What If a Bee Stings Me

June 10th was don't step on a bee day. Hopefully you did not step on a bee but do your know what to do if you do?? First, lets take a look at what the difference between the different flying stinging pests
Bees are fuzzy and love flowers. With thousand of different types of bees all over the world it is a good thing to know a bit about them.

Honey bees build nests out of wax in old trees and man made hives. The man made hives are cared for by beekeepers. Honey bees spend most their time collecting nectar and pollen from flowers. The nectar that is collected is made into honey.

Wasps are closely related to bees but instead of collecting pollen and honey they feed on it. Wasps eat animal food, other insects or spiders. While bees are fuzzy wasps are smooth and shiny with skinner bodies. World wide there are thousands of varieties of wasps with two most common being bald faced hornets and yellowjacket. Bald faced hornets are black with white markings, they build paper like nests shaped like footballs in trees and shrubs.

Yellowjackets are yellow with black stripes and smaller than hornets and honeybees. A yellow jacket nest can be found in the ground or in old tree stumps.

If a honeybee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket is upset it will sting. IF you are stung by any one of these stinging insects you most likely feel as if you have had a shot at the doctor office. The place the sting occured will feel hot and may itch, a red bump often develops at the sting site.

While wasps and many other stingers named can sting more than once without injuring themselves, honey bees can not. Honeybees must leave their stinger in the skin after stinging as the stinger is connected to the bee with special hooks. The honeybee will die after stinging an individual.

Some individuals are allergic to bee stings. Allergic reactions can include hives, nausea, dizziness and possibly difficult breathing. Many that know they are allergic to bee stings and the like will carry emergency medication that will help prevent severe reactions. If these appear then the one stung must seek medical attention at once. If these symptoms do not occur then you must:

• If a stinger is left behind then pull the stinger from the skin. Many say it is important not to squeeze the stinger
• wash the area with soap and water
• ice the stung area
• pain reliever will help with the discomfort
• if a doctor is contacted he or she may suggest an antihistamine that will help control symptoms that may occur if symptoms of allergic reaction are present the doctor most likely will give a shot to the individual. The shot will help fight the reaction of the sting. 

To avoid stepping on a bee or getting stung by another stinging insect

• Wear shoes outdoors.
• Don't disturb hives or insect nests.
• Don't wear sweet-smelling perfume, lotions, or hair products.
• Avoid bright-colored or flower-printed clothing.
• Cover food when eating outdoors.
• Be careful when outside with open soda cans because yellowjackets like to climb inside for a sip.
• Watch out for garbage cans because they attract bees and yellowjackets.
• If a bee or wasp flies around you, stay calm and don't swat at it. If you get stung, tell an adult and go indoors right away.

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