Only female bees and wasps sting

Just another gloomy summer day in London and sitting in the garden with a friend,sipping good old english tea - menondade on a hot sunny day would have been preferred - we suddenly get visited by a bee.  "not seen many of these this summer," says my friend and hardly had she got the words out of her month when she gets stung!!! 

The poor bee had landed on her hand for a wee rest and she, not knowing it was there was describing an event to me and slapped her hand on the table - with the bee underneath.

And it was painful and there sitting in the middle of her hand was the Bee sting.  "Do you think the bee will die now," she ask worried. More important was to get the sting out immediately. "tweezers," she shouts. Putting on my Safe and sound hat, and remembering what our paramedics always teach on our first aid courses,  I explain, tweezer should never be used. You don't want to snap the sting or push it further in - I grab a credit card and gently edge the sting  off her hand.  I check her out for any signs of swelling or anaphylactic shock but all is good. Once the sting is removed it is important to use a cold compress or cold water to reduce the swelling.

Some people can have a severe allergic reaction to being bitten or stung and the whole body can react within minutes which can lead to anaphylactic shock. Anaphylactic shock is very serious and can be fatal.

So do bees really  die after they have stung you?  I search for answers.  Apparently it depends on which kind of bee stung you.  Honey bees do die after they sting but other bees and of course those horrible wasps, don't.  and another interesting fact I found out is that only female bees  and wasps sting.  Venom, pumped from attached venom sacs, is injected into the unfortunate victim through the stylus, the needle-like portion of the sting apparatus. The stylus is enclosed between a pair of lancets. When a    bees or wasp  stings you, the lancets become embedded in your skin. They alternately pull the stylus into your flesh, and then the venom sacs pump venom into your body.

My friend is fine and hopefully so is the bee.

WHAT TO DO  - First Aid for bites and Stings

Bee, wasp and Hornet stings cause localised pain and swelling but are not usually serious.

•        If the sting is still visible in the wound, carefully scrape it away with your fingernail or  a card such as a credit card ad ensure that the poison stored in the poison sac attached to the sting is not     squeezed into the bloodstream.

 

•        Place a cold compress on the area stung to relieve pain and reduce swelling and if possible raise the affected area.

•        If the sting is in the mouth, remove if possible and get the child to sip cool water or suck on a piece of ice.

•        TAKE THE CHILD TO HOSPITAL OR DIAL 999 IMMEDIATLEY IF THE LIPS, TONGUE OR THROAT BEGIN TO SWELL