

In search of a new place to call home, the swarm of bees behaves more aggressive than usual and is known to attack people if threatened. When a new queen is hatched, the old one leaves the hive, along with thousands of workers and drones. In severe cases, a bee sting can cause an allergic reaction, asphyxiation, swells and even death.īees also express swarming behaviour. Bees also emit a pheromone that is calling other members of the hive to attack the stung intruder. They have venomous stings which cause irritating pain. Feral bees often settle in human-made structures, especially in suburban areas and close to farmlands. However, they are still regarded as a wildlife nuisance. Bees are the prime pollinator of flowering plants. They aren’t just beneficial to humans-they are of huge importance to the existence of life on earth. Schmidt's Sting Pain Scale is organized into four levels, with level four being the most painful. The Schmidt sting pain index is a pain scale that rates the degree of pain caused by different hymenopteran stings, including bee, wasp, and hornet stings. His writing style is remarkably candid and at times, almost poetic. Infection is unlikely, but it is still a good idea to treat the stung area.ĭr Schmidt spent over a decade examining the effects of insect bites and stings. Wounds usually heal by themselves in less than a week.Either way, mix baking soda and water and apply to the stung area. It is more likely for the wound to itch rather than hurt. Over-the-counter painkillers may relieve pain associated with bee stings.If the sting is on the lower part of the body, elevate it (or make the person lie). Put some ice on the wounded area to cool it and prevent swelling.If he has trouble breathing, feels dizzy immediately after the sting, or has a history of allergic reactions, better seek medical help right away. Make sure the person stung is not experiencing an allergic reaction.It is better to use your fingernails and scrape them off. While removing it, make sure you don’t pinch it-this might squeeze the remaining poison in your body. Remove the stinger immediately! If you leave the stinger in your skin, it will continue to release venom until it falls off by itself.What’s more, they are excellent pollinators and should be encouraged to stay in your garden! Solitary bees – Solitary Bees almost never sting humans, as they don’t have honey to protect them.If you spot a male honey bee, there’s absolutely nothing to fear! In the case of honeybees, it’s easy to spot a male one, because their eyes are on the head, unlike in females. You can often recognize them because they are larger, slower and don’t have visible stingers. Male bees – Male bees do not have stingers and can’t sting you.Bumblebees are large, hairy and coloured in patches, where the upper one is usually light yellow and the rest of the body is black.

It’s very distinctive behaviour where they show you their stinger and if left alone, would not resort to stinging.
#Treating a bumble bee sting Patch#
Orange patch on the upper body and dark colouring along the body. They are attracted to human sweat and might be observed attempting to lick the sweat off a person’s body. On their upper body, sweat bees have very characteristic metallic colouring. Also, there are parasitic bees that mimic the appearance and scent of other bee species. For example, Carpenter bees burrow in deadwood where they build their nests. Other social bee species build colonies in specific locations. These bees sting when they see you as a threat to their honey and nest, which could be at any time you stand between them and their nest, cast a shadow on it or cause the ground around it to vibrate. A honeybee is more likely to sting you than any other bee in the UK. Females have a distinctive barbed stinger. They are coloured in black and yellow stripes, but the yellow is less vivid than the yellow stripes on wasps.Ī slender wasp-like body covered in striped colouring. Unlike wasps, they have hairy, robust bodies with a wide waist. Honey bees are small, social insects that reach up to 22 mm. There are many different types of bees, the most popular (but not most numerous) of which are the honey bees.Īll members of the bee family can be recognised by their dual pair of transparent wings, short, stocky bodies, and stingers. Bees are flying insects closely related to ants and wasps.
