earlier today. I put tea tree oil on it immediately, which helped a little, but I kept having shooting, stinging pains all day and by the evening the area around the sting was hot, red, and sore. I read your site and tried the apple cider vinegar and baking soda remedy and it worked instantly! All the pain is gone and it feels fine. Thank you!"
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APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, TURMERIC
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[YEA] 08/29/2009: Cathy from Pattonville, Tx writes: "Today while mowing by the bee hives, I was stung at least 20 times by my honey bees. Once I was able to get back into the house I quickly took 1 tablet of Turmeric and then grabbed the gallon bottle of Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and gauze pads. I checked all the stings and removed the remaining stingers, then soaked the gauze with the pure ACV and wiped all the stings. I was stung on my face, in my ear, on my arms and back. Within minutes I could feel subsidence of the stings except for a couple, so I also took 30 drops of white willow in water for pain. I began to feel woozy and tingly on my feet so I layed down and concentrated on lowering my heart rate. Within an hour of the stings, there was only some redness on most stings and small pain if I touched the sting sites. No swelling occurred at any of the sites and now I feel just fine. I believe my quick action noted above curbed the potential for a very serious reaction to the stings."
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BAKING SODA
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[YEA] 07/19/2009: Stacy Edgar from Agoura Hills, CA writes: "I set my arm down on a bee this afternoon and was stung (for the first time). I remembered reading about baking soda and bee stings from this site so I mixed baking soda and water together (just enough water to make a nice, thick paste) and put it over the bee sting sight. I held it there by putting a bag over it to keep it from drying out too quickly. It immediately helped to take away the pain and within an hour or so, almost all of the pain was gone. Thanks!"
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[YEA] 07/11/2008: Robin from Walhalla, SC writes: "I recently had a bad burn from a lawn mower. I put burn medicine on it, but it didn't put out the fire at all. I read a post on here about baking soda, and decided to try it. I made a thick paste out of baking soda and water and put it all over the burn. It was amazing! The fire went out of the burn IMMEDIATELY. I few days later, my son was stung by a wasp. I made the same paste and put it on his sting and it took the pain away for him. It worked on a four year old who was screaming in pain."
Replies[YEA] 10/26/2011: Kerian from Jefferson, Arkansas replies: "I got stung by a hornet on Sunday. Here it is Wednesday and the pain has intensified and the swelling is really bad. I'm 16 and I asked my mom what I could do and she referred me to this site. I saw the baking soda and decided to try it. I put it on 30 minutes ago and the swelling has gone down and the pain is next to none. Thank you guys so much for telling me about this. I'll never forget to use this when I get stung!!!"
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[YEA] 10/17/2007: Anna from Waxahachie, USA writes: "Whenever i get a bee sting, my mom always told me to mix baking soda and water together and put it on my bee sting. I works great! I do it all the time, and the stinger comes right out"
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BOUNCE DRYER SHEETS
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[YEA] 08/08/2008: Lore from Walnut Creek, Ca 94595, U writes: "To stop yellow jacket attraction: "Bounce"sheets as repellents for yellow jackets, pieces tucked into golf shoes, belt and rubbed around ears and neck. It helps but smell is so bad."
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BREAST MILK
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[YEA] 04/24/2008: Shannon from Tyler, TX writes: "We were at a Renaissance Festival far from anywhere civilized...and my 18 month old got stung by a bee. I did not have the requisite first aid kit in the vehicle, so my mother said to put expressed milk on his thumb. Before the application, the thumb was red, hot to the touch, and swollen. Thirty minutes later it was no longer swollen or hot, but it was still red. One hour later it was not even red with the exception of a small dot to show where the sting was."
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COPPER PENNY
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[YEA] 05/14/2009: Baldelune from Rainier, WA writes: "Bee/Hornet Sting Remedy:
While we welcome Spring, the bees and hornets (and their stings) can make for a bad day. IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO BEE/HONET STINGS AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT SUBJECT A LIFE-THREATENIG STING REACTION, try this very simple remedy for a bee or hornet sting: tape a copper penny directly over the site of the sting and leave it in place for several hours. UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO STINGS, this simple remedy will reduce the effects of a or bee/hornet sting. It also helps reduce the swelling and soreness that follow a sting. I don't know why it works, nor do I care; it works. Once you have tied this remedy, I believe you will agree that a simple penny has great value.. If you ARE allergic to insect stings, however, disregard the above suggestion and promptly go to the nearest Emergancy Room for medical treatment."
