Finally. Since I first caught this swarm in early march, I have never been stung. Partly because I suited up well the first two months. Partly because I took to heart the admonishment to be gentle with the bees. But now, I have finally become a real, live beekeeper. It now flows within my veins. And how did I get stung?
By not paying attention to where I put my big, clumsy thumb.
Hmm. No swelling. Maybe it will help my arthritis.
Welcome to the Club bobll!
Welcome, smoke it and get back in.
Welcome to the club. Bee careful, not having any reaction the first time can bee dangerous the next time. Please have someone with you.
By no reaction, do you mean there was no swelling, itching or redness at all?
Jim Altmiller
The girls caught me between my toes today!! Ouch but I?m drinking a margarita now not worrying about it. They also chased me into my porch and attack my head. I?m scared I swat at them and knock my hearing aids out as I run through the yard.
I?ve tried a new tactic when they chase me- I run to another hive to see if they will stop the pursuit
Salty,
The best way to lose bees it to run through thick bushes. They get lost behind the bushes. The thicker the bushes the better.
Don?t swat just run.
Jim Altmiller
I got my first one a few days ago. It was fine at first then started swelling and it was very itchy. Its a lot better now
What did you put on it. I was told by my pharmacist years ago to put Hydra Cortisone cream and Benadryl cream on it. They do different things and seem to speed up making me to immune to stings. In a very short time, I stopped swelling and itching from stings.
Jim Altmiller
Salty. I would have paid good money to see you running through your yard, swatting bees, and knocking out your hearing aid. Lol! Thanks for sharing that.
As far as allergies, I have none that I know of. The place stung some for about 15 minutes, but no more than that, and no redness or swelling. I will be replacing the beetle towel traps on Tuesday.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 29, 2019, 08:40:19 PM
What did you put on it. I was told by my pharmacist years ago to put Hydra Cortisone cream and Benadryl cream on it. They do different things and seem to speed up making me to immune to stings. In a very short time, I stopped swelling and itching from stings.
Jim Altmiller
Jim my great aunt used a fresh cigarette on a new sting and it would pull
Out the venom but not many people smoke anymore
Quote from: saltybluegrass on June 29, 2019, 11:06:40 PM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 29, 2019, 08:40:19 PM
What did you put on it. I was told by my pharmacist years ago to put Hydra Cortisone cream and Benadryl cream on it. They do different things and seem to speed up making me to immune to stings. In a very short time, I stopped swelling and itching from stings.
Jim Altmiller
Jim my great aunt used a fresh cigarette on a new sting and it would pull
Out the venom but not many people smoke anymore
A wad of chewing tobacco is an old southern remedy.
Herbhome. I had that done to me as a child, while living in in rural Stilson, Ga. An old coger pulled some out of his mouth and applied it to the sting. I think I would rather suffer the venom.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 29, 2019, 08:40:19 PM
What did you put on it. I was told by my pharmacist years ago to put Hydra Cortisone cream and Benadryl cream on it. They do different things and seem to speed up making me to immune to stings. In a very short time, I stopped swelling and itching from stings.
Jim Altmiller
I agree Jim, I took your same advice when I started cut outs last year and ask about stings here. I have rarely had a problem with reactions since, I also took a Benadryl tablet and Zantac to begin with. I Never take anything now. I have a minimum 4 to seven stings a week, being a fair guess with no problems. Some weeks many more. I do not enjoy wearing the bee jacket although it dows a superb job of protecting, Usually a veil for eye protection along with 9 Mil Nitrile Powder-Free Gloves 50 Pc box from harbor freight for hand protection. Sometimes I dont even wear the gloves.
olehunter says ; the juice from a curly dock plant will neutralize the bee venom . squash the juice from the stem and apply to the sting site.
Plantain. Nothing better.
Quote from: Michael Bush on July 03, 2019, 10:29:12 AM
Plantain. Nothing better.
+1 - I can't believe I forgot about this - Plantain is the best.
Quote from: CoolBees on July 03, 2019, 12:09:13 PM
Quote from: Michael Bush on July 03, 2019, 10:29:12 AM
Plantain. Nothing better.
+1 - I can't believe I forgot about this - Plantain is the best.
+2. I used plantain for the first time the other day instead of meat tenderizer and the results were much better. The sting stopped hurting immediately when I put the leaves on.
Quote from: Michael Bush on July 03, 2019, 10:29:12 AM
Plantain. Nothing better.
I guess different folks systems are different. This did not help me. Thank goodness, stings are no longer a problem for me. A fresh sting may sting a little at first, or have a stinging burning feeling sort of. I do try to make an effort to scrape the stinger off, I usually forget in in a bit. I wish the same good results for you all as well.
Phillip
We used to chew the Plantain lightly to break it up prior to application. Or it can be crushed by hand. The juice from the leaf helps ... but I forget how ... old age setting in I guess :grin:
Quote from: CoolBees on July 03, 2019, 02:46:50 PM
We used to chew the Plantain lightly to break it up prior to application. Or it can be crushed by hand. The juice from the leaf helps ... but I forget how ... old age setting in I guess :grin:
I tried it both ways, Did nothing. I even researched it making sure that I did everything right and looked at more than one site on google search, researched it here also from past post viewed several videos etc, checking and double checking. Did nothing in my use or my personal experience to lighten up the stinging effect or swelling either. I scrapped it for my use. However just because it did not help me, I am happy it helps others.
