bees

What to do when a bee stings you?

Bees may be tiny in size, but the pain caused by their stings is immense. They can scare many with their buzz. However, bees attack only if they feel threatened.

When these tiny insects sting, their stinger stays behind in the skin of the victim releasing venom into the body.

The venom released by the stinger is cytotoxic, which means that it can destroy cells. This is the reason why the area around the bee sting becomes red and swells up.

So, what should you do when you get stung?

For most people, the effects of bee stings go away after a few days. These people can be treated easily at home. People who are allergic to bee stings should be rushed to the emergency room immediately as they can go into an anaphylactic shock. In fact, nearly two million Americans are known to be allergic to bee stings

Treating non-allergic cases at home

If the symptoms include redness and slight swelling at the location of the sting, such cases can easily be treated at home.

• Take out the stinger as soon as you can with the help of tweezers, your nails or scrape it with a credit card. Do not try to pinch it or squeeze it out with your hands.
• Wash the area with cold water and soap. Reduce the pain and swelling by applying an ice pack.
• Use a calamine cream or antihistamine to reduce itching. Benadryl also helps in reducing the symptoms.

 Home remedies for bee sting

Certain home remedies also work well in reducing redness, swelling, and itching.

Honey: Applying honey works well to heal the wound and reduce itching and swelling.

Baking Soda: Apply a paste of baking soda and water on the sting and cover it with a bandage. This is extremely effective in reducing pain and itching.

Aloe Vera: Break off the leaf of an Aloe Vera plant and apply it on the affected area. This gel is very soothing and will help ease the pain.

Witch Hazel: This age-old recipe can help reduce inflammation, itchiness, and pain. Apply it directly on the sting.

Lavender Oil: Lavender essential oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Dab a few drops of this oil on the sting to reduce swelling.

Apple cider vinegar: Soak the affected area in a basin of apple cider vinegar for at least 15 minutes. The vinegar will help reduce the effects of the venom.

Allergic reaction

Bee stings can be very dangerous if you are allergic to its venom. If a person allergic to bee venom gets stung, remove the stinger immediately and call emergency services. Do not rely on home treatment and use an EpiPen if you have one.

You must monitor the victim for signs of anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. The signs of anaphylaxis include itching, redness, shortness of breath, swelling of throat and tongue and dizziness.

You must also seek a doctor’s advice if you have been stung multiple times. In such cases, the accumulation of venom can cause severe symptoms. Multiple stings in children and senior citizens should be treated as an emergency. You should also seek medical help if a bee stings you on your tongue or mouth.

Prevention

It is always wiser to be proactive and prevent bee stings. If you have hives or nests around your house, get them removed by a professional. The bee removal experts at Miami-Dade County Pest Control have the latest tools and equipment to deal with all kinds of bees. Call them for fast and effective bee removal services.

Different Types of Bees

Different types of bees are the essential and irreplaceable pollinators of nature. Almost 20,000 species of bees are known to man, and they contribute enormously towards the benefit of the environment, and also commerce. Bees pollinate a big percentage of the world’s crops. They are vital for the maintenance of the ecological balance, biodiversity, and agricultural yield. Without them, a large variety of plant life would simply die out. Thus bees (directly or indirectly) affect every stratum of life on this planet.

Buildings and Bees

Bees (and also wasps and hornets) are also commonly found near man-made structures (in the attic, on the porch roof, inside the cold garage…). They adapt and use these structures as a base to build their own nests or hives. Bees, though generally harmless, can be dangerous pests if disturbed. Their stings usually cause swelling and pain, but in extreme cases, this can lead to allergic reactions and even death. It is always better to be able to identify different types of bees in order to be cautious and take suitable preventive measures.

Some of the different types of bees have been mentioned below –

• Bumble Bees

Do bumblebees sting? Yes.

Bumble bees are about an inch long, with fuzzy black-and-yellow bodies. These bees can sting multiple times if threatened or attacked. They build their nests on the ground and are one of the chief pollinators.

• Carpenter Bees

These solitary bees have shiny blue-black bodies and get their interesting name from their ability to bore holes in wood. These ‘holes’ can be very long and can have many ‘chambers’, where the bees nurture their young and store their food.

Carpenter bees very rarely sting (i.e., they sting only if threatened). These beneficial insects pollinate the honeybee-ignored plants. These bees can sometimes cause structural damages to the furniture and buildings that they choose to become inhabitants of.

• Honey Bees

Honeybees are golden-yellow and have brown bands on their bodies. Their flying is often referred to as ‘buzzing’. Honeybees produce honey (to feed their young ones in the winter). These vital pollinators are highly necessary for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecological balance. Honeybees sting only once (they die after stinging as their stingers are attached to their abdomen).

• Killer Bees

Killer bees are Africanized honeybees. They tend to attack en masse and can chase the threat over 1/4th a mile if aggravated. The venom of a killer bees’ stinger is as potent as that of the honeybee. Like the latter, the former only stings once.

How to deal with bees?

While the problem of bees might seem frightening and ominous, there are simple ways protect your house from bees. Ways to treat an already existing beehive have also been mentioned below.

Prevention

Keep a check on all odd places in and around your house – bees (also called Florida bees) tend to make nests/hives in unique places such as abandoned car tires, old boxes, empty crates, etc.

Make sure the area around your house is free of unnecessary litter and garbage.

Treatment

While there are ways to deal with bees on your own (insecticide, smoke removal…), it is not advisable to carry out these methods. Trying to remove bees safely and efficiently is a risky job, and doing it alone is even riskier. If the bees decide to chase you, run in a zigzag manner and seek shelter inside any closed space.

Difference between DIY and Organic Pest Control Services

With DIY methods of bee removal (such as the smoke method, insecticide usage, soap-and-water method…) the whole process becomes rounds of trial-and-error. Some methods will work, some techniques will not. DIY methods are mostly unsuccessful, and if done wrong can result in painful stings and disastrous results.

So how should you deal with bees?

Choosing an organic pest control service would be a wise and sensible decision to make.

And so…your best option is to choose a pest control service that will do the job for you!

Miami-Dade County Pest Control is thus a safe bet. Our expert service will ensure efficient removal of the bees and will return your house to the secure bee-free space it previously was. We understand bees, and we know humans. At Miami-Dade County Pest Control, we keep in mind the role of bees in the environment and their unwanted role amongst human settlements. This makes us the best choice for bee removal!

Fast, affordable and reliable – give us a call today and watch as we shoo the bees away!