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.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mommy V (Washington, D. C., Usa) on 06/15/2013
★★★★★
WOW! That was like a miracle... Got stung on the top of my middle toe whilst galavanting barefoot in the front yard. I've developed an allergy to bee stings in adulthood, and this was the first time I was stung in years, so I was a bit concerned. It took me a while to dig the stinger out, and by then there was a rapidly spreading white welt with the trademark bright red dot in the middle along with the too-familiar stinging sensation. The joints in the toe were swelling, it ached like the dickens to walk or bend my toes at all, and the redness surrounding the welt was about the size of a silver dollar.
Came to Earth Clinic and read about ACV. Soaked a cotton ball in ACV and held it over the welt. It took about 3-5 mins for the stinging to subside. By 10 mins, the welt had disappeared and the aching in the joints was all but gone. I couldn't believe it! By about 30 mins (I eventually taped the cotton ball to my foot because I didn't want to be stuck on the couch all day), the redness had vanished all over my foot, and even the bright red mark where the stinger was orignally stuck had faded to a light pink. NO PAIN!
I've been using ACV for allergies and asthma for a few years now... I'm a believer now!
Peppermint Oil
Posted by Ky Mama (Clinton, Ky) on 01/28/2013
★★★★★
We have a terrible wasp and yellow jacket problem. We usually use lavender essential oil for mild stings and charcoal poultices for more serious ones. But my children get tired of poultices and find them inconvenient, so they take off the poultices and they end up swelling up. I have found peppermint essential oil, undiluted, takes out the heat and swelling very well, even on bites that are a couple of days old and still bothering them.
Homeopathics
Posted by Lover Of Truth (Bloomington, In) on 08/07/2011
★★★★★
I recently took my mother's truck to the gas station to be filled up. It had been sitting in the field unused for some time so when I went to open the gas tank I hand no idea there was a mini wasp's nest inside. It literally was a second or less before I was stung after opening the hinged lid. It was the most painful sting I've ever had and went super deep inside. Unfortunately it was a half an hour or so before I could treat it which may have contributed the the reaction. My hands over a 5 hour period swelled up like balloons and stayed that way for days. It was so bad I could not fully clench my hand nor see my knuckles. At any rate I tried everything I knew. I tools lots of MSM and c. I took benadryl. I took lots of bromelein on a empty stomach. I took apple cider finger internally and topically. I also tried bentonite clay. Nothing seemed to help. Now so could say it was just time but when I put the first dose of a gel made for stings on my wound at night by the next morning the swelling had reduced by 80-90%. I was so impressed I kept putting it on my hand till by the next day it was totally healed. For those interested some of the ingredients included arnica, calendula, echinacea, hypericum, ledum, and pyrethrum. This site in my opinion is like a science test so if others experience something similar I'd be interested to see if it works as a general rule or was just an isolated incident.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Cheryl (Abilene, Tx) on 07/28/2011
★★★★★
Went outside barefoot and stepped on a red wasp - it stung me - intense pain - came in the house and applied Apple Cider Vinegar with a paper towel - within a few minutes the pain was gone and didn't even know i'd been stung - Apple Cider Vinegar works better than bleach on a sting.
