Dealing With Wasp Stings: What to Do First

A wasp sting can quickly turn a pleasant afternoon outdoors into a painful ordeal. Whether you are enjoying a picnic in the park or working in the garden, running into these insects can lead to an unexpected sting. Here is how to handle one sensibly and keep the discomfort to a minimum.

Understanding the wasp sting

When a wasp feels threatened, it may respond by delivering a painful sting. The venom it injects can trigger a range of reactions in people, from mild irritation to a severe allergic reaction. It is worth dealing with a sting promptly to ease the pain and reduce the chance of complications.

One thing worth knowing before anything else: wasps do not normally leave their stinger behind. A wasp’s stinger is smooth, which is why a wasp can sting more than once, and why in most wasp stings there is nothing left in the skin to take out. A honey bee is the insect that leaves a barbed stinger behind. So if you find a stinger in the skin, the sting almost certainly came from a honey bee rather than a wasp.

Immediate steps after a wasp sting

If you or someone nearby is stung, a few simple steps help:

1. Check for a stinger. As above, a wasp usually will not have left one. If a stinger is there, scrape it out sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a card rather than pinching at it.
2. Clean the area. Wash the site with soap and water to remove any dirt or debris. That helps reduce the risk of infection.
3. Apply a cold compress. A cold pack on the sting site helps with pain and swelling. Wrap it in a cloth rather than putting ice straight on skin.
4. Consider pain relief. Common over-the-counter pain relievers can help with the discomfort. Follow the directions on the label, and ask a pharmacist or your doctor if you are not sure what is appropriate for you.

None of the above is medical advice, and it is not a substitute for talking to a health professional. It is general first-aid information for an ordinary sting in an otherwise healthy person.

Watching for signs of an allergic reaction

Most wasp stings cause pain, redness and swelling right around the sting site, and settle down over a few hours. A small number of people have a severe, whole-body allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, and that is a medical emergency. Watch for:

• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat
• Dizziness, faintness or collapse
• A rapid heartbeat
• Widespread hives or a rash away from the sting site
• Nausea or vomiting

If you or someone nearby shows any of these signs, call 911 immediately. Anaphylaxis can progress quickly, so make the call rather than waiting to see whether things improve on their own. The same applies to anyone who has been stung many times at once, to a sting inside the mouth or throat, and to anyone already known to have a serious insect sting allergy.

Preventing future wasp stings

You cannot remove the risk of a wasp sting entirely, but you can lower your chances of one:

• Avoid strong fragrances outdoors, and be aware that brightly colored and floral-patterned clothing draws more interest from wasps
• Keep food and drinks covered when eating outdoors so wasps are not scavenging around the table — cans and cups are worth checking before you drink from them
• Walk your property now and then and look for nests, especially around eaves, soffits, sheds, and in the ground along lawn edges, and have a professional deal with any you find rather than knocking them down yourself
• Talk to family members about how wasps behave, and about calmly walking away from one rather than swatting at it

Late summer and early fall are when stings peak here. Colonies are at their largest, the workers switch to hunting sugar, and that is when they turn up around trash cans, fallen fruit and outdoor meals.

When to call about a nest

If there is an active nest on your property, that is worth handling properly. Nests in wall voids, in soffits, and in the ground are the ones most likely to end in stings when somebody tries to deal with them alone. We can come out, take a look at what is there, and remove the nest with the right equipment and protective gear.

There is no need to let wasps keep you off your own deck for a season. If you have a nest, get in touch and we will sort out a plan for it.