Bee Stings

Bee stings are not really a disease, but they are definitely dis-ease. Nobody that had just been stung is at ease! The first thing you want to do when stung is to search your memory banks. Have you ever been stung before? Did you have a bad reaction last time? If you had a really bad reaction then you probably have an epi-pen, use it! Now is not the time to hesitate. What is a bad reaction? Extreme swelling, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, difficulty breathing, weakness, confusion, dizziness, hives, nausea, swollen eyes, lips or tongue, or stomach cramps.

If this is your first sting begin watching for any of the above reactions. In the mean time you will want to begin first aide. The first step is to get the stinger out. DO NOT PULL IT OUT! This only releases more venom and increases the possibility of an allergic reaction. Instead you will want to grab some honey and a dull knife or credit card. Put the honey across the sting. This will begin drawing out the stinger. Then use the object you have chosen to scrape the skin. Start behind the sting, scraping toward the entry wound. It’s a little bit like scraping out a splinter.

Once the stinger is out you will want to work on getting the venom out of your system. Poultices are a great idea here. They can range from herbs such as Blue or Black Cohash, Comfrey, or Marshmallow Root to enzymes, such as Bromelain and papain. Since the Plant Enzymes contain both of these I will simply reach for the ones I always carry and mix them with a small amount of water, to the area. The enzymes in Plant Enzymes will effectively ‘digest’ the venom on the spot.

The next step will be in preventing infection. Honey and garlic are both known to have disinfectant properties, but both have their drawbacks. Honey is sticky, and unless covered will get all over everything. Garlic smells bad. Instead I would use Lightning Colloidal Silver. I carry a small sprayer with a mixture of Lightning Collidal Silver and water for the occasional cut, scrape or burn I run into. I will simply spray the area and allow it to dry. It looks and smells like water, but acts as a powerful disinfectant.

To cleanse the venom that has gotten into your system you will want to reach for the Vitamin C. In addition teas such as Juniper and Yellow Dock can be helpful. Along with the teas I would reach for more Plant Enzymes, this time to take as capsules, along with some Coral Life. Both will help negate the symptoms of the venom.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do to prevent a sting. Even staying indoors constantly is not a sure thing. One time I was almost stung in a school classroom. I had made the mistake of wearing a honeysuckle perfume. The bee actually got between my glasses and eye. You can just imagine the shocked look on the teacher’s face when I suddenly jumped up screaming and flung my glasses clear across the room. Thankfully I wasn’t stung, but it shows that indoors isn’t always safe. It also reminds us that perfumes can sometimes confuse the little guys into thinking that we are great big flowers. Maybe they sting because they get angry at being fooled?

If you are planning a garden there are things you can do to keep the bees away. Think carefully about this, because many plants need bees in order to be pollinated and bear fruit. If you are allergic to bees you may want to choose your plants carefully, or group them into an area for the bees (which someone else takes care of) and an area for you that the bees will ignore. You do this by choosing different herbs as companion plants.

Among the herbs that repel bees is Feverfew. It can also be used later on after harvesting as a natural insect repellent for you! If you want to attract bees you would want to choose Lemon Balm. The sweet lemony fragrance offers a bounty to the bees. Another one they like is Basil.

One way we can keep our reactions to bees benign is to limit the potential of an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions occur most often in people whose immune systems are weak. Eating a healthy, organic, diet and taking proper supplementation is a key to keeping your immune system strong. The supplements we take in our household for this purpose are Sterol Max, Plant Enzymes, and Metabolic Complete. Individually they are all great, but together they really seem to give our immune systems a boost. We have also recently added Wellgenix Resveratrol to our routine.

Being strong and healthy encourages us to get outside and do more. Getting outside and doing more brings us into contact with more of nature. Although this is a great thing it can also put us in some danger from nature. Knowing what to do when nature strikes back can sometimes do more than make you comfortable faster. It may also save your life. The next time you go out to enjoy nature take stock of what you are carrying. If you know you have allergic reactions you already have an epi-pen. Take it with you! But everyone can take the precaution of carrying a couple of capsules of Plant Enzymes and a small bottle of Lightning Colloidal Silver with them on their next adventure.