WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE STUNG BY A BEE
A sting from a bee can happen out of nowhere. If you are outside during the spring, there is a high chance bees could be flying around whether they are looking for pollen or heading back to their colony. Either way, it is always good to be prepared and ready just in case you or someone you know is stung by a bee.
HERE ARE THE STEPS TO TAKE JUST IN CASE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE IN FACT STUNG BY A BEE:
1.Remove yourself from the area: depending on the kind of bee or if it is another insect with a stinger, they could be an aggressive species. Going to a safe location like indoors is ideal to begin treating the wound.
2. Remove the stinger from the skin: Gently scrape the area where the sting occurred. Do not try and squeeze the stinger with your fingers or tweezers as the stinger could still have venom in it. Putting pressure on the stinger could release more venom into the skin causing more pain. Using a flat object such as a credit card to scrape the skin will remove the stinger without putting undue pressure on it.
3. Wash the area: Using soap and water to clean the area is highly advised to wash out any other excess bacteria.
4.Use a cold pack: Anything cold, whether that is a true cold pack or even a frozen bag of peas and carrots, will help the swelling go down.
5.Take medication: The sting most likely will leave the person stung with a bit of pain, using some kind of over-the-counter medication may help in reducing both the pain and the swelling.
BE AWARE
First off, if bees are spotted in the proximity of your home or an outdoor space that has a high volume of people, it is best to call an expert in beehive and swarm removal. This is the safest route for a number of reasons. An expert will know how to safely remove the hive or swarm in a timely manner so that the bees do not cause a problem for a long time. Along with this, the experts will be able to safely transport the bees to a farm where they will be kept in good health to keep them benefiting the ecosystem.
BE CONSCIOUS OF SCENTS AND SMELLS
Numerous repellants that are safe for both the environment and bees that come into contact with it are also good ways to make sure that the flying insects do not come into a specific vicinity.
Avoiding any kind of flowering scent is a good place to start as to not attract the bees in the first place. Bees can smell scents 50 times better than an average dog so they are able to pick up on even the smallest of smells.
This talent of the bees can be used to the advantage of keeping them away as well. Many oils such as vegetable, lavender or citronella oil are all good deterrents to keep bees away. The scent of lemons and lime are also a good way to make sure the flying insects do not come by.
Some plants can also help in this case. Rather than having to remove all kinds of flowers and uprooting full gardens, the scent of lemongrass or mint plants can be a strong enough scent to keep the bees away.
The scent of people alone will not be enough to intrigue the bees as they naturally are not attracted to this smell.
HATS, HAIR AND CLOTHING
However, one thing they are attracted to is hair. Keeping a hat on as well as making sure your furry friends are not near bees as they have a heightened sense of awareness around hair. The hat will deter the bees from being curious and will keep them on their way.
Along with this, light colored clothes are good to keep on outside. This is already a big thing to consider as the weather becomes warmer, because darker clothes attract more heat, but also the dark colors attract bees. Rough and dark clothing has been known to aggravate some species of bees and will send them into attack mode because of this.
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Bees are curious by nature and are attracted to a lot of food and drinks. Especially sugary drinks like soda because of the sweetness. Sodas along with fruits can attract the bees and they can mistake the sweet scent for nectar and go towards the smell to try and feed off of it. Once a bee catches wind of one of these scents, they will track it down causing for a tough time to enjoy a nice cold soda on a hot summer day. It is best to use covered cups rather than cans when drinking soda as well as wrapping foods in either plastic bags or foil to block off as much scent as possible.