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Bee Sting First Aid
What to Do After a Bee Sting | Forest Bees First-Aid Guide
Stung by a honey bee? Here’s exactly what to do: remove the stinger fast, get to safety, use simple at-home first aid, and know when to call 911. A quick, beekeeper-tested guide from Forest Bees.
Forest Bees Step-by-Step Guide to Staying Alive After a Bee Sting
⚠️ For educational purposes only. Always call 911 if you suspect a serious reaction.
1. Pull the stinger immediately. It's pumping venom and it is scent beacon.
Even one sting releases an alarm scent that can attract other bees—remove it fast.
2. Don’t panic — get away.
Walk or run calmly to a safe indoor or enclosed area (car, building, etc.).
The faster you leave, the fewer stings you’ll take.
3. Take an oral antihistamine.
One dose of Benadryl (diphenhydramine), Zyrtec (cetirizine), or Claritin (loratadine) helps reduce swelling and itching.
4. Neutralize the venom on the skin.
Apply Windex® or an After Bite® ammonia pen, or dab on a baking-soda paste.
These help counteract the acidity of bee venom and relieve discomfort.
5. If you feel dizzy, faint, have throat swelling, or any breathing trouble → CALL 911 immediately.
Use an EpiPen if you carry one.
6. If no major symptoms but swelling or hives develop:
These reactions are rarely life-threatening, but drive to a hospital and wait in the parking lot for 20–30 minutes.
If symptoms worsen or rebound, you’re already where help is.
7. Remember: Paramedics, nurses, and doctors are highly trained in managing allergic reactions.
Quick medical attention saves lives.
8. Keep a “Sting Kit” in your car:
• Benadryl tablets
• Zyrtec or Claritin
• After Bite® ammonia pen or small bottle of Windex®
• Baking soda packet
• Tweezers or scraper
• Small bottle of water and wipes
More Reading: Expert Guidance from Dr. Jamie Ellis, American Bee Journal
Excerpted and used with permission from the American Bee Journal, “The Honey Bee Sting,” by Dr. Jamie Ellis, Vol. 156 No. 1. Please contact ABJ for any additional reuse.
Dr. Ellis explains that true allergic reactions to bee stings are rare — only 0.5 to 2 percent of people are affected — and that the body’s response can range from mild local swelling to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
His research and clinical charts help both beekeepers and the public understand which sting reactions require medical attention and which resolve naturally.
