Bee Stings
Natural Remedies

  1. Home
  2. Ailments

Natural Cures for a Bee Sting

| Modified on Jun 11, 2023
Add New Post Comments
The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Sort by Default New Loved
Baking Soda
Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 06/25/2018
 ★★★★★

My daughter got stung by a bee on the bottom of her foot while playing frisbee while we were away from home over the weekend.

I thought about what I had with me that I could use. I had a headache blend of peppermint, lavender and birch oils in my hip pack so we applied that first.

I had baking soda with me, band aids and unsweet tea from lunch.

I put about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda on the bandage and used my straw to drop a few drops of tea onto the baking soda to make a paste. My daughter has used a lot of poultices over the years an was notably impressed with how much it helped. She was able to do everything else that day with no pain, including a lot of walking, an outdoor wedding and dancing.

Today, two days later, the sting was bothering her again. We are home with access to all sorts of stuff and she made herself another baking soda poultice.

For under a buck you can keep a box of baking soda in your car to be ready for this and many other little emergencies! (Including heartburn and forgetting your toothbrush/toothpaste - I have used baking soda on a finger to clean my teeth in a pinch.) I love cheap and easily available remedies that WORK!

~Mama to Many~

Baking Soda
Posted by Deirdre (Ct) on 08/07/2020
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I tried rescuing a big black flying insect from my kitchen screen the other day to put it back outside and managed to get stung on my finger in the process. It was searingly painful. I promptly made a paste of baking soda and water and applied to the area. I was expecting to be in pain for hours but I kid you not, the pain disappeared within two minutes. I kept the paste on for 10 minutes total. Rinsed it off and.... no pain, no redness, and no sign I had ever been stung. Wow! Just had to share. ❤️

9 Volt Battery
Posted by Arn (Kenmore, Wa.) on 05/16/2021 20 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

With 7 kids, and woods surrounding our house, we had plenty of experience with stings of all kinds. Fortunately, we found a quick fix.

Wet the site of the sting, saliva will do.

Then press a 9 volt battery with the poles on either side of the puncture.

It takes about 1 second and the kids are back out the door to play. The very mild current, which they won't even feel, disassociates components of the venom.

If you search remedies for snake bite on thus website, you can learn more about this treatment. It's possible the little 9V battery might even work on snake bites if applied before the venom spreads. No venomous snakes in Western Washington, so I haven't tried it.

I also have no idea if this works for those allergic to bee venom. Hope someone can give us more info. Meanwhile, keep a 9V close at hand. Cheap and effective.

Wasp Stings
Posted by Steve (Taylor, Mi) on 07/15/2012
 ★★★★★

I have used this site for the last 4 years since finding it and have referred a great number of people to it. I have never written to contribute my thanks or success stories before as everything I've used always seemed to have many "yeas" so I figured my two cents wouldn't really amount to much.

Well tonight I was working on a rooftop air conditioning unit with my father and we were attacked by wasps as we opened the side panel to begin working. Luckily, we were both only stung twice as we managed to get off the roof while swatting at the others.

It took me about 10 minutes to drive home and pull up Earth Clinic on my computer. I immediately looked for "Wasp stings" under the ailments sectioned and momentarily panicked when I didn't see it as a listed subject. Fortunately, my brain thought to look under "Bee" and saw that ACV was a very positively mentioned cure. I immediately soaked two cottonballs and applied them to my swollen leg and arm and within a minute, the intense needle-like pain in my leg greatly decreased and the swelling on both stings also went down. I kept the cottonballs on both areas for about 10 minutes, while resoaking them after being on the stings for 5 minutes. It is still somewhat painful to walk, as each step seems like I am being stung again, both nothing to the degree before using ACV.

Thank you so much for this and all of the other great cures and treatments that are offered on this site.

I think it would be a great idea to add the subject "Wasp Stings" to the ailments page, so in the future someone looking for immediate help after being stung by a wasp could find this treatment. I also think it would be a great idea to have a link on the "Wasp Sting" ailment page to the "Bee Sting" ailment page, just in case, so you could help anyone looking for help after being stung by either of these.

Activated Charcoal
Posted by Fluffy (Pa) on 07/21/2017
 ★★★★★

Charcoal saved my life

I am deadly allergic to bees, I have already been hospitalized and they make me carry an epiPen. The problem with that is there is no way in hell that I or anyone else is going to stab me with a needle so when I got stung yesterday the first thing I did was apply tea tree oil & camphor to the site . Then I took 2 Benadryl and about 7 min later I remembered I have activated charcoal and both capsule in powder form, I swallowed two of the capsules and made a charcoal, Teatree and Vicks vapor rub concoction for the infected site. Then I took a another tablespoon of charcoal. To my amazement I did not super swell up around the site I did not get any hives or rashes my tongue and throat did not swell like it usually does, just pain where I got stung 👍 I was so happy that I didn't have to go to the ER or stab myself in the leg. Today, however, I stupidly took a hot shower and opened up all my pores and broke out in hives all over my body. I immediately went to take the activated charcoal 2capsules &1 tablespoon of powder (diluted in water)about 20 minutes later the rash and hives started to go away I then took 1 Benadryl. It's been three hours and I'm completely fine.

