As summer peaks, bee stings become a timely concern, especially for the 2 million Americans allergic to them.
But a D.C.-area allergist said there are steps you can take to ‘bee’ sting-free.
“Lots of people — in fact most people — have been stung before,” said Dr. Troy Baker, an allergist with Kaiser Permanente. “There’s a study I did 10 years ago … where 91% said they had been stung at least once.”
Baker said getting stung can be a small collateral part of the natural world we share. But he also said there are common mistakes people make that make them more susceptible to being stung.
“Their goal is not to sting you,” he told WTOP. “But when they feel like they’re being attacked, that’s when they tend to sting.”
It may sound like common sense, but Baker said remaining calm in the face of bees — not frantically swatting — is a good start.
Another key piece of advice?
“Try not to dress or smell like a flower,” Baker said.
It might sound funny, but he said it’s a mistake too many people make this time of year, wearing floral perfumes, deodorants and hair sprays.
Another way to avoid an unwanted buzz is to not walk barefoot in places someone isn’t familiar with, where bees could be on the ground.
If you are stung, Baker said it’s important to look out for severe symptoms.
This means you should look for any allergic reactions away from the sight where you were actually stung, like:
“Hives in other places on your body. Abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting. Tightness in your chest, asthmalike symptoms,” Baker listed.
“Those are serious signs of a sting injury where you need to get immediate medical attention,” he added.
The good news is that, even if you are stung, you’ll likely be OK. Baker says only about 4% of bee stings result in hospitalization.
And interestingly, honeybees have more venom than most wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets.
“Fortunately, honeybees are the most gentle, so they’re not out to get you,” Baker said.
On the flip side, he said while honeybees are the least aggressive, some wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets can be much more so.
“It won’t matter which has more venom if you’re getting stung by the whole hive,” Baker said.
He said if you have a nest you’re worried about, it may be time to call a professional. Especially with complications arriving from invasive hornet species lately, Baker said extra caution is more important now than ever.
Finally, Baker said if you see a stinger in you — you can remove it, but: “If you squeeze the top of the stinger, you’re gonna put venom inside of you. So you want to avoid pinching and pulling, and more like scraping and flicking away.”
Baker said the fear of a bee sting shouldn’t stop you from living your life, but it’ll hopefully make people more aware and responsible in these situations.
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