Ammonia
Posted by Henry814 (Valdosta, Georgia, Usa) on 11/06/2010
★★★★★
This is a boy scout remedy that I have know since my first camping trip. All bee and wasp stings are acidic. The best counter of these poison is ammonia. I was stung by a ground wasp on my leg. My scout master asked me to pee on a handkerchief and wrap the wound until we got back to our camp site. He gave me the "smelling salt" liquid, which is ammonia. I felt pain for a while, but the wound subsided very quick. Since then, I always have a bottle of household ammonia handy in the backyard. Fire-ant bites are the same. Try it. See if it work for you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Laurie (Saukville, Wi) on 08/13/2010
★★★★★
I was outside on the deck yesterday and got stung by a wasp. I rushed inside to see what Earthclinic viewers recommended. Took some ACV and applied it with a cotton ball, then held it there about two minutes. Pain gone and redness gone. It works!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Molly (Greenville, N.c Usa) on 07/19/2010
I raise ducks and geese as pets and my neighbors wanted two. So when they came over to pick them up, the ducklings jumped out and ran to a bush. Well, we didn't know that there was three yellowjacket nests there. Within minutes there were 30 or so on this one duckling (3 weeks old) and he was dark colored so it attracted them even more. I picked out all the YJ's and ran inside and got Dawn dishwasher detergent and washed the wounds. Then I picked out the stingers and drowned the wounds in ACV. When I taught a water safety course at school, I learned that putting ACV on a jellyfish wound would stop the pain, so I tried putting it on a YJ sting. It worked in a short period of time. Thanks! :))
Copper Penny
Posted by Baldelune (Rainier, WA) on 05/14/2009
★★★★★
Bee/Hornet Sting Remedy:
While we welcome Spring, the bees and hornets (and their stings) can make for a bad day. IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO BEE/HONET STINGS AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT SUBJECT A LIFE-THREATENIG STING REACTION, try this very simple remedy for a bee or hornet sting: tape a copper penny directly over the site of the sting and leave it in place for several hours. UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO STINGS, this simple remedy will reduce the effects of a or bee/hornet sting. It also helps reduce the swelling and soreness that follow a sting. I don't know why it works, nor do I care; it works. Once you have tied this remedy, I believe you will agree that a simple penny has great value.. If you ARE allergic to insect stings, however, disregard the above suggestion and promptly go to the nearest Emergancy Room for medical treatment.
Dairy Cream
Posted by Shirley (Yuma, Az. US) on 04/15/2009
★★★★★
After being stung by 2 bees, I imediately ran for the dairy cream, as I remembered a story I read many years ago about this. I put the cream on the stings, and the welts and pain were gone in 45 SECONDS. Amazing! I will always use this remedy, and spread the news everywhere I can.
EC: Dairy cream - aka heavy whipping cream
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Ruth (Dennisport, MA) on 09/20/2008
The symptoms you describe are a localized reaction to the bee sting, not an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions are systemic (through your whole body) like hives. Even though the reaction can be painful and scary, it is not an allergic one. Treatment includes elevating the affected part, steroids and antibiotics (main stream medicine). Don't worry about an epi-pen unless you have some kind of affected breathing.
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Tunc (Kusadasi, Turkiye) on 06/15/2015
Yes, it can be an allergic reaction. There are local and systemic allergic reactions due to the sensitivity of the person(it can be more after each sting). I guess you are sensitive on bee poison and hyper reaction occurs on your bodypart so it can be dangerous depends of the place of stung. Local steroids are the best to stop the allergic reactions. But first take the stinger out, apply cold, apply ammonia solution (alcalic) for about 10 min. , take an antihistamin tab as soon as possible.
Breast Milk
Posted by Shannon (Tyler, TX) on 04/24/2008
★★★★★
We were at a Renaissance Festival far from anywhere civilized...and my 18 month old got stung by a bee. I did not have the requisite first aid kit in the vehicle, so my mother said to put expressed milk on his thumb. Before the application, the thumb was red, hot to the touch, and swollen. Thirty minutes later it was no longer swollen or hot, but it was still red. One hour later it was not even red with the exception of a small dot to show where the sting was.
