Copper penny sting tip?

[beepowers]

I got an e-mail from an old friend describing how applying a copper penny to any insect sting will cancel out swelling and pain within 15 minutes. This remedy is new to me, so I'm wondering about the validity of the technique and how it works if it is true. Any one have an answer?

[lakebilly]

I was stung on the cheek, remembering an email from my sister about the copper penny, I put a shiny new penny on my face for a cpl of minutes, and it worked perfectly. no pain. I seem to remember trying it after that with not as good results....go figger.

[beeware10]

If I said move slow and use the correct amount of smoke would be better advice Imo.

[sqkcrk]

I have never had pain from a sting for more than a few minutes, certainly not 15 minutes. I wonder if standing on one foot produces the same results?

[indypartridge]

Pennies are nearly all zinc - haven't been all copper since 1981 or '82.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/beesting.asp

[Heartspark]

Its most likely just because the penny has a cooling effect that makes it seem like its working better.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Heartspark is right.... IMHO most of it is physiological....BTW penny does not work!
Mike

[tommyt]

Pocket Knife

Scrape the stinger Keep working the bees

Tommyt

[rlsiv]

Forget the penny.

I use a dime - works 10x faster.

[The Soap Pixie]

I was in a follow up bee course at the University over the weekend and someone asked Marla about all of the reported "cures" for bee stings and whether or not she believed any of them work. Her response: the only cure for a bee sting is a lot of cussing. I think I'll use that one when I get stung since cussing in other areas always seems to work well for me. LOL!

[oldenglish]

As with just about everything in beekeeping, use it if it works for you. I have never heard it used for pain but it does work for swelling.
Last year the owner of our local bee store got stung on the eye brow while getting a queen from the queen bank. Usually he will swell up pretty good when stung on the face, he tried the penny and several hours later you could not tell he had been stung.

[blueribboncookies]

"Forget the penny.

I use a dime - works 10x faster. "


THAT made me laugh out loud! And I needed that ... I got 9 or 10 stings tonight so was looking for some wisdom in this thread.

[DrivetheGreen66]

I was in a follow up bee course at the University over the weekend and someone asked Marla about all of the reported "cures" for bee stings and whether or not she believed any of them work. Her response: the only cure for a bee sting is a lot of cussing. I think I'll use that one when I get stung since cussing in other areas always seems to work well for me. LOL!

The cussing works for me. I got stung yesterday for the first time on my ear. Somehow the bee got underneath my veil. It sucked.

[Frontyard Beekeeper]

The copper penny works, but you must stand on one foot and jump up and down while singing trhe star spengled banner.

[Michael Bush]

I admit I've never tried a penny. Plantain works so well and is so universally available during the time of year I need it that I never looked for anything else. But usually I just ignore them and keep working...
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#plantain
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Plantain.jpg

[sqkcrk]

I got 9 or 10 stings tonight so was looking for some wisdom in this thread.

Okay, here's a little more. Don't work bees at night.

[jim lyon]

When I was a little boy my dad used to give me a quarter for every bee sting I got, that made the pain go away pretty fast.....especially since I knew I could buy a cherry Coke at the drug store for a dime.

[honeyman46408]

Jim
You are telling your age

[Barry]

Don't work bees at night.

Unless you've used half a roll of duct tape first.

[FlowerPlanter]

When I was a little boy my dad used to give me a quarter for every bee sting I got, that made the pain go away pretty fast.....especially since I knew I could buy a cherry Coke at the drug store for a dime.

And your still playing with bees. Working on being a millionaire?