numerous stings

[cityboy]

Yesterday evening I was mowing a neighbors yard and took 10 stings from a hidden hive in the neighbors tree. My left forearm took three and is quite swollen. I've never been stung this much at one time and want to know of any itching remedies or swelling control methods that might be useful. I am extremely tired today-- perhaps a result of the venom? Mike

[oregonsparkie]

Alot of people swear by several remedies: Here are some

Vinegar, meat tenderizer, honey.

Use some benedryl for the itch.

Bee stings have histamine so a antihistamine helps there

[bjerm2]

Take a benedryl, to releave the itching and use an anti itch cream. The rest is up to nature to take it's course. Sorry.
Dan

[Bill_newbee]

Everybody speaks from experience, and here is mine...Benadryl knocks me out big time. It may help with the swelling but being woozy for the next 12 hours doesn't accomplish much. On the other hand, I tried vinegar the other day when I got stung 3-4 times on the same 2 fingers, as I knew I was in for a couple balloon size fingers with the ever present accompanied itching so anything was worth trying at that point...I ran inside having remembered reading something about vinegar, set the fingers directly into a cup of plain white vinegar, and would you believe it was an immediate and unbelievable difference....no swelling whatsoever and no itch. 15 minutes later I had to remind myself that I had been stung. Thinking now I should bottle and sell this stuff. Your mileage may vary, and I would like to hear how others react to this treatment. Hope this is some help.
Bill in Cornwall

[chemistbert]

If you didn't take Banadryl immediatly, then don't bother to do anything. If I can get an anti histamine in me right away then I just let it go. I have never really found anything that'll work after the fact.

[bjerm2]

I'm at the point now, been in beekeeping so long, I get mild swelling and that is gone by the end of the day. The initial pain is gone by the next day. I use to just ride it out since I agree there really is nothing out there that can help. Then there is the itching Sorry I can't really give you a good answer.
Dan

[ChellesBees]

10 stings-hidden hive- were they honeybees or yellowjackets? Not that it makes a difference, I'm just curious. Try ice on the welts, sometimes that helps. and if they were yellow jackets-kill the buggers.
(sometimes revenge helps)

[Walt McBride]

If it is a bee sting and you have your smoker going try this: puff the lit smoker on the sting untill you cannot take the heat. it works!
Walt

[Susan]

Use tea tree oil. I also can not use benadryl, and I swell up for days, but tea tree works good for me.

[Oxankle]

CityBoy:

Just ignore it. Ten stings are nothing to worry about at all unless you are actually allergic.

The first few times you get stung you will swell, and then itch. No big deal, just go on about your business.

After a few more stings you will find that the sting is transitory and brief, the itch is of little consequence and the swelling minimal. In short, nothing to bother a full grown man.

You cannot expect to enjoy beekeeping if you have to rush to get first aid every time you get a few stings.

Now, all that said, if you are truly allergic all bets are off. In that case you need medical attention and probably should not be around bees.
Ox