Honey
Posted by Jamie (Los Angeles, Ca) on 06/25/2012
★★★★★
I just went to the beach after visting the market to get a deli sandwich. Oddly enough, I bought some raw honey because I was out and thought, "why not?" I took that with me in my beach bag. Well, wouldn't you know it, I lay down on my towel, took a bite out of my sandwich, and got stung by a bee. I knew there wasn't much I could do, so I thought I would just stick it out. After a little while it started to burn, and it occurred to me to use THE HONEY! "Well, if the bees make it, I'm sure it works on their own venom" I thought. I dabbed it on and the pain was quickly gone, and the big white welt around the stinger-point was gone too. Very odd coincidence that I had the honey! Even magical, I would say. The last time I got stung by a bee, a friend heated a butter knife and held it just above the sting-point. The heat "drew out" the venom. It worked, but was certainly not as painless or soothing as lovely, sticky honey. :)
Plantain
Posted by Judy (Baltimore, USA) on 07/09/2007
★★★★★
The leaf of the common lawn broad-leafed plant known as plaintain will stop the pain from a sting in seconds. Just grab a leaf, or several if they are small or dehydrated, tear into small pieces, rub several stacked torn edges into the welt (first make sure the stinger is not in the welt; if it is, use something to gently scrape it out; do not use fingernails to pull on it because that will squeeze more venom into the welt). Plaintain also works for the itch of mosquito bites. In desperation I put 24 mid-sized leaves and 1/2 cup of water in small food processor and processed until it didn't have to be strained. Messy but effective. Less messy if you add 1/4 cup hand cream and shake it into the mixture (I used one with vit E, A and C). I kept the concoction in a jar in the refrigerator for over a year before it deteriorated, i.e., got watery and smelly; I used it many times
CBD Oil
Posted by magnolia16 (Virginia) on 04/03/2023
★★★★★
Yesterday I got stung by a wasp on the end of my finger and it throbbed for hours. I tried baking soda, ACV, ice - and it still throbbed. Then I got some CBD oil and rubbed it all around the finger, wrapped it with gauze and tape and it began to feel better in minutes and within an hour it did not hurt at all. I removed the gauze and it never started hurting again.
Ammonia, Clay
Posted by Terry (Missouri) on 05/02/2020
★★★★★
I am allergic to bees. My wife is allergic to mosquitoes. We both have found putting unscented ammonia on cotton ball and holding on sting bite until the other one makes a bentonite clay poultice to put on works miracles. Clay even took away a 2 day old brown recluse bite with no damage. A puss head was even forming which will then start eating into the flesh. All bites are acid and ammonia is very alkaline and absorbs into the body real fast. Your body also makes it. If you don't have bentonite clay, use clay mud from ground.
Meat Tenderizer
Posted by Barbara (Long Island, NY) on 05/02/2020
★★★★★
Msg available as Accent meat tenderizer in the supermarket is the best. A little paste right on the bite usually works within a minute. Repeat if necessary later.
I also used this on an unknown crazy itchy burning bite and I did have to reapply about 4 hours later and after that it didn't bother me anymore.
Vinegar
Posted by Pam E. (Southern California) on 09/20/2019 148 posts
★★★★★
For bee & wasp stings, I just spray on 5% vinegar. The area around & near the sting always swelled terribly & stung & burned . . . before I began immediately spraying with 5% vinegar. Now, after spraying it & massaging it into my skin, the sting & any redness quickly disappears, and it never develops into anything more than the teensy hole where the stinger went in. I always have 5% vinegar in a spray bottle for household cleaning, so that's my 'go to'!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Suzanne (Chattanooga, Tn) on 07/23/2018
★☆☆☆☆
Ambushed by yellow jackets! Can't see them all but think I have six stings, behind my knees and on my calves. Both legs. Since last night, I have tried Tecnu gel, lavender essential oil, internal and external ACV, crushed garlic, even took CBD oil. My muscles are really tight, hurts to walk. Ideas? Thanks!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Anon (Usa) on 07/23/2018
Ideas:
Magnesium, maybe soak in the tub with epsom salts
Rub isopropyl alcohol on the stings
Activated charcoal poultice
Rub castor oil over the stings
Rub cayenne on them, mix with castor oil?
Peppermint oil
Take antihistamine
Take vitamin c, e
Tea tree oil
Oregano oil
For mosquito bite rubbing salt grains into the bite makes it stop itching and go away
Maybe hold ice cube against bite.
Homeopathics
Posted by Andrea C (Cardiff, Wales) on 08/07/2011
RUB VINIGAR ON IT. IT WORKS! ALSO DOCK LEAVES. U ALWAYS FIND DOCK LEAVES GROWING BY NETTLES. THEY NEAUTRALISE THE FORMIC ACID IN THE STING, SAME 4 ANT STINGS. LOVE ANDREA C X X X
Homeopathics
Posted by Lover Of Truth (Bloomington, In) on 08/07/2011
I apologize for so many typos. I wrote this on my iPad which not only wrongly autocorrects typos often due to the keyboard but also would not let me scroll up the form to make corrections. Hopefully you can figure out what the sentences should read as this truly was helpful for me. I'd like to know others could use this information to get relief.
