What to Know About Bees So You Won’t “Bee” Stung
Through spring, summer and fall, there’s one insect that can send kids—and adults—into a frenzy and ruin outdoor fun fast: bees. We can all agree we need these great pollinators to sustain life, but why do they have to be so quick to sting?
Luckily, by understanding the basics of bee behavior you can prevent stings from happening. We’re here to share that information with you along with tips on how to relieve a bee sting.
Bee-havior: Avoiding the Sting
Whether you encounter a yellow jacket, hornet, wasp or bumble bee, try to suppress the urge to run, scream and swat. This can actually cause the bees to become aggravated and sting. The following tips, all based on bee behavior, will help you and your kids avoid being stung.
1. Dress to NOT impress.
Bees love bright colors and floral patterns. Makes sense since they need to find flowers to pollinate so they can survive. Obviously, you don’t want an insect to dictate your everyday wardrobe, but if you know you or your kids will be outside in an area where bees are likely to be present, choose light, solid colors to be ignored by this frenemy. Keep in mind that bees’ favorite colors are blue, purple and violet.
2. Say no to scented sprays to keep the bees away.
It may come as no surprise that bees are attracted to sweet, fruity and floral scents. So, skip the scented body wash, lotions, perfumes and hair products if you can—at least on days where you’ll spend a lot of time outdoors.
3. Hide the sweet stuff.
Bees have a sweet tooth, just like we do. If you want a relaxing picnic to stay unbothered, keep foods covered, especially sugary foods. Pack snacks in sealed containers and keep food covered until you’re ready to eat. Soda and juices are a big draw for bees, so avoid cans or containers with small openings in which bees can slip in. Opt for water and less sugary drinks and keep drinks capped between sips. Throw away or pack away remaining food and drinks as soon as you’re finished eating.
4. Stay calm & move slowly.
Here’s where yoga and meditation pay off! Bees are attracted to sudden movements and flailing arms. If a bee is buzzing around, show your kids how to stay calm and move slowly. Tell them why, too, and explain that, while it can be hard to stay calm, panicking will only make things worse. Remember, bees really are just as afraid of us as we are of them, and many times a sting or a close buzz-by is just a misunderstanding. If there are several bees flying around, move away and when things calm, check for a nest or hive in the area.
It also helps to know that while bumble bees (the plump, fuzzy bees) can sting, they are the least likely type of bee to sting unless provoked. In fact, they are considered the most relaxed and peaceful bees—admit it, they’re kind of cute too!
5. Plan home landscaping with bees in mind.
You can have beautiful, bee-attracting flowers and shrubs in your gardens, just keep them away from doors, play areas and other high-traffic spots. Keep an eye out for nests, it’s surprising how quickly bees can construct large homes. And beware that some wasps make nests in the ground. So, check your yard before mowing.
6. Leave swarms alone.
A swarm of bees can be frightening to see, but it is a natural process of honey bee colonies. Swarms typically happen in late spring and early summer, but they are usually not dangerous. Still, if you see one on a tree or a corner of a fence, know that the swarm is temporary. A swarm of honey bees usually stays around for anywhere from an hour to a few days. They wait for scouting bees to find them a new home and then fly away. In most cases, you just need to wait them out and, if interested, view them from a safe distance, ideally inside. However, if the swarm poses a threat because of intrusion to the home, a severe allergy to bees, or it’s in a high-traffic area (near where you park or enter and exit the home), you may want to call a beekeeper to come out and relocate them.
How to Treat a Bee Sting
As an adult, we tend to forget how painful bee stings can be. If you or your child is stung, the first thing you should do is calmly move away from the area where the sting took place to avoid another sting from that bee or in case there is a nest hidden nearby.
Take the following simple steps to relieve a bee sting as quickly as possible:
- Remove the stinger. A stinger can sometimes be left behind after the sting. If this happens, remove it by gently scraping over it with your fingernail or a piece of gauze. Do not use tweezers, as squeezing the stinger can cause more bee venom to be released into the skin.
- Wash the area with soap and water. Gently wash the stung area with soap and water to help clear out the venom. If you’re not at home or near a place where washing is possible, you can use Dermoplast® Wound Wipes. These portable, individually wrapped wipes can clean, disinfect and relieve pain all in one wipe.
- Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling. You can use an instant ice pack or wrapped ice on the skin to help limit swelling and relieve some of the pain.
- Use pain medication if needed. Typically the pain of a bee sting reaches its peak within a minute or so after you’re stung, but can go away pretty quickly. With kids, the experience of a bee sting can make the pain seem even worse, and if you’re stung by a wasp or hornet, the sting can be significantly more painful than a yellow jacket or honey bee. For quick pain relief, spray the area with Dermoplast® Pain, Burn & Itch Spray. The spray application means there’s no rubbing in, which helps avoid additional pain. Plus, it contains benzocaine and menthol to relieve pain and aloe vera gel to soothe irritated skin. You can even use it again later if the site starts to itch from the sting, for instant itch relief.
Signs of an allergic reaction
Some swelling after a bee sting is normal, but that swelling should be limited to the area of and around the sting. If swelling appears on other parts of your body such as your face or neck or you have trouble breathing, have nausea, hives or dizziness, seek medical help at your closest emergency room immediately.
Similar to an allergic reaction, if you or your child was stung in the mouth, seek medical care right away.
