How dangerous is a bumblebee bite?

How dangerous is a bumblebee bite?

the essentials in brief

  • Bumblebees are very peaceful animals and extremely rarely sting
  • Bumblebee stings should be refrigerated first; Rub lemon or onion slices onto the sting to disinfect
  • If you have an allergic reaction such as severe swelling, hives, gastrointestinal complaints or worse, you should see a doctor

First aid for a bumblebee sting

If there is no allergic reaction, a doctor's visit is not necessary. Instead, you can relieve pain and discomfort yourself with simple means. It is particularly important to cool the area with cold compresses or hold it under cold running water. Alternatively, you can soak a washcloth in cool water, wring it out lightly and place it on the painful area.

also read

  • How dangerous is a hornet sting?
  • The Asian ladybug - how dangerous is it?
  • Is the red velvet mite dangerous or useful?

However, make sure that you use clean tap water or, in an emergency, water from a drinking bottle you have taken with you (e.g. mineral water, soda or any additives) and clean materials. If dirt gets into the wound, it can become infected and lead to further complications. You can then treat the swelling later with special ointments available from pharmacies such as Fenistil or Azaron. Try not to scratch the itchy area if possible! Again, this increases the likelihood of additional infection and subsequent inflammation.

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May I introduce a #bumblebee sting. It is very unlikely to be stung by a female bumblebee. Male bumblebees cannot sting because they do not have a stinger. The bumblebee just got lost in my child's sweater and couldn't find the exit. That's the result. Since bumblebees release less poison than bees and wasps, the tears dried quickly. I would be interested in the following. Who of you didn't know that bumblebees could sting?

A post shared by Ironia Ernst (@ironia_ernst) on May 25, 2019 at 8:07 am PDT

When should you see a doctor with a bumblebee sting?

Even if a bumblebee bite is basically harmless, you should immediately consult a doctor if the symptoms described below occur:

  • Sting in the mouth, throat or throat : If you are unlucky enough to have a breath blockage, the puncture site should swell very much and thus block the airways.
  • Allergic reaction : Anaphylactic shock is very rare but fatal. It is therefore imperative that you act quickly if there are any signs of an allergic reaction!
  • Numerous bumblebees stings at once : The same applies if you were stung by many bumblebees at once In this case, the amount of poison can cause a toxic reaction - i.e. poisoning - which also requires treatment. But do not worry: Bumblebee stings are only potentially fatal if you are stung by 100 or more bumblebees at the same time.
  • Unconsciousness : If the person stung is unconscious or shows other signs of shock, medical treatment is also urgently required.

How do I recognize an allergic reaction?

As a rule, an allergic reaction after a bumblebee sting occurs only very rarely, and the person concerned must have already been stung by a bumblebee before. The prerequisite for an allergic reaction is the presence of antibodies that have arisen as a result of previous contact.

Allergic reactions show up very quickly and can be recognized a few seconds to 30 minutes after the bumblebee sting. They are divided into four different degrees of severity, all of which require medical treatment:

SeveritySymptomsMeasures / treatment
Grade 1Itching, swelling and reddening of the skin up to hives all over the bodymedical supervision (e.g. by a family doctor) is advisable as symptoms may increase in intensity
Grade 2Grade 1 symptoms plus gastrointestinal discomfort (nausea, vomiting)General practitioner or hospital, administration of antihistamines
Grade 3Symptoms from 1 and 2 plus shortness of breath and fear of suffocationHospital, emergency room
Grade 4Racing heart, dizziness, unconsciousness, profuse sweating, shivering (= signs of anaphylactic shock)Call an emergency doctor immediately!

Every year in Germany at least 20 people die as a result of anaphylactic shock after a bee, wasp or bumblebee sting.

