It is estimated that between one and two million people in the United
States are severely allergic to stinging insect venom. Each year 90 to
100 deaths from sting reactions are reported, but many more deaths may
be occurring, mistakenly diagnosed as heart attacks, sunstrokes or
attributed to other causes. More people die each year from the effects
of insect venom than from spider or snake bites.
Extreme human sensitivity to stings resulting in serious or fatal
reactions is confirmed almost entirely to cases involving bees, wasps,
hornets, bumble bees and ants (Order Hymenoptera).
Unlike most other allergies, insect allergy can cause a
life-threatening disruption to breathing and circulatory systems
called anaphylactic shock. For one person in 100, the sting of an
insect can be fatal.
Allergic Reaction Symptoms
Most people stung will experience a "local" reaction with redness,
pain, swelling and some itching only at the sting site. If the
reaction progresses quickly to sites other than the sting site or is
followed by difficult breathing or choking at the throat, the person
is experiencing a "systemic" allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) requiring
emergency medical treatment.
Remember that if you are stung on the hand and your face begins to
swell or hives break out all over your body, this is a serious
condition requiring emergency room attention.
Normal Reaction:--Lasts a few hours. Sting site is painful, reddened,
may swell and itch, but will quickly dissipate.
Large Local Reaction:--Lasts for days. Sting site is more painful,
swelling and itching may be present both at the sting site and in
surrounding areas.
Severe Allergic Reaction:--Can commence rapidly (in a few minutes)
after the sting occurs. The whole body is involved. Person may feel
dizzy (lightheaded), nauseated and weak. There may be stomach cramps
and diarrhea. There can be itching around the eyes, a warm feeling or
coughing, hives breaking out, followed with vomiting and swelling.
There can be wheezing, difficult breathing (shortness of breath) or
swallowing, hoarse speech, drop in blood pressure, shock,
unconsciousness and darkened skin following. Reactions may occur in a
few minutes with most deaths within 30 minutes, but some within 15
minutes and some in five minutes or less.
Systemic Sensitivity
Doctors believe that once systemic sensitivity occurs, it almost
always increases in severity with each following sting (varies in
individual persons). The more quickly symptoms appear after the sting,
the more severe the reaction. (Some beekeepers can no longer keep
honey bees after several years due to severe allergic reactions
developing). The problem occurs when some individuals produce
excessive quantities of antibodies in their immune system. The excess
antibody production usually follows the initial sting to which there
is no reaction. However, when the person is stung again, the insect
venom entering the body combines with the antibody, produced by the
first sting, which triggers a series of internal reactions, resulting
in severe allergic symptoms.
Stings
Whenever stung, try to capture or know the identity of the insect to
help doctors diagnose the trouble. When a bee or wasp stings, it
injects a venomous fluid under the skin. Honey bees have a barbed
stinger. Only the honey bee leaves her stinger (with its venom sac
attached) in the skin of its victim. Since it takes two to three
minutes for the venom sac to inject all its venom, instant removal of
the stinger and sac usually reduces harmful effects. Scrape away with
a sideways movement (one quick scrape) with a fingernail. Never try to
use the thumb and forefinger or tweezers to pinch out the stinger
since this maneuver forces (injects) more venom from the sac down into
the wound.
Wasps, yellowjackets and hornets have a lance-like stinger without
barbs and can sting repeatedly. They should be brushed off the
victim's skin promptly with deliberate movements, then quietly and
immediately leave the area.
Sting Prevention
Persons, especially allergic to stings, should practice certain simple
precautions to avoid being stung.
Outdoors
Spray the patio, picnic and garbage areas with permethrin (Astro,
Dragnet, Flee, Permanone, Prelude, Torpedo) or pyrethrins (Kicker,
Microcare, Pyrenone, Pyrethrum, Synerol). Some formulations are
restricted use. A licensed pesticide applicator or pest control
operator can apply restricted use pesticides such as bendiocarb +
pyrethrins (Ficam Plus), bifenthrin (Biflex), cyfluthrin (Tempo),
cypermethrin (Cynoff, Cyper-Active, Demon, Vikor), deltamethrin
(Suspend) and tralomethrin (Saga). Other labelled pesticides include
acephate (Orthene), amorphous silica gel (Drione), bendiocarb (Ficam),
carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Empire, Tenure), diazinon,
propoxur (Baygon) and resmethrin (Vectrin).
If you destroy the nests (aerial and ground) yourself, use a
commercially available stinging insect control aerosol containing
Baygon, pyrethrin, permethrin or resmethrin which can shoot a
high-volume spray stream 15 to 20 feet, giving excellent quick
knockdown and kill of wasps and bees hit. After dark or in the
evening, most have returned from foraging to the nest. Thoroughly
saturate the nest with spray, contacting as many insects as possible.
Do not stand directly under an overhead nest, since some insects
receiving some of the spray may fall but retain their ability to sting
for some time. Repeat treatment if reinfestation occurs.
Again, it is always best, if allergic, to hire a professional
exterminator to remove a nest. Never try to burn or flood a nest with
water since this practice will only make these stinging insects angry
and aggressive.
When eating outdoors, keep food covered until eaten, especially ripe
fruit and soft drinks. Any scent of food, such as outdoor cooking,
eating, feeding pets or garbage cans, will attract many bees and wasps
(especially yellowjackets).
Keep refuse in tightly sealed containers. Dispose of refuse frequently
(two times per week or more) during late summer and early autumn when
most activity occurs.
Be careful not to mow over a nest in the ground nor disturb a nest in
a tree or eaves of the home. Any disturbance often will infuriate and
provoke stinging.
Should a bee or wasp fly near you, slowly raise your arms to protect
your face and stand still or move slowly away through bushes or
indoors to escape. Never move rapidly, which often provokes attack.
