Bee Sting
Does anyone have any tips for treating a bee sting? It stung me 3 days ago on my leg and the area is very large, hard, hot, itchy and red. I tried a baking soda poultice to draw it out, Topicin, lavender EO and now I'm trying some calendula oil. Would appreciate knowing what other people have tried.
Thanks! Linda
(P.S. this is the first time I've looked at the forums here or posted, so hope this post is OK.)
Comments
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Hi Linda,
I am sorry that a bad sting has brought you to TGN's forum but glad you found us. We discuss herbal medicine and what to do for lots of different ailments and first aid situations.
One of the best and easiest things to do for a bee sting is a spit poultice of plantain. Grab a leaf and give it a quick chew. Apply directly to the bite. You can change this every hour or so but it should bring relief. So simple but such an excellent herb to use for any kind of bites or stings.
Apple cider vinegar can help in the early stages but not sure if it would do much 3 days later but it wouldn't hurt to try.
Garlic, crushed and applied directly, might be something to try at this stage.
If you have access to homeopathic remedies, Apis would be a first choice to try.
You can use the search tab to navigate through the discussions to find other discussions on bee stings or any subject you are interested in.
Now that is said, I would like to suggest that you check out our Front Porch Welcome at: https://community.thegrownetwork.com/categories/our-front-porch-welcome%21-%28please-read-before-posting%29
And we have an Introductions section where you might be able to connect with people who live in your country or general area at: https://community.thegrownetwork.com/categories/introductions
Hope you get some relief from your bite.
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When I got stung on a team meeting, Marjory chewed up some plantain and stuck it on my finger like Torey mentioned!
It helped but didn't stop my localized reaction (I'm allergic) and plantain is plentiful all over!
Welcome to the forums!
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Ditto on everything Torey said. I find tobacco the best poultice though - use just like plantain. Welcoem to the forums!
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Yes, tobacco. Great suggestion. A little nastier than plantain to chew but still a very good remedy for bites and stings.
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I found that Tea Tree oil worked well on my bee sting last year and it also works well on spider bites.
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Welcome to the TGN forum, Linda! I'm glad you can join us. I hope you can find relief through the helps suggested above. I also hope that you explore all we have to offer. There us a wealth of information stored here and always many willing to help another member out. 😄
We would also use broadleaf plantain. We have a lot here and it is easy to access. Our kids know this and the season is such that all those stinging insects are now all out in full force. There are a lot of downed trees & some holes as well where wasps will make a hideout. We were fortunate to have already found a very busy one before we stepped on it!
We might use some chickweed (or chickweed salve) as well for inflammation. It's also common and plentiful here, except the heat has pretty much finished it off now.
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Thank you, everyone! What great input. I'm going to give several of the suggestions a try. First off tea tree EO then will head to the store to get some Apis. I don't have any plantain (or tobacco) close by. Thanks again, so glad I posted here. Linda
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@Lin welcome to the forum. When you can, let us know how you got on with your bee sting remedy. This is such a good place to gain knowledge, cheers.
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@Lin Welcome to TGN.
I too am eager to hear how the remedy suggestions worked out for you.
Working on our new property, getting the area cleared up, and house renovated, we've run into many stinging insects. I'd love to hear what worked for you so I can keep that in my repertoire for future use as well.😊
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@Lin When I get a bee sting first of all I do not pull out the sting, because by pulling, you insert more poison into the body. One is supposed to brush it off. Then I put something cold on the stung area or, if it my hand, put it under cold water. And then either a chewed Plantain or sliced onion or crushed garlic.
Welcome to the forum! I am sure you will enjoy being part of the Grow Network!
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I got stung by an angry red wasp some years back and I went straight to the garden, and the woods and picked a few diff plants for my horrible pain...got me in a finger joint...felt like a fat fire hot nail had just been jabbed through it.. I can't remember all the plants, but what I do remember is sage, mint, plantain, and very important to remember is to first chew them enough to get some of your enzymes into the leaves and then apply. It helped a lot but it did not stop the pain altogether. At the time that was all I knew to do and a wise ole herbalist was why I knew to add my enzymes to it to potentiate the application. I wish I could remember who she is but at the time I had just begun to realize how important this info is and knew no one other than the few I had watched a few times.
Now, for the swollen hot and red spot I will tell you what I did for a recluse bite about 2 years ago, bite 3 of 3 diff times:
I did what I learned from Marjory by reading one of her lessons, in particular of her snake bite. And one of the first thoughts she had was to send her husband to their cabbage patch. My thoughts were that if she thought that much of a cabbage poultice for a copper head bite, then surely it would work on an itty bitty but angry recluse..