Which home remedies help against a bumblebee bite?

bumblebee sting

Our grandparents used to like to treat insect bites with home remedies like these:

  • Place freshly cut lemon wedge on the puncture site
  • or freshly cut onion slices / one halved onion
  • alternatively, drizzle freshly squeezed lemon juice over it
  • Freshly grated horseradish is also often recommended

Although these agents also have a certain effect, they can also cause problems. If the bumblebee sting becomes infected, for example, because the onion placed on the area has transmitted germs into the wound, it is primarily due to poor hygiene.

So you better do without grandma's home remedies, but especially the hot spoon! This should be pressed firmly onto the affected area and thus destroy the toxins. Unfortunately, the heat also destroys healthy tissue around it and causes additional pain.

It is better to mix two tablespoons of acetic acid clay with 250 milliliters of water and apply to the puncture site - but only as long as it is not scratched!

How do I treat a bumblebee sting on my pet

Regardless of whether you, your child, your dog or your cat have been stung by a bumblebee: In this case, the treatment recommendations are the same for all living things. The bumblebee sting is by no means fatal for your pet, but you can still play it safe and visit a veterinarian.

Can bumblebees actually sting?

Basically, bumblebees are very peaceful animals and only sting rarely - and only after they have given their attacker a clear warning. You can spot these warning signs if you watch the bumblebee closely:

  • Lifting the middle leg : If the bumblebee lifts its middle leg, this is a clear warning sign and should not be interpreted as a "wave" as in this video:
Youtube

  • Raising the abdomen in the opposite direction: If, on the other hand, the bumblebee turns on its back and stretches its rear end with the sting towards you, you'd better get rid of it quickly. This bumblebee is about to sting and should not be irritated any further!

When do bumblebees sting?

Like all stinging insects, bumblebees use their stings to ward off enemies or a threat. The peaceful animals do not sting immediately, but react to threatening stimuli such as:

  • Hummel is harassed
  • held
  • wedged in
  • blocked the exit hole from the nest
  • the nest is opened

So please don't make fun of poking around in the bumblebee's nest with a stick or picking up a small bumblebee for a close-up view. Make sure to make this clear to your children if they are not to be stung.

Correct behavior with bumblebees

bumblebee sting

You can avoid a bumblebee sting by simply avoiding conflict situations with the animals or by behaving correctly in such situations. Precisely because bumblebees are so peaceful, they do not necessarily have to sting: The animals only sting when they can no longer see any other way out and even announce their plan. Do not be afraid either, should such an insect ever settle on you: it will probably mistake you for a brightly colored flower and, after realizing its mistake, will quickly fly away again.

How to behave correctly when handling a bumblebee:

  • stay calm, no hectic and quick movements
  • don't hit the bumblebee
  • don't blow
  • do not nudge your finger
  • Do not block flight path
  • just fend off gently
  • don't scream, don't run

For further prevention, you can also protect your house or apartment with close-meshed insect screens so that other insects - such as mosquitoes or wasps - have no chance of getting in.

Tips

Bumblebees sometimes react aggressively to intense smells - for example perfume, aftershave or alcohol. Do not use an intrusive smell if you want to work in the garden. In addition, you should not wear blue - especially light blue - clothing, as the color is also attractive to bumblebees.

Do male bumblebees also have a sting?

Only the queen and worker women have a functional sting. However, the males - called drones - do not have this means of defense. But even if drones cannot sting, they still imitate the defensive behavior of the female bumblebees: They also threaten, even if they are unable to carry out their threat. As a rule, however, the enemy does not know this, because to do this he would have to be able to distinguish between male and female animals. You should therefore always play it safe!

Bumblebee vs. Bee sting - is a bumblebee sting bad?

Of course, a bumblebee bite also hurts significantly more than that of a mosquito. Nevertheless, a bee sting is much more painful because the stings of these animals have barbs - and so the sting and the stinging device get stuck in the victim's skin. Bumblebee spines, on the other hand, have no barbs, instead the insect pulls its pricking device out again. That is why the sting is short - and much less poison gets into the body. In short: if there are no complications (such as an allergic reaction or inflammation of the puncture site), a bumblebee sting is completely harmless.

What does a bumblebee bite look like?

You will feel a bumblebee bite immediately because the pain sets in immediately. The puncture site burns and often feels hot. After a while - that can be a few minutes, but also a few hours - the burning sensation subsides, but it now begins to itch. Typically, a bumblebee sting also has these symptoms:

  • The skin around the puncture site swells
  • turns red
  • The puncture site itself can be seen as a red point with a white halo
  • swollen area of ​​skin in most people up to ten centimeters in diameter
  • Swelling will subside after about 24 hours

After about a week, all symptoms should have subsided. In some people, the swelling can also be significantly larger and subside more slowly. An allergy does not always have to be present. A bumblebee venom allergy is very rare: only around three percent of people have such a strong allergic reaction to a bumblebee sting that there is a risk to life.

Digression

Bumblebee, wasp or bee?

Basically, there are no big differences between the reactions to a bumblebee, wasp or bee sting; instead, the symptoms and the appearance of the affected region are quite similar. The only difference is that the sting and the stinging apparatus have to be removed immediately after a bee sting, and the swelling after a bee or wasp sting is often very severe. This depends on the one hand on the amount of poison injected and on the frequency: wasps often sting not just once, but several times in a row.

The following video clearly shows the differences between the most common insect bites and also gives tips for sensible treatment:

Youtube

How long does the pain last?

The pain should subside after a few minutes. Instead, the puncture site begins to itch. The itching can last for up to a week while the symptoms gradually resolve.

Digression

Useful bumblebees

The different bumblebee species are closely related to the honeybees and, like them, also belong to the state-forming insects. However, such a bumblebee state does not survive a winter, because the cute little animals only enjoy their lives for a few weeks. Nevertheless, the hard-working flying artists are incredibly important for our garden, because without them we could neither harvest apples nor cherries. In contrast to the bee, the bumblebee also flies at temperatures well below 15 degrees Celsius - it is protected from the cold by its thick fur.

No wonder, then, that hobby gardeners should make the buzzing insects comfortable in the garden, for example by hanging up nesting boxes for bumblebees or freeing up a few spots in a conveniently located insect hotel. If possible, both should only be attached where humans and bumblebees do not get in each other's way too often.

frequently asked Questions

Can bumblebees bite too?

In fact, bumblebees can also bite, for example to harvest and carry away moss or other nesting material. The animal will probably also make use of this option if it is caught in clothing or in the hair and wants to get out of it. For defense, however, the mouthparts are not used, only the sting.

I am allergic to bee venom. Are bumblebees dangerous for me too?

People allergic to bee venom must also be careful of a bumblebee sting, as the composition of the toxins of both species is very similar. For this reason, bee venom is basically no more dangerous than bumblebee venom, but a bee releases a significantly higher amount. The neurotoxin apamin is effective in both types. By the way, wasp venom has a different chemical composition.

Is it true that aspirin helps against a bumblebee bite?

In fact, aspirin or ibupruf are very good remedies for any inflammation that may occur as a result of a bumblebee sting. Both are anti-inflammatory drugs that you can take prophylactically - unless there are other reasons against it. However, neither remedy will help against the bumblebee bite itself.

Is a bumblebee sting more dangerous during pregnancy or in a toddler?

Basically, a bumblebee bite is no more dangerous in a toddler or a pregnant woman than in any other person - unless one of the complications described above (fever, allergic reaction, sting in the throat or throat, etc.) occurs. However, allergic reactions are more common in pregnant women than in the non-pregnant population, so special care should be taken here.

Can blood poisoning occur after a bumblebee bite?

If the bumblebee sting ignites, blood poisoning can actually occur as a result. This complication is very rare, but it is fatal - if not acted quickly enough. Blood poisoning is often indicated by a high fever, but not always. Instead, very young or very old people tend to have a low temperature, at which the body temperature drops to below 36 degrees Celsius.

Tips

So-called stitch healers are available in the pharmacy, which treat the insect bite thermally and work very well. There are different versions for adults and children.