Never strike or swing at a wasp or bee against your body since it may
be trapped causing it to sting. If crushed, it could incite nearby
yellowjackets into a frenzied attack. The wasp venom contains a
chemical "alarm pheromone," released into the air, signaling guard
wasps to come and sting whomever and whatever gets in their way.
If a bee or wasp gets into a moving car, remain calm. The insect wants
out of the vehicle as much as you want it out. They usually fly
against windows in the car and almost never sting the occupants.
Slowly and safely pull over off the road, open the window and allow
the bee or wasp to escape. Unfortunately, many serious accidents have
resulted when the driver strikes or swings at the insect during
operation of the vehicle. A small insecticide aerosol can for control
of stinging insects, kept in the car away from children and pets, can
be used in an emergency.
Pick fruits as soon as they ripen. Pick up and dispose of any fallen
fruit rotting on the ground. Keep lawns free of clover and dandelions,
which attract honey bees. Avoid close contact with flowering trees,
shrubs and flowers when bees and wasps are collecting nectar. Vines,
which may conceal nests, should be removed from the house, if
practical.
Individuals
Since perfume, hair spray, hair tonic, suntan lotion, aftershave
lotions, heavy-scented shampoos, soaps and many other cosmetics
attract insects, they should be avoided. Avoid shiny buckles and
jewelry. Wear a hat and closed shoes (not sandals). Don't wear bright,
colored, loose-fitting clothing, which may attract and trap insects.
Flowery prints and black especially attract insects. To avoid stings,
the beekeeper wears light-colored (white) clothing, preferably cotton
(never wool).
Beginning beekeepers use bee gloves, a head veil, long sleeves and
coveralls with the pant legs tucked into boots or tied at the ankles
to prevent unnecessary multiple stings. A bee smoker is always used
before opening up an established hive. To avoid stings, stay away from
any bee hives for an hour or more (depending on weather) after the
beekeeper has gone. Bees are more angry on cloudy, dark rainy days in
early spring of the year.
Hypersensitive persons should never be alone when hiking, boating,
swimming, golfing, fishing or involved outdoors since help is likely
needed in starting prompt emergency treatment measures if stung. It is
wise for the person to carry a card or to have an identification
bracelet or necklace, such as "Medic Alert," identifying the person as
hypersensitive to an insect sting. It will alert others to the
condition in an emergency when sudden shock-like (anaphylactic)
symptoms or unconsciousness (fainting) occurs after one or more
stings. Medic Alert tags can be purchased at Medic Alert Foundation,
2323 Colorado Avenue, Turlock, California 95380, (Telephone:
1-800-922-3320).
Normal Reaction Sting Treatment
For stings causing itch, irritation, redness and swelling at the sting
site, the following may be useful:
First of all, remove the sting from the skin. For the purpose, take a dull butter knife and scrape it against your skin, in the opposite direction of the sting entry.
After the sting has been removed from the skin, it is the time to take steps to reduce the swelling. Put 2-3 ice cubes in a cloth and press it over the sting. You can also make use of an ice pack for the purpose. Do this for 10-15 minutes. Make sure not to use ice directly on the skin.
Wash the area where the wasp/bee has stung, with the help of soap and cold water. Dry it gently with a towel.
- Ice
- Baking Soda with vinegar: mix the baking soda with vinegar and apply the thick paste to the wound.
- If the above is not available put mud on the sting site.
- Lay a fresh slice of onion (with the upper skin peeled off) onto the sting site. It may irritate the wound for a few seconds. But, after holding the onion slice on the sting site for a few minutes, it is definite that you would find great relief from the swelling and pain.
- Apply few drops of apple cider vinegar immediately on the sting site. The vinegar would extract any poison out of the spot and lessen the swelling as well.
- Meat Tenderizer--for people not allergic to bee stings. Use any brand
with Papain. Make a paste with a few drops of water to a teaspoon of
meat tenderizer and quickly apply to the sting to reduce pain and
inflammation (breaks down components of sting fluid).
- Ammonia Solution--Apply a 1 to 2.5 percent solution no more than three
to four times daily.
- Oral Antihistamines--Tablets may be chewed for faster relief, but
liquids are more readily absorbed after oral ingestion (Chlortrimeton,
Dimetane, Teldrin).
- Epinephrine Inhaler (Bronkaid mist, Primatene, Medihaler-Epi)
- Topical Steroids (Cortaid, Dermolate, Lanacort, etc.)
- Local Anesthetics (Benzocaine, Americaine, Dermoplast, Bactine,
Foille, Lanacaine, Solarcaine)
- Oral Steroids--Prescription only.
These medicines can be located in a tackle box, in camping gear, in
the car and in the home. Store at room temperature away from room
lighting or sunlight.
Emergency Kits for Insect Stings
Highly-sensitive persons should have two emergency kits prescribed for
them by their physician within easy access at all times. One kit
should be carried at all times and the other kept in the family car.
It is best to store kits in a cool, dry place (refrigeration) with
easy access. The kit contains one sterile syringe of Epinephrine
(adrenalin) EPIPEN, ready for injection, four chewable, yellow tablets
of Chlortrimeton (antihistamine), two sterile alcohol swabs for
cleaning the injection site and one tourniquet. Inject the syringe
into the thigh (subcutaneously) under the skin as soon as the first
sting symptoms show. A tourniquet placed above the sting site, when on
an arm or leg just tight enough to obstruct blood return but not so
tight as to stop circulation, will help until medical treatment is
obtained. Loosen the tourniquet every 10 minutes.
Other kits include ANA Emergency Insect Sting Kit and Insect Sting Kit
available by prescription only at the drugstore or pharmacy.