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DAIRY CREAM
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[YEA] 04/15/2009: Shirley from Yuma, Az. US writes: "After being stung by 2 bees, I imediately ran for the dairy cream, as I remembered a story I read many years ago about this. I put the cream on the stings, and the welts and pain were gone in 45 SECONDS. Amazing! I will always use this remedy, and spread the news everywhere I can."
EC: Dairy cream - aka heavy whipping cream
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GARLIC
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[YEA] 07/27/2011: Jeff from Wells, Vt writes: "For a bee sting crush a glove of garlic through a garlic press and place it on the stung area. Relief comes within a few minutes."
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HOMEOPATHICS
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[YEA] 08/07/2011: Lover Of Truth from Bloomington, In writes: "I recently took my mother's truck to the gas station to be filled up. It had been sitting in the field unused for some time so when I went to open the gas tank I hand no idea there was a mini wasp's nest inside. It literally was a second or less before I was stung after opening the hinged lid. It was the most painful sting I've ever had and went super deep inside. Unfortunately it was a half an hour or so before I could treat it which may have contributed the the reaction. My hands over a 5 hour period swelled up like balloons and stayed that way for days. It was so bad I could not fully clench my hand nor see my knuckles. At any rate I tried everything I knew. I tools lots of MSM and c. I took benadryl. I took lots of bromelein on a empty stomach. I took apple cider finger internally and topically. I also tried bentonite clay. Nothing seemed to help. Now so could say it was just time but when I put the first dose of a gel made for stings on my wound at night by the next morning the swelling had reduced by 80-90%. I was so impressed I kept putting it on my hand till by the next day it was totally healed. For those interested some of the ingredients included arnica, calendula, echinacea, hypericum, ledum, and pyrethrum. This site in my opinion is like a science test so if others experience something similar I'd be interested to see if it works as a general rule or was just an isolated incident."
Replies08/07/2011: Andrea C from Cardiff, Wales replies: "RUB VINIGAR ON IT. IT WORKS! ALSO DOCK LEAVES. U ALWAYS FIND DOCK LEAVES GROWING BY NETTLES. THEY NEAUTRALISE THE FORMIC ACID IN THE STING, SAME 4 ANT STINGS. LOVE ANDREA C X X X"
08/07/2011: Lover Of Truth from Bloomington, In replies: "I apologize for so many typos. I wrote this on my iPad which not only wrongly autocorrects typos often due to the keyboard but also would not let me scroll up the form to make corrections. Hopefully you can figure out what the sentences should read as this truly was helpful for me. I'd like to know others could use this information to get relief."
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HONEY
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[YEA] 10/14/2010: Amanda from Sacramento, Ca writes: "My two year old daughter got stung by a bee at a friends house. I had to think quick on what to use that they would have and knowing honey is a natural antiseptic I applied it to her sting. It took less than a minute for her to stop crying and wanting to play again. It worked amazingly. The honey was not organic or raw just store brand. Although at my house we use all organic raw honey which is great. We use it as a face wash and I love it for my Acne prone skin."
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[YEA] 09/28/2007: Sandy from Bethlehem, PA writes: "I have found that nothing works better for me for a bee sting than pure raw honey. Just dab a little bit on the sting and cover with a bandaid. The enzymes in the honey neutralize the bee venom and the pain from the sting will subside within 1-5 minutes. No lie! It also helps to draw out the stinger. Works for wasp and hornet stings as well."
Replies[YEA] 07/18/2008: Anne from Rancho Cordova, California replies: "Bee Sting Remedies: Being English, this was my first inclination. So when checking this site I was pleased to see it listed. Following the instructions exactly, it really did work in 5mins. on a gentleman of 72 yrs of age and I felt very comfortable using it on a senior. Thanks Anne...
P.S. a dab and cover with a badaid. I barely put a little Honey on the tip of my finger, smeared it, then applied it to the yellowjacket sting, which was on the ear and quite a few hours old."
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