How to Remove a Bee Stinger

LawnDawn

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Bee stings are painful enough, but leaving the stinger in your skin can cause further pain. Since bees release venom through their stingers, it's important that you remove the stinger from your skin as quickly as you can. After removing the stinger you can treat localized reaction symptoms. If you have severe allergy symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

Steps

Removing the Stinger

Call emergency medical help if you have severe allergic symptoms. If you have a history of severe allergic reactions to bee stings and carry an epinephrine auto injector, known as EpiPen, use it immediately. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, get emergency medical attention: Dizziness or faintness Difficulty breathing Swollen tongue Hives

Scrape across the stinger using a flat edge. Use the edge of a credit card, your fingernail, or a blunt knife to scrape over the stinger, which looks like a small black dot. Scraping across will actually pull the stinger out and to the side. Scraping across the stinger prevents the venom sack from releasing more venom down into the sting.

Apply an ice pack. The site of the sting will become inflamed and start to swell. Applying ice will numb any pain and keep the swelling down. If you were stung on your leg or arm, elevate the limb.

Treating the Sting Site

Apply hydrocortisone cream. Gently wash the site with mild soap and water. Then, apply a thin layer of hydrocortisone cream to minimize any reaction you might have. For a more natural treatment, you can mix baking soda and water until it forms a thick paste. Spread this over the sting site.

Use honey. If you don't have hydrocortisone on hand, spread pure honey over the sting site. Place gauze or a small cloth over it and let it sit for up to an hour before rinsing off.

Apply toothpaste. Toothpaste is another natural alternative to neutralize the venom of a bee sting. Simply dab a little toothpaste over the sting site, place gauze or a small cloth over it, and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Then, rinse the toothpaste off.

Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. This will help relieve some of the pain. Be sure to follow the package instructions regarding dosage. For children, consult with your pediatrician for appropriate dosing of acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Take an antihistamine. This may reduce the severity of a reaction. You can take something like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or apply calamine lotion to reduce itchiness.