EC: More great charcoal cures can be found on this page.

Colloidal Silver
Posted by Art (California ) on 05/25/2017 2325 posts
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

A friend of mine was stung by a bee today and the sting area started to swell and cause pain immediately. He went inside and pulled the stinger out and put a small amount (1/4 teaspoon) of 320 parts per million colloidal silver on the sting area and then rubbed it in. The swelling and pain started to reverse within about a minute and within 5 minutes you could no longer tell that he had been stung! No pain, no inflammation and no swelling......all gone. I looked at it after about an hour and could not tell where he had been stung. After 12 hours he said he could feel a very slight amount of pain where he was stung so he applied a little more colloidal silver and the pain went away. That leads me to believe that had he put a cotton ball wet with colloidal silver on it and taped it in place, that might have been a complete end to it right then.

If you are allergic to bee stings, you can not rely on this method and must go to the emergency room right away.......your life may depend on it!

Art

Mud
Posted by Leeno (Exton) on 07/19/2022
 ★★★★★

Growing up my mom always used mud when we got stung and it was amazing--pain would leave in seconds! Now 60 years later I still use this remedy with my family and now that my kids are teens they use this on their own. My son works at a camp at a lake and is always getting stung. He said it's the best remedy and the great thing is it's natural, of the earth and always quickly available! :-)

Bentonite Clay
Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 08/25/2020
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Well, I am all about Bentonite Clay today! I have been using it on my daughter's infected finger and last night I used it on my son's wasp sting.

My son was getting in to bed and got stung by a red wasp that had found its way into his covers! The sting was on his foot. Those stings are nasty and usually cause terrible swelling and pain.

I used my no holes barred approach to prevent swelling. Once the swelling sets in it is harder to get it down.

I gave him 2 Benadryl pills and 400 mg of Ibuprofen to prevent inflammation and swelling. I gave him 4 nettle leaf capsules to help with allergic reaction. I put a few drops on frankincense essential oil on his foot while I mixed up the clay. I applied a dollop of clay and a bandage. He woke up with no swelling today.

Sometimes with these types of stings, I have prevented swelling in the first 24 hours but then slack off on remedies and swelling begins to set it. I will be sure to give him nettle again tonight and other remedies if I see any sign of swelling at bedtime.

~Mama to Many~

Baking Soda
Posted by Kerian (Jefferson, Arkansas) on 10/26/2011
 ★★★★★

I got stung by a hornet on Sunday. Here it is Wednesday and the pain has intensified and the swelling is really bad. I'm 16 and I asked my mom what I could do and she referred me to this site. I saw the baking soda and decided to try it. I put it on 30 minutes ago and the swelling has gone down and the pain is next to none. Thank you guys so much for telling me about this. I'll never forget to use this when I get stung!!!

Tobacco
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn) on 04/01/2017
 ★★★★★

My Tractor Driver now thinks I's a bright guy. With spring in the air we are leaving the doors open to soak in the fresh air. With that comes wasps. She just got stung on the finger and I told her that I had a 20 year old pack of cigs in the drawer just for this. She soaked one and made a pack with a paper towel. I wrapped this on the sting with Scotch tape and within minutes, she exclaimed, " Wow, this works".

The problem with tobacco is that it got polluted with Arsenic to kill the boll worms and the processors sprayed it with insecticides, fungicides, and pesticides. Is it any wonder this great herb now causes you grief? The American Indians used it in moderation for thousands of years. Us educated folks turned it into a death wish.

ATS====ORH======

Heat
Posted by Ginger (Lethbridge, Alberta) on 01/14/2022
 ★★★★★

Bee sting/ wasp sting....heat remedy

I am allergic to bee and wasp stings and a sting typically swells to the diameter of a plate, turning the area or limb into a burning ball of firey pain for days and days. I've tried nearly all the remedies listed here ( ACV, baking soda, clay, ammonia, ice packs, etc). Nothing helped.

While in Australia I witnessed lifeguards placing the limb of a stingray victim into the hottest water they could manage to neutralize the Venom from the sting, and I thought I would try the same technique with a wasp bite. It worked unbelievably well.

As soon as I got the sting I rushed into the shower, washed the sting with bar soap, (bar soap is alkaline, which also helps neutralize the Venom, ) and ran the hottest shower water over my leg but I could manage. I then microwaved a hot wheat bag to the hottest temperature I could endure and held it over the sting for about half an hour. The results were nothing short of a miracle for me.

