Scream Relief: Natural Remedies for Wasp & Bee Stings
The first time I saw natural remedies work in a first aid situation was when my 6-year-old got a wicked bee sting.
Back when we were preparing to open the Indigo Forest storefront back in 2007, we got surprised by a large wasp nest over the front door. All the activity set them off, and my son got stung by a wasp right on the thin skin stretched over his elbow bone. He was howling, and I was frantic! There was no ice available, I had nothing with me. In fact, I couldn’t even think of what to do.
Luckily, my new friend the naturopath was there. She popped a dose of Apis homeopathic in his mouth, and a drop of Purification essential oil (Young Living brand at the time) on the bright red dot in the center of that stark white swelling. He calmed down faster than I did, and within only a minute (REALLY), he was back at play. I was amazed! Even more astonishing was that when I checked on it about 25 minutes later, he could not remember which elbow got stung, and I could not find the nickle-sized swelling! I was dumbfounded. These two little items have been in their backpack first aid kits ever since.
The wonderful seasons that pull us outside also bring the likelihood that someone will get a bee or wasp sting from running barefoot on lawns, summer picnics, and fall festivals with sweets and drinks.
Many of these stinging insects are also absolutely essential to the pollination of our food that keeps life on earth possible for us humans. So before you pull out the can of Raid, let’s look at some of the options to keep things calm as we enjoy nature.
Natural remedies are the most effective approach with bee stings, in my experience, and simple to keep on hand.
Apis mellifica: First response at our house is homeopathic Apis, this remedy is for any insect bite with swelling, not just for bee stings.
Purification: If Young Living’s Purification essential oil is available (or something comparable), one drop right on the bite will help to neutralize the poison.
While that usually does it, here are a few more ideas to increase your first aid options:
Get the stinger out: This is recommended as venom will continue to be released for several minutes. I’ve only done this if there was an obvious stinger or it seemed relatively assessable, primarily because my kids were usually not cooperative on stinger removable. (Reminded them of splinters). A gentle ‘scraping’ motion, like with a credit card or even your fingernail, is often the advice. Try not to squeeze it, as that squirts out the remaining venom.
Silicic acid 200c: If there is clearly a black dot or stinger, consider a 200c of homeopathic Silica orally, to ‘push out the foreign object.’ This is remarkably effective, and in this case, you must have the higher potency. (Lower potency has the opposite action.)
Ledum palustre: For insect bites or stings of any kind, including mosquito, flea, or tick bites. Also Ledum may be used when there is bruising at the site of puncture wounds and bites.
Ice: If the wound feels hot to the touch, or to slow the swelling.
Protease: This digestive enzyme catalyzes (speeds up) proteolysis, which breaks proteins down into single amino acids. In other words, protease “eats up foreign proteins in the blood”, in this case, insect venom. It’s available as a supplement, and could be taken orally if the bite seems to be causing systemic reactions (like mild itching on the limb) or is lingering past a few hours. (OF COURSE, any sort of anaphylactic reaction or swelling in the face/throat needs medical care asap!).
Bentonite Clay: Often available for facial masks, it’s an effective agent to neutralize the poison, and pull it from the localized site. Use only ‘plain clay’, no additives of any kind. Add enough water to a teaspoon of clay powder to make a medium paste. Apply in a moderately thin layer over the bite; enough so that it is opaque, but thin enough that it can dry in 5-10 minutes. It’s the drying action that draws out the poison; a drop of the Purification essential oil could also be added, or Lavender or Geranium as an alternative in a pinch.
Baking Soda: Make a paste of this household standby and apply in the same manner. It’s thought to reduce the venom by changing the pH.
Where to find remedies?
Most of these remedies for bee stings are available at your local health food store. For your convenience, they are also in my Indigo Fullscript Dispensary where you get 15% off and free shipping over $50. Registering once with your email opens your door to browsing my protocols and ordering your choice of even practitioner-restricted, high-quality brands.
As always, this information is shared for educational purposes. Please use your common sense in treating insect stings and bites, and do not hesitate to seek medical if you have concerns, questions, or the wound does not easily resolve. If there is swelling of the tongue or throat, you must seek medical care immediately.