Have you ever been stung by a bee? Up until this week, it’s never happened to me; but of course there’s a first time for everything, right? Thankfully I’m not allergic, so treating the sting wasn’t a big deal. But afterwards, I decided to look up natural bee sting remedies and found a whole bunch of great ideas out there!
The way I got stung was pretty interesting… Long story short, I stepped on a bee. In my house. While barefoot. Of course, I didn’t know at that moment that it was a bee, but I found out soon enough once my husband came to help and found the dead bee in the hallway. Oh, and all this is going on at 2am while my 8 month old is crying, waiting for me to go nurse her – perfect timing!
We cleaned the sting site, iced it, and then my husband spread some minty toothpaste on it to help alleviate the pain – which surprisingly helped a lot! Once I had the pain under control, I started searching for more natural bee sting remedies, and this is how this post was born. 🙂
How to Clean a Bee Sting
Before using one of the remedies below, make sure to thoroughly clean the sting site. If the stinger is still inside your skin, you have to remove it first. Don’t try to pull or pluck it out, as you may rupture the sac which will release more venom. Simply scrape across the skin with a card or your finger nail to swipe the stinger away. Once you’re sure it’s gone, gently clean the area with water and soap. Now you’re ready to treat the sting.
Natural Bee Sting Remedies
Lavender Essential Oil
Of course! My favorite essential oil ever is apparently awesome for bee stings and is supposed to neutralize the venom almost instantly. Just put a drop of lavender oil on the sting site, and let it do its magic.
Baking Soda
Since bee stings contain formic acid, using something with an alkalinizing effect like baking soda can help neutralize the sting. Just add enough water to some baking soda to form a paste, then apply it to the sting site and don’t wash off. Add that to the list of many ways to use baking soda!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Just a drop or two of ACV on the site will help relieve pain. This is especially good wasp stings since they’re more alkaline. Make sure it’s raw ACV for the most health benefits.
Honey
Isn’t this as ironic as it gets? Bees create the venom, and then turn around and provide the cure – brilliant! Just slather on some honey to the sting site to reduce pain and swelling. Honey is also anti-bacterial and will help prevent infection. Local, raw honey is always best, but if you can’t find it locally, you can find some online here.
Garlic Cloves
This is an old folk remedy that apparently works very well. Just crush a garlic clove to release it’s juices, then press it against the sting site to relieve the pain.
Calendula
Apply some calendula cream to the site to help reduce itching and swelling. Since calendula has antiseptic properties, it can also help prevent infection.
Onion
Cut a slice of onion and lay it (juicy side down) on the sting.
Parsley or Basil
Crush up (or chew) some fresh parsley or basil leaves, and apply to the site to help relieve pain.
Plantain Leaves
This common weed is found growing wildly in almost any climate – it’s probably creeping up in the cracks in your sidewalks. Just as with the parsley or basil, you’ll just chew some plantain leaves to release the juices, then apply them to the sting site for fast pain relief.
Ice
Perhaps the simplest, yet most effective remedy is applying an ice pack to the sting site to help numb the area and reduce pain and swelling.
Toothpaste
Like baking soda, toothpaste also contains alkaline ingredients which help to neutralize the sting. Although this is what I used on my sting, it’s definitely a last resort. If it wasn’t 2am, with a crying baby, I definitely would’ve used something else first. 🙂
Symptoms of Bee Stings
Of course, these natural bee sting remedies should only be used by those who are not allergic to bee stings. A normal reaction includes pain, itchiness, swelling, and redness. If you experience an allergic reaction, including the following symptoms, please seek medical help immediately:
- dizziness
- difficulty breathing
- nausea
- multiple bee stings
- swollen tongue
- slurred speech
- blurry vision
- abnormal swelling
- rash or hives
Further Reading:
15 Natural Bee Sting Remedies – Happy Mothering
10 Ways to Soothe a Bee Sting – Accidentally Green
Plantain for Bee Stings – Herbal Academy of New England
Do you have experience with bee stings? What are your favorite tried and true natural bee sting remedies?
When I got stung on my foot, I responded with panic and pulled the stinger out with my fingers, only to read later this is the wrong thing to do! I remembered the mud trick, and I happened to have some pascalite clay powder in my med cabinet. I made a paste and put a lump of it over the injection site. The relief was immediate, and after it dried and I took it off, I could see a spot where it had soaked up some of the venom, which i found pretty cool. I thought i had found a a miracle cure, but unfortunately, a day later, it swelled up and itched like crazy and I couldn’t sleep. Used an ice pack for some relief, but it was a restless night. In the morning, i fell back on another home remedy for swelling, a hot Epsom salt soak. It got rid of the itching for about 6 hours, then had to do again. Better than nothing, which is what cortisone and allergy creams do for me. I am now trying to boost my inner resources with vit. C and super B complex, wish me luck.
AMAZING THANK YOU SO MUCH!~♡♡♡
You’re very welcome, Samantha!!
I just wanted to let you know I did the baking soda and toothpaste trick and it seemed to work right away although I haven’t gotten stung sense I was a kid and back then my dad used to pack mud on it so thats the first thing I did and I think it help a lot because the mud was fresh and cool cuz I was outside watering and playing with my dog and we were enjoying the water and He was getting hosed down cuz he likes chasing the water lol its like a game to him and of course I went ahead and wet myself from head to toe it felt great under the Arizona heat in june and long story short I guess I had the bee in my hair cuz when I went to wrap the towel on my head that’s when I heard the bee buzzing by my ear and Then I felt the sting… It sure did hurt more than I remember. but after all that I decided to look up remedies and I tried the baking soda and toothpaste and it really help a lot.. So Thank You for sharing your home remedies it really helps and most importantly it works . Thanks Again. 🙂
So glad it worked for you, Sally!
Someone once told me to use menthol tobacco. You brake up the tobacco and add a couple drops of water then apply the chunky paste to the sting and it’s suppose to relieve pain instantly. I’m not sure how it works because I never tried it because I have never been stung before. I also am not recommending it to anyone but all my siblings swear by it..
Oh yes, a poultice! Never heard of tobacco being used in this way, but makes total sense.
Thank you for this information. I’ve knowledge of some of the remedies, but definitely not all, you mentioned as we’ve just recently started keeping bees for honey ( and the benefits to our natural environment). Did get two stings and used vinegar which helped, also aloe vera. Not pleasant getting a bee sting at 2am …
My grandfather would chew up a cigarette and put it on a wasp sting. Would this work for a bee sting? I have also heard of using meat tenderizer.
Honestly, I’m not sure about the cigarette, but maybe there’s some soothing effect from the tobacco leaves? Personally, it wouldn’t be my first choice because of all the additives in cigarettes, but if you’re comfortable with it I guess it’s worth a shot. And I’ve also come across the meat tenderizer tip as well, which I’ve heard works pretty well.
Thanks for all this great advice for stings. I was stung twice last year all at once and I didn’t even know what to do. It really hurt though!
Aww you’re very welcome, Maryann!