A bite that normally would have made my whole thigh unbearably hot, swollen, and painful for the next week, turned out to be nothing less than an itchy swelling the size of a dime. I'd say this treatment works easily 99.9% better than anything I've ever tried before.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Maggie (Idaho) on 08/29/2016 36 posts
 ★★★★★

Apple cider vinegar worked great for a wasp bite on the back of my hand. When first bit, I rubbed some fresh lavender leaves on the bite and the pain stopped. A few hours later I noticed that my hand had started to swell. Put some colloidal silver on the bite and the swelling went down some but a while later it started again, turned red and hot, started to itch, and was going up my fingers. Put some ACV on the bite several times that day and it healed.

Charcoal, Turmeric, Vitamin C, Nettle
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 09/03/2015
 ★★★★★

Editor's Choice

This afternoon, my 21 year old son called me from work. He had just been stung by a red wasp on his ear lobe. He was getting a charcoal poultice to put on it, but wanted to know what else he should do. (Several years ago he was stung by a red wasp. Even with charcoal poultices, he was stuck on the couch with a swollen arm for days. The charcoal worked, but slowly. As long as he had the poultice, he was not in pain.)

Providentially, I was getting into the car to take other children to piano lessons, very nearby to where he was working. I sped back into the house, grabbed a large, ready made charcoal/flax poultice with plastic wrap out of the refrigerator, a bandana, vitamin c, turmeric and nettle tincture. I dropped off piano students and stopped by his work. His earlobe was red and so was the skin on his head behind his ear.

I got the charcoal poultice centered over the sting and around his ear, covered it with plastic and secured it with a bandana. I told him to take 1,000mg of Vitamin C, 1 turmeric capsule, and 1 teaspoon of nettle tincture every hour. He did that for four hours. When he got home from work, his ear lobe looked fine.

The moral of the story for me is to deal aggressively when dealing with a potentially aggressive situation, within safe bounds of the natural remedies used.

~Mama to Many~

Baking Soda
Posted by Robin (Walhalla, SC) on 07/11/2008
 ★★★★★

I recently had a bad burn from a lawn mower. I put burn medicine on it, but it didn't put out the fire at all. I read a post on here about baking soda, and decided to try it. I made a thick paste out of baking soda and water and put it all over the burn. It was amazing! The fire went out of the burn IMMEDIATELY. I few days later, my son was stung by a wasp. I made the same paste and put it on his sting and it took the pain away for him. It worked on a four year old who was screaming in pain.

Vitamin C
Posted by WT (Spartanburg, SC) on 05/29/2008
 ★★★★★

Vitamin C for Insect Bites and Allergies: I had a spider bite once that swelled on my forearm like a half-egg under the skin. I took 3-4G of ascorbic acid, the cheap Vitamin C from Sams club, about once every hour and a half or so. By dark the swelling was down to maybe 10%. I continued overnight and all day the next day. During that time, while in the yard working, I felt something on my arm. I looked down to see a "fireant" biting feverishly the back of my hand. I assumed there must be something wrong with him as I didn't feel any burning. Another one bit me later with the same results. I only noticed a feeling like something was crawling on me. The wounds never swelled, turned red or itched! It must have been the massive doses of C circulating in my blood.

I estimated I consumed about 40 grams of C over a 24hr period. Normally that much C will give you severe diarrhea and gas! I had neither.

I also take it for severe allergy flareups with great and quick relief, though only last for 2-4 hours, depending on the intensity of the allergen.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Cait (Oakland, California) on 06/16/2013
 ★★★★★

Stood on a bee at a friend's house 2 nights ago. I yelled VINEGAR very loudly as it was instant searing pain and my friend poured some cold ACV into a bowl and I put my foot into it... AHHH, instant relief. We got the stinger out with tweezers and I iced it and was walking around fine within half an hour. Yesterday it swelled up and is very itchy, so just soaked it again and it feels much better. My mom used white vinegar for bee stings when we were kids but I think the ACV is even better.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Felicia P. (Decatur, TX) on 09/12/2021

Never remove a stinger with tweezers as this pumps more venom into your body. Use a credit card or flat knife or even fingernail to flick it off from underneath.

Ammonia
Posted by Ellen (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) on 11/07/2010
 ★★★★★

Another excellent remedy for stings and bites is oil of oregano. You get instant relief and a reduction in swelling. Oil of oregano can be applied for many problems, but it should be taken interally for only a very short time as it will eventually eat away at your organs. I cured my candida in two weeks using oil of oregano, taking 4 drops 3 times per day. After this time, I stopped and the candida never came back. It's easy and very effective. Good luck. Sue


NEXT 
1 2 3 4 ...5 Next Page
Advertisement

Please note that we use cookies necessary for the functioning of our website, cookies that optimize the performance. To learn more about our cookies, how we use them and their benefits, please read our Privacy Policy