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.
Tobacco
Posted by Misty (Kingston, Ga) on 07/24/2008
★★★★★
This works great! My son got stung repeatedly in the yard one day. I put tobacco on all of them except one I didn't see. Only the one without it swelled. The others were completely without swelling.
Honey
Posted by Anne (Rancho Cordova, California) on 07/18/2008
★★★★★
Bee Sting Remedies: Being English, this was my first inclination. So when checking this site I was pleased to see it listed. Following the instructions exactly, it really did work in 5mins. on a gentleman of 72 yrs of age and I felt very comfortable using it on a senior. Thanks Anne...
P.S. a dab and cover with a badaid. I barely put a little Honey on the tip of my finger, smeared it, then applied it to the yellowjacket sting, which was on the ear and quite a few hours old.
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.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Crystal (Liberty, KY) on 07/02/2008
★★★★★
My son was stung and we used this! It worked GREAT! THX
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nick (Colorado, Colorado) on 06/15/2008
★★★★★
I was watering my plants and my finger touched a living bumblebee and it stung me and it hurt bad. So I put 4tbs. of apple cider vinegar on it and it worked in a minute!
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Gean (Salina, Kansas) on 05/05/2008
★★★★★
I am very allergic to bee stings. I had gotten stung a few times during my childhood and teens, each time with more severe swelling. The last time I had gotten stung (stepped on a bee going barefoot), my leg swelled up like an elephant leg all the way to the thigh (the time before that it was just above the knee). So I knew it would be worse the next time, so I carried an Epi-pen around for a while until it expired. Then I carried nothing with me, but I knew if I got stung again esp. above the waist it would probably cut off my airway circulation. Well, lo and behold, about 20 years later I got stung again, right on my throat, so I yelled for my husband to call 911, thinking I was done for. Then a few seconds later I said, "Never mind! Hang up and help me mix up this charcoal!" So we took some powdered activated charcoal, mixed it with water, and applied it to the sting site. When the paramedics showed up a few minutes later (they had traced the call), we told them we were fine, since there was no swelling at all. I changed the charcoal poultice quite often during that first day, I don't remember exactly how often. Maybe every hour for a few hours. We also ground up some flax seed and mixed it with the charcoal and water. This makes it gelatinous and less runny. I kept the poultice on for about 3 days. Two days later I felt it itch and begin to swell, and then I realized the poultice had slipped off the sting site. So I knew I was still very allergic, and the charcoal had probably saved my life.
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.
Tobacco
Posted by Brenda (Vicksburg, MS) on 11/08/2006
★★★★★
My grandfather always wet tobacco and applied it to wasp or bee stings and it works immediately to stop the pain and swelling.
Sugar
Posted by Suzy (BC) on 11/05/2006
★★★★★
I read it in a book then tried it myself the next time I got stung. Because I swell up so large around my stings and they last at least up to a week before my body rids the swelling. Now as soon as I can after I'm stung, I make a thick sugar water paste. I get a spoon and scoop out some sugar, then I add a tiny bit of water enough to make a paste that is not too juicy (not leaky) and not too dry to be crumbly. I apply it generously on top of the sting. Within 1 minute you will not feel the sting and there will be no stinging. I leave it on for about 20 minutes. That's it. It works beautifully!
Rust
Posted by Anj (UK) on 10/06/2006
★★★★★
In my mum's days they used to have most of the things made of iron so they used iron rust. Mostly people have honey in their homes. She used to say if a bee stings you in the garden or park you don't have anything there with you than the best alternative is the soil mixed with water but the black soil/ mud better results and this is used as a poultice which dries in few minutes so you don't need any bandages or tapes.
Meat Tenderizer
Posted by Tim (Houston, Texas) on 03/28/2007
★★★★★
ACV doesn't work on bee stings. But here what does... apply meat tenderizer (mixed until it becomes a paste) to sting for 3-5 minutes, then soak in ice water or ice pack for about 5 minutes, then apply aloe vera for a few minutes. Pain gone, swelling gone, and poison reduced.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
Posted by Sharon (Vinings, GA) on 03/28/2007
★★★★★
I was trying to put a wasp outside that had flown into my kitchen (not a believer in killing any wildlife)... unfortunately it stung me through the paper towel as I lifted it from the window. Ouch!! I immediately dunked my finger in apple cider vinegar and baking soda (2 TBLS ACV and a shake of Baking Sod). The pain subsided after about 30 seconds and never returned. FAST REMEDY!
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
Lemons
Posted by Desiree (Putnam Valley, New York) on 07/28/2007
★★★★★
My daughter and her friends were playing in the yard when one of them was stung by a wasp right on her hand. I went into my home remedies book and they said that you should put lemon on it, thank god I had a lemon in the fridge. I washed the bite with ACV first and then had her hold a slice of fresh lemon on it for about 5 minutes and she said it felt much better and her crying stopped almost immediately. I know if you have small children and live in the woods like I do you should definately keep a lemon on hand at all times.
Tobacco
Posted by Susan (Humboldt, TN) on 07/30/2007
★★★★★
Tobacco is the best thing for insect stings. I always try to keep a pack of cigarettes and I don't smoke. But if you tear up one and dampen the tobacco and put it on the sting area it sucks the poison out and it quits hurting. It doesn't swell or itch either. If someone is chewing tobacco that is best (uck!). My Grandadday used it on me one day and it worked great.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sandy (Caldwell, TX) on 09/28/2006
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar will cure an allergic reaction to many stings by killer bees. An elderly woman who lives alone out in the country told me this story. She had a gentleman fixing fence for her in a pasture when he disturbed a nest of African killer bees. They swarmed him and he ran to his truck and drove to the womans house. He fell out of his truck and drug himself up to her gate and yelled at her to help him. She said by the time she got outside his eyes were rolling back in his head and all he said to her was some bees had stung him . She ran back into her house and got a shotglass of apple cider vinegar and took it out to him. She shook him and told him he had to drink the ACV so he opened his mouth and she poured a small amount in. He refused to drink anymore so she set it by him while she ran in to call 911. She said by the time she went back outside the man was sitting up and had drank the rest of the ACV. By the time the EMT's got there the man was up walking around. They checked him out and said he was fine. The man said he never goes anywhere without a bottle of ACV just in case because it saved his life. He swears by it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mary (Dartmouth, Massachusetts) on 08/17/2007
★★★★★
I was doing some yard work and must have upset a hornets nest. The hornets were swarming around on the ground and I was stung on the leg and on my forearm before I realized what was going on. I was a bit frightened since the last time I was stung by a hornet, many years ago, my arm swelled up a lot and was very itchy so I was afraid of a more severe reaction. I had recently read how ACV worked on so many things, I immediately put ACV on the stings. Within a minute or two, the pain from the stings was gone! The next day there wasn't even a mark where I got stung. Amazing!
