What To Do If Stung

A bee sting will cause intense local pain, reddening and swelling. This is a normal reaction and does not, in itself, indicate a serious allergic response. An extremely small fraction of the human population is genuinely allergic to bee stings. These individuals experience breathing difficulty, unconsciousness or even death if they are stung and should carry with them an emergency kit of injectable epinephrine, available by prescription from a physician.

When a bee stings, the stinger and poison sack remain in the skin of the victim. Always scrape the stinger and poison sack out of the skin with your fingernail never pull it out because this squeezes the remaining venom into the skin.

What To Do If Stung:

• Go quickly to a safe area

• Remove stinger as soon as possible

• Don’t squeeze stinger; pressure will release more venom

• Scrape stinger out with fingernail knife blade or credit card

• Wash sting area with soap and water like any other wound

• Apply ice pack for a few minutes to relieve pain and swelling

• Seek medical attention if breathing is troubled if stung numerous times or if allergic to bee stings