# Home remedies... Wasp stings



## Digital_Gary (Sep 18, 2003)

I was cleaning the garage yesterday and a wasp flew in my shirt. As a result, I got 2 nice big welts on my shoulder. Stung for a little while yesterday but no major reaction. Today however, they have swollen back up and are itchy as hell 

Any quick cures to keep me from going insane?


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## Mrs. Furley (Sep 1, 2004)

Ouch...sorry to hear that you were bitten. I believe meat tenderizer works well at soothing the itch.

I think you can also take antihistamines for that type of itching...if you have to.


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## MACSPECTRUM (Oct 31, 2002)

and drink lots of water to help your body flush out the wasp toxin


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## 2063 (Nov 9, 2003)

indeed water, and ice them down (I recommend a rotation of ice packs), that will ease the swelling.


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## rgray (Feb 15, 2005)

PRN beers


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

My mom bought this stuff years ago from aloette cosmetics called Glacier Mud.

Sounds strange but put some of the mud on the sting and the discomfort goes right away.

I don't know if they still have it, but it worked like a charm.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

Funny there must be a wasp network about. I got stung on Saturday. Little bugger got to fly away scott free too. Those yellowjackets burn like crazy for a while don't they. Even drew blood.


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## Cameo (Aug 3, 2004)

make a paste of baking soda and put that on - bit messy but helps cool.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Even dabbing vinegar on the area helps to cool and ease pain.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

Just grin and bear it people, it's not that bad. I am one of the lucky ones though, my wasp stings don't really swell up or go too nuts. I get a little dime sized reddish circle for a while and that is about it. It is itchy today though if I think about it too much. Damn you people!!


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## Digital_Gary (Sep 18, 2003)

Vinegar? Interesting. I've taken an antihistamine and iced it for a while. Much better now. I keep bumping things with my shoulder or it rubs on the back of my chair and the itchyness starts all over again.

Thanks for the ideas!


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## ErnstNL (Apr 12, 2003)

Keep them covered/bandaged to keep your shirt from rubbing against them. Makes it itch more! 
In July, one flew into my shoe and stung the inside part of my foot. Painful sting but now he's dead because I squashed the bugger.  
He didn't die from the fumes, in case you're wondering.
The welt was present for weeks as a reminder.


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

The thing about wasps is that they can sting multiple times and not die unlike a bee that stings once and then dies.

Only the queen will survive the winter and will hibernate during the winter.

So if you ever find a queen in the fall, kill it. You will have killed the entire hive at that point.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

> So if you ever find a queen in the fall, kill it.


 We're going on a wasp hunt. Heeeehawwww. 

I have seen a wasp leave a stinger behind in my dogs lip. Must have been a good sting. 

Stepped on a nest once. It wasn't very fun.


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## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

A couple of summers ago I had a wasp nest in my Maple tree that was the size of a basketball. No lie!

Eventually it broke from the weight. I'm glad I wasn't around for that.


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## nxnw (Dec 22, 2002)

Cameo said:


> make a paste of baking soda and put that on - bit messy but helps cool.


Ditto - but you have to do it right away. The venom is acidic and the baking soda neutralizes it. Vinegar, which is acidic, aggravates it.


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## nxnw (Dec 22, 2002)

For itching, as with mosquito bites, if you can run hot water over it (not scalding hot, very hot shower hot) it overloads the nerve endings and the itching is blocked for a while.


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## Cameo (Aug 3, 2004)

My kids disturbed a wasps nest in the sand - poor kids had stings everywhere - I worried they might get sick from so many, but they were lucky.


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## gordguide (Jan 13, 2001)

If it's the first time you've been stung (2 bites would be considered one event) you should know that you may be allergic to wasp bites in the future, and they can be serious (life threatening). No-one ever gets an allergic reaction to anything on the first exposure; it takes a minimum of two.

Now, back to relief. What you want is a local anesthetic, something to take the swelling down, and a little antibiotic action to compensate for the open wound/poking around thing, just in case.

I happen to know of a perfect solution, commonly available at drug stores everywhere, and I can assure you it works perfectly well. Wasp stings are a tough customer, so I won't say you will get 100% relief, but it does kill the itch of mosquito and black fly bites dead in seconds, reduces swelling, and helps quick healing.

I like to take a Sharpie and mark the tube, just because it makes some people feel better to know it's only been used for insect bites.

Preparation H.


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