Phillip
If you believe it works then it will work for you, psycological, placebo effect.
If I get a sting that hurts I wash my hand in the cold water bucket and the pain goes. Signal to the brain to stop sending pain signals.
Plantain worked far better than I ever expected. I don?t see that my belief had anything to do with it.
Found this on a website:
Katie the ?Wellness Mama? writes on her blog about broadleaf plantain?s use as a topical remedy for insect bites. She recommends steeping the leaves in hot water as you would do with a tea and applying the tea to the insect bite.
Katie writes that the leaves have natural anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve the itching, burning, and stinging associated with insect bites.
In addition, the plant has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, so using plantain weed as a topical remedy for an insect sting makes it less likely that the area will become infected
(So you guys need to have a pot of plantain tea brewing at all times for truly effective sting relief)
I just roll a leaf and bite it.
Ah, I remember my first sting. I felt so betrayed! I had already done an inspection. 15 minutes later I'm in the garden and one of them remembered me. POW! back of the head as I was running. I zig zagged but Poh Bear hear can't cut like he used to.
Quote from: Michael Bush on July 09, 2019, 10:04:56 AM
I just roll a leaf and bite it.
+1 ... and then rub the juice on the sting site.
I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.
Quote from: beebox on July 16, 2019, 07:43:32 PM
I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.
Welcome to Beemaster beebox. Do you use water or some type of oil for your mixture?
Phillip
Welcome :happy:.
Beebox,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller
Quote from: beebox on July 16, 2019, 07:43:32 PM
I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.
It works wonders for jellyfish stings.
Quote from: Ben Framed on July 16, 2019, 09:20:42 PM
Quote from: beebox on July 16, 2019, 07:43:32 PM
I take meat tenderizer, make a paste -n- put on sting. In just minutes, can't tell there was a sting there. used this on wasp stings years before my interest is bees.
Welcome to Beemaster beebox. Do you use water or some type of oil for your mixture?
Phillip
I use water in a spoon mix until a paste, take a small piece of paper towel put the paste on it and hold the paper towel n tenderizer on the sting for a few min until i get pain relief.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on July 16, 2019, 11:51:56 PM
Beebox,
Welcome to Beemaster.
Jim Altmiller
Thank you! I found this site when JP the bee man mentioned one time.
Congratulations! Wishing you many more. :wink:
While we all get the sting, comes with the hobby. :grin:
Quote from: sawdstmakr on June 29, 2019, 08:40:19 PM
I was told by my pharmacist years ago to put Hydra Cortisone cream and Benadryl cream on it.
Jim,
A doctor told me not to use the hydro cortisone on your face because it can discolor the skin.
I was loaded up with multiple treatments today, say 18 hours after the sting. The swelling where I used the above recommendation subsided the most. New swelling developed where I did not apply the treatment. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.
My personal bee sting prevention alert level has been elevated to red, the highest level. LOL.
I got my eighth sting yesterday on the forehead. It swelled moderately last night, more this morning and more still this morning. I could not open my right eye and it was tearing so I went to a walk in doc-in-a-box center. I did not have more extreme symptoms like difficulty breathing. I was given oral prednisone (which could take up to 6 hours to be fully effective).
I went to the pharmacy to get Zantac and the follow up prescription of prednisone. During that hour the swelling continued to spread over the bridge of my nose and over my left eye and it was getting more difficult to drive. I get home and took Benedryl (preferred over Zantc if drowsiness is not an issue) and Jim's suggestion of benedryl cream and hydro-cortisone cream. So I got a ride back to the doc-in-a-box. My wife, a critical care RN with ICU experience, demands over the phone that I get an inter-muscular injection of Solu Medrol. The doctor reluctantly agrees because now I am getting double dosed. She examines my right eye with her basic equipment.
I had cataract surgery in my right eye on 6/10 and everything looked fine at my one month follow up visit last week. I was not going to take any chances with my eyesight considering the circumstances. The swelling started to go down during the 5 minute drive from the doc-in-a-box to the eye doctor so I could then open my right eye.
According to a website:
This preparation (Solu Medrol) may be administered by intravenous injection, by intravenous infusion, or by intramuscular injection, the preferred method for initial emergency use being intravenous injection. https://www.rxlist.com/solu-medrol-drug.htm#description (https://www.rxlist.com/solu-medrol-drug.htm#description)
Between the benedryl pills, benedryl cream, the prednesone tablets and the Solu Medrol intramuscular injection; one or more of the treatments reduced the swelling. I will never know which.
The lesson I learned in hindsight is that if you are seeking acute medical treatment for a bee sting reaction consider your proximity to various modes of treatment and request the intravenous injection when appropriate. Investigate your options before you need to use them. If the swelling was further away from my airway (on my arms, legs, or torso) we may not have pushed for the intramuscular injection.
The other lesson I learned is to test the creams or other remedies suggested in this thread on a non affected area (preferably in advance) to see if they cause a reaction especially if you are like me and have really good (severe) histamine responses.