Why Do Bee Stings Hurt?

bee stings in Kalamazoo MI | Griffin Pest Solutions

Bee stings are tiny, so why do they hurt so much? There are a few reasons why. First, piercing your skin is never fun – it feels like getting a shot at the doctor’s office. The main reason, however, is what takes place afterward: bees deposit a small amount of venom into the sting. This venom can cause pain, irritation, and even severe allergic reactions in some.

That’s a basic explanation but there’s more to it than that. Let’s dive deeper and talk about everything you need to know about why bee stings hurt so much.

Why Does Bee Venom Hurt?

The scientific name for bee venom is “apitoxin”; it’s a complex mixture of protein substances that affect cellular function. The main active component in this substance is the peptide Melittin, consisting of 26 amino acids that destroy red blood cells. Not only that, but they activate pain receptors and contain anticoagulants that prevent the blood from clotting, which allows it to spread through the body faster and easier. Apitoxin by itself can cause immense discomfort, but when the mast cells die in response to it, cell death also triggers the release of histamine, and this can be quite painful too. 

In other words, bee venom is a perfect recipe for causing pain in people. Fortunately, for most people, the pain is relatively short-lived and not serious. Most people will start feeling better with a little bit of time or over-the-counter pain reliever.

However, there are people who experience severe allergic reactions to bee stings. This is caused by too much histamine release, which results in blood vessels becoming too dilated. This can lead to anaphylactic shock, which can be deadly. 

How to Make a Bee Sting Hurt Less

Experiencing a bee sting can be a painful and unsettling encounter. However, there are several simple measures you can take to alleviate the discomfort and promote quicker healing. By promptly addressing the sting and employing soothing remedies, you can mitigate the pain and irritation associated with bee stings:

  • Remove the stinger as soon as possible by scraping it out with a fingernail or a blunt-edged object. Avoid squeezing or pinching the stinger, as this may release more venom.
  • Wash the affected area with soap and water to reduce the risk of infection.
  • Apply a cold compress or ice pack to the sting site to numb the area and reduce swelling.
  • Consider using over-the-counter antihistamine creams or taking oral antihistamines to alleviate itching and inflammation.
  • Monitor for signs of an allergic reaction such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the face and throat. Seek immediate medical attention if these symptoms occur.

Do Bees Die When They Sting?

Yes. Honey bees have a barbed stinger. These barbs make the stinger impossible for bees to remove. They have to detach themselves from the stinger, which results in their death.

How to Avoid Bee Stings

Regardless of whether or not you’re allergic to bees, it’s never fun to sustain a sting. Here are some precautions you can take to minimize the risk of a bee sting:

  • Avoid wearing brightly colored clothing or floral patterns
  • Steer clear of heavily scented perfumes, lotions, and hair