I pulled the leaves off a head of cabbage, just enough to make a poultice...because the insignificant bite..not so much..was at my wrist and within a day my entire arm was just like your bite...hot red swollen painful and traveling up my arm and already above my elbow so it was clear I was headed for sepsis if I didn't get it stopped and quick and I had absolutely no desire to go to a hospt... I took the leaves and put them in a pan of boiling water and turned the heat off. They needed to be pliable to fit the curve of my arm and elbow. I took a few of the leaves and chewed on them to impart my own enzymes again for the synergistic effect. I placed the poultice with the infused/bitten leaves against my arm and topped off with the pliable and cooled leaves. Over that a warm moist flour sack t towel. A plastic bag with the bottom end cut so I could slip it over my arm and secured it loosely with big rubber bands at each end. I noticed a difference within the first 2 hours after application. It continued to improve with less pain, redness and swelling....The next morning when I got up..took off the poultice and I could not believe that my arm was no longer red and it did not hurt...there was still a little swelling but very little.
I have witnesses lol.
I do believe that if I am ever bitten by a poisonous snake my first thought will be ..where's the cabbage. (after I pull the head off the snake) 🤣
I hope you get this under control...and WELCOME to TGN!
🐞
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Ice pack always helps me really well
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This might be a stupid question but did you remove the stinger? If not use a credit card to scrape it away. I would put a tobacco poultice on there for awhile and see if it helps. If you don't have any you could try a poultice of plantain.
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I react very violently to stings now and I use a goldenrod tincture in vodka for immediate relief of the burning and pain along with ice to slow the swelling. Elevating the sting for 48 hours is also important in my case. That sounds kind of overly long but I’ve noticed that I can swell up to 2 days after the sting.
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Our youngest got stung by a wasp last week. I told her to get plantain & chew it to put on it. She told me that she already got it and chewed it. All she needed was a bit of gauze & tape to hold it in place. 👏 I am so glad that they understand that even simple plants can heal.
She needed, she found, she used. I'm proud!
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Hi All:
I've just read/reread your posts regarding my bee sting -thank you so much for your input. If I ever get stung again, I'm prepared.
Here's how things turned out: I actually now question whether it was a bee that stung me, but something got me while I was working in the garden. There was no stinger to brush out, but there were two red bumps that evolved into a large red, hot, hard mass on the back of my calf. Eventually my leg from the knee down swelled up. I do not have access to plantain (I'm going to grow some next year so I am prepared.) My dermatologist suggested I put some over the counter steroid cream on it several times a day, which I did and it immediately started getting better, so I stopped it after two days and let my body take over. It took several weeks to completely go away, but it did eventually. I wish I had been prepared, but I will be for the future, this was a good lesson for me. Thank you again for all your input.
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That's so neat @LaurieLovesLearning! I hope that my kids will be able to have that know how especially on our new property. 😊
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@JennyT Upstate South Carolina It is true that if you go about your day, teaching kids what you feel is important, they will learn & retain that knowledge for the day and time it is needed.
I will post more about this in a more appropriate category, Family/Resilient Kids (under Personal Journals). Here is the link:
https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/847320/teaching-kids/p1?new=1
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@Lin I am glad you are feeling better!
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Calcium bentonite clay works wonders to help draw out the venom, reduce pain and swelling, and speed up healing. Works great for stings from bees, fire ants, scorpions, and wasps, It has been used for thousands of years by cultures on every continent. Clay works for poisonous insects bites or stings and also works for poisonous plants like poison ivy and oak. Skin issues or problems can benefit from using calcium bentonite clay. It can also help eliminate diarrhea quickly. (the key ingredient in a popular anti-diarrhea product). It can also help neutralize bacteria in contaminated food or even poison. Every car, first aid kit, and home should have clay mixed with water in a sealed container ready to go. It is a low-cost natural remedy for multiple first aid and health treatments and can be found at every health food store and online. It can also help alkalize the body and even purify water. When you do the research you will be amazed at the benefits of calcium bentonite clay. This is not medical advice just ancient natural health and holistic knowledge passed down from our ancestors. Applied on the face It makes a great low-cost beauty facial mask and treatment. It is also used to pull toxins out of the feet.
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Welcome lin. Glad all this info helped.
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@Lin Glad your leg is better! There were excellent suggestions given--- I know about plantain, but knowing and having are 2 different things. Thanks for the wake up nudge (asking this question) --I need to plant some!
i know about plain
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