Spring brings with it many great outdoor activities. It also brings hundreds of thousands of black and yellow soldiers on the hunt for pollen and nectar. It’s said to be one of their busiest times of year.
Bees are one of the most important links in human survival as without bees to pollinate flowers, especially those of food crops, there would be nothing to harvest. Although they help to sustain human life, there is another side to them – the painful side.
In a report by Arrive Alive, most bee attacks can be traced back to perceived provocation. People’s chances of being stung by a bee increase if they deliberately disturb the hive, cause a vibration or noise with a tractor or power tool, or if they happen to crash into a tree or substation where a hive is found.
Bee hives are built in hollow trees, walls or attics. They also hang from branches, and are built in and under shrubs, bushes and hedges. They occur inside rodent burrows or other holes in the ground, and structures such as fixed electrical substations.
Signs and symptoms of having been stung by a bee include pain, swelling that can last a few days, skin redness and a wheal around the sting. Getting stung in the throat area of your neck may cause difficulty to breathe. Scratching the area could cause an infection. If you develop a rash or headache, feel dizzy, experience stomach cramps, vomiting, shortness of breath, shock and unconsciousness, you are allergic to bee stings.
Some ways to prevent being stung are to keep trash away from your home and keep pet food inside the house. Fill any holes in the ground, clean drinks dispensing machines regularly and pick up fruit that fall from fruit trees. In outdoor public areas try to have food areas away from crowds of people.
If you have been stung by a bee, remain calm. The first thing to do is remove the sting. The end of a sting is barbed and will remain stuck in the skin. Muscles in the sting allow it to continue pumping venom into the victim. The venom can be ejected for up to a minute after the bee has been removed; the longer the sting is lodged in the skin, the bigger the effect of the venom. Do not pull out the sting with your fingers or tweezers as it will squeeze out more venom. Scrape the sting out sideways with your fingernail, the edge of a credit cars, a dull knife blade or any other straight-edged object.
Swelling can be reduced by putting ice on the wound. Home remedies include applying baking soda, vinegar or toothpaste to the swollen area. Wash the site with soap and water, and drink plenty of water. If stung in the eyes, nose or throat it is crucial to seek medical help.
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