2023-08-04 12:21:49
August 04, 2023
Bees, hornets and wasps belong to the Hymenoptera family. Females sting with a stinger that inoculates their victim with toxic venom. Most often benign, their bites can sometimes cause alarming symptoms that require medical intervention. We take stock.
Like every summer, we have to live outside with European hornets, Asian hornets and wasps, the latter two being always more numerous. Living with them means learning how to protect yourself from them or above all learning not to disturb them.
To protect yourself from Asian hornets, one of the first rules to apply is not to approach too close to their nest, not less than 4 to 5 meters. Closer, the colony might feel threatened by your presence and attack you. Not far from a nest, it is also recommended not to make too much noise.
Asian wasps and hornets are also used to spoilsport at outdoor meals. They are indeed attracted to meat and sweet products. Be very careful when you eat and avoid leaving sugary drinks in the open air, especially those of children. After the meal, if you want to enjoy the place, throw away your waste immediately or keep it in closed bags.
The bee is less aggressive and only stings to defend itself if it feels in danger. She will sting to protect her hive or if she is stuck in your clothes for example.
The Ameli.fr website gives the following tips for spending a sting-free summer:
- wear light-colored covering clothes and avoid perfumes, smelly sunscreens, etc. ;
- Avoid staying near fruiting plants, beehives or insect nests, fruit baskets, food scraps, etc. ;
- in the presence of insects, avoid sudden movements. Stay calm. If the danger is more obvious, take cover or protect your head with your hands.
- avoid walking barefoot or in sandals in nature, especially near a water source or in the grass;
- if you live in the countryside, have the nests of bees, wasps or hornets removed near your home (bees being precious, it is possible to simply move the nests without destroying them)
Finally, don’t run over an Asian hornet, especially outdoors. It releases chemical substances which attract its congeners. If your victim is close to its nest, you could quickly find yourself overrun.
What to do in case of a bite?
Female Wasps sting with a stinger or stinger inoculating poisonous venom. A local reaction is the most common and will not require the intervention of a doctor. The sting is painful, however, and is accompanied by redness, swelling and sometimes itching.
The Ameli.fr site recommends removing your braces in the event of a hand sting, cleaning with soap and water before disinfecting, taking an analgesic if necessary and ensuring that you are well vaccinated against tetanus. It is also recommended to remain quiet for about thirty minutes. Symptoms should subside fairly quickly. See a doctor if the bitten area remains red, painful, and swollen after 24 hours. Note that the bee has a serrated stinger that stays stuck in the skin. It must therefore be gently removed with the fingernail or by sliding the edge of a credit card along the skin.
Some situations require emergency medical intervention. Dial 15 or 112
- if you or someone close to you has been bitten in the mouth or throat. While waiting for help, suck or give an ice cube to suck to reduce the oedema;
- in case of multiple bites – about twenty in adults, 4 to 5 in children. General symptoms may appear: great fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, malaise, etc.;
- in case of general symptoms after a bite: giant urticaria, drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing. It is an allergic reaction that can go as far as anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening emergency.
In people with allergies, “there is a significant reaction at the site of the bite: the swelling exceeds 10 cm and can reach one or two neighboring joints which also appear swollen”, notes Ameli.fr. If you know you are allergic, always keep the emergency kit prescribed by your doctor with you and learn how to use the adrenaline pen it contains. You can also explain to those around you the procedure to follow.
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