Bee vs Wasp Sting: How to Tell if You're Allergic and the Best Way to Treat Stings
Don’t let a run-in with a stinger ruin your fun in the sun. Bee and wasp stings happen more often in warmer months and are painful. In extreme scenarios, they’re life threatening. Jessica Thomas, PA-C, UnityPoint Health, explains the symptoms and treatments for a bee or wasp sting and when to see a doctor.
What Does a Bee vs Wasp Sting Look Like?
You can tell the difference between a sting from a honeybee, wasp (a member of the bee family) or other type of bee by the shape of the stinger.
“A honeybee stinger is rigid and curved. It’s more likely to get lodged in your skin. A wasp stinger is smooth and less likely to get stuck, because it comes out as the wasp leaves the surface of your skin,” Thomas says.
Initially, a bee and wasp sting look similar, but their appearance changes based on how long ago you were stung.
“In most cases, a bee or wasp sting looks like a small, red welt. As time goes on, there’s more swelling and surrounding redness. A bee sting mark appears as a little, black dot that looks like someone dabbed a pen on top of your skin,” Thomas says.
Bee Sting Versus Wasp Sting
Bee stingers contain venom, so remove it right away if you notice it was left behind. The longer the stinger is in your skin, the more time the venom has to intensify a painful reaction. If the bee stinger is in your skin longer than 5-10 minutes, your skin has already absorbed the venom.
Bee and Wasp Sting Reactions and Symptoms
Thomas says reaction to a bee and wasp sting are nearly identical. The only difference is a wasp sting is painful for longer, because of how deep the stinger gets in your skin.
A hornet sting (another member of the bee family) reaction is no different, although yellow jackets are more likely to cause an infection. The reason might make you a little queasy — since they scavenge rotting food and flesh, those substances are pushed into your skin when stung.
Thomas says she categorizes reactions to a bee or wasp sting three ways.
- Mild (normal) reaction: A sharp, burning pain is felt a few centimeters from the site, which looks like a small, red welt and has minor swelling, redness or itching. However, it goes away within a few hours to days.
- Moderate (local) reaction: Redness from irritation at the sting site spreads 5-10 centimeters. Sometimes, a large local reaction to a wasp or bee sting occurs, where redness and swelling spread even farther from the site of the sting. In a moderate reaction, the sting, redness, swelling and possible itching feel more intense. Swelling from a wasp or bee sting lasts 5-10 days.
- Severe (allergic) reaction: Anaphylaxis from a bee or wasp sting is a life-threatening allergy. It causes the airways to swell and a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can cause shock-like symptoms. It happens within the first 10 minutes of the sting and includes intense swelling and redness, with the addition of difficulty breathing, swelling in the throat and tongue or nausea and vomiting. In extreme cases, a person may lose consciousness. Go to your nearest ER immediately if you have these symptoms.
Anaphylaxis Reaction to Bee or Wasp Stings
Normal bee and wasp sting reactions are mild. If you have a history of mild reactions, the risk of anaphylaxis is very low with repeat stings.
“Anaphylactic reactions occur within the first 10 minutes after you’re stung. Once this time period passes, you don’t need to worry about an anaphylactic reaction. If pain lingers days after the sting, it’s likely from skin inflammation or irritation. If your symptoms continue to get worse, you may need to see a doctor, but it’s likely not a medical emergency,” she says.
How do you know if you’ll have an anaphylactic reaction? Unfortunately, most people don’t. While allergy testing is available, it’s rare and not recommended to find out if you have an anaphylactic allergy.
People with a history of an anaphylactic reaction usually carry EpiPens, because they need to be prepared to act quickly.
Allergic Reaction to Bee or Wasp Stings
Thomas says, “Everyone experiences pain and swelling, but if you have an allergy to a bee or wasp sting, your body produces a histamine response, which causes itching, hives and welts.”
General allergies to a bee or wasp sting may not start until the day after you’re stung, because your body must develop the histamine response.
If you have an allergic reaction the first time you’re stung by a bee or wasp, it’s unlikely your symptoms will worsen if stung again.
“There’s a small chance — about two percent — of having a severe reaction after a moderate one. Obviously, if you’re stung multiple times in comparison to once, the reaction is different,” she says.
Home Treatment or Self-Care for Bee or Wasp Stings
What should you do when a bee or wasp stings you? Thomas recommends the following for bee and wasp sting treatment:
- Apply a topical corticosteroid, like hydrocortisone cream, to relieve inflammation
- Avoid itching, as it can lead to infection
- Elevate the body part where you were stung to reduce swelling
- Remove the stinger to decrease your reaction to the venom
- Take an oral antihistamine, such as Zyrtec, Claritin and Benadryl, to relieve itching
- Try a topical antihistamine, such as Benadryl cream, to relieve itching or hives
- Use a cold compress on the area
- Wash the area with antibacterial soap and warm water
If you don’t have Benadryl cream on hand, baking soda mixed with a touch of water, or toothpaste, has anti-inflammatory and antihistamine properties. A favorite pastime for cleaning wounds, Thomas says to skip hydrogen peroxide for a bee or wasp sting as it actually slows down healing.
How to Remove a Bee Stinger
Most people don’t need a doctor’s help to remove a bee stinger. Thomas recommends using the edge of a credit card and scraping it over the area where you were stung.
“That’ll cause the stinger to come out at an angle, so it doesn’t cause any tissue damage. Some people try to dig out the stinger with a knife or needle, which introduces your skin to infection,” she says.
If you don’t have a credit card, a fingernail works, too. If the stinger won’t come out, your body naturally pushes it out over time.
Should You Squeeze the Venom Out of a Bee Sting?
Don’t squeeze or pinch the site of the sting. Instead, remove the stinger, wash the area and apply a cold compress.
When to Worry About a Bee or Wasp Sting
Thomas says most people see her when symptoms aren’t better after a few days.
“They’re worried about a bacterial skin infection, known as cellulitis. While it’s rare with these types of stings, it’s possible. The biggest thing to know is an infection won’t set in for 5-10 days. That makes it difficult, because the symptoms of an infection from a bee or wasp sting are similar to what you experience simply from being stung — redness, warmth, swelling — all of which are normal,” she says.
You should be concerned about an infection from a bee or wasp sting if symptoms get worse, instead of better, after five days.
When to Seek Emergency Care from a Bee or Wasp Sting
Go to your nearest emergency room if the bee or wasp sting is on your face or near your eye, and swelling affects your vision. Otherwise, see your primary care provider or visit urgent care.
“These instances are when we use oral steroids. For topical steroids, we only use them if swelling affects the functionality of where you were stung,” she says.
If providers aren’t sure if your symptoms are resolving because they need more time to heal, or you truly have an infection, it’s possible they’ll proactively prescribe antibiotics because of infection risk.
If you don’t find relief with at-home treatments for your bee or wasp sting, or it’s been more than five days, contact your primary care provider.