The most aggressive stinging insects are wasps like bald-faced hornets but not all hornets’ attacks people thru stings. The European hornet is gentle and has no recorded attack to human. Insects’ stings only if they are threatened, they are aggressively defending their nests.

Some people, however, who are especially sensitive to some chemical reaction from bee stings, may develop a life-threatening allergic reaction.

Causes

Sting may come from a wasp, bumblebee, hornets etc. Degree of pain that can be felt depends on the amount of venom injected on the skin from the bee stinger.

The stinger’s injects apitoxin into the victim; it is accompanied by the release of alarm pheromones. Attack can be accelerated due to release of alarm pheromones if the bee is fatally injured. If the release of the pheromones is near a hive or swarm it may attract other bees to the location, and may result to swarm attack. Alarm pheromones do not wash off quickly, and if their target enters water, bees will resume their attack as soon as the target leaves the water.

Symptoms

A stinger can be visible after the stinging attack; it is characterized by a needle like structure that punctured deep in the skin, which responsible for the pain felt by the stung person.

Treatment

Initial Procedure:

If the stinger is still visible, scrape it off the stinger using a credit card or the knife blade. Do not squeeze the stinger with tweezers for it triggers more venom injection. Wash and dry the stung area and wait for any chemical reaction in two hours

After two hours:

If any allergic reaction occurred like swelling around the lips and eyes, rashes, difficulty breathing, or signs of shock (e.g. pale skin, rapid pulse, and fainting) call your doctor immediately.

Ice pack:
Place it on the stung area to help reduce the pain

Calamine Lotion:
Apply in the stung area

Baking Soda:
Make a paste by mixing a teaspoon of baking soda and few drops of clean water

Prevention

Avoid disturbing a beehive
If working with bees, use appropriate safety gear