Honey Bee

• A fuzzy, rounded body in golden brown with darker bands.
• Pollen often shows as a yellow clump on the hind legs.
• It visits flowers and is not interested in meat or sweet drinks like a yellowjacket.
• The barbed stinger stays in the skin after a sting.

A honey bee sting is painful but usually short-lived. The main danger is a severe allergic reaction in people who are allergic, and a large number of stings can be dangerous for anyone.

• Do not swat at bees, and move slowly away.
• Look before you reach into hollow logs, trees, and cavities.
• Avoid wearing strong scents, and stay away from hives.
• If a swarm chases you, run to a building or vehicle and cover your face.

1. Move away from the area, since some stinging insects will sting again or call others.
2. If a stinger is stuck in the skin, scrape it out quickly with a flat edge such as a fingernail or card.
3. Wash the area with soap and water, and apply a cold pack or cool cloth to ease pain and swelling.
4. Take an over-the-counter antihistamine or use hydrocortisone cream as the label directs, and avoid scratching.
5. Watch for signs of an allergic reaction for the next several hours. If the person has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector and a serious reaction, use it and call 911.

• Get emergency care right away for hives all over the body, swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, dizziness, or fainting, which can signal a severe allergic reaction.
• See a doctor for many stings at once, a sting inside the mouth or throat, or a sting site that looks infected.
• If you have ever had a serious reaction to a sting, talk to a doctor about carrying epinephrine.

Call 911 for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, a racing heart, dizziness, or fainting.

• Yellowjacket: smooth, bright yellow and black, and it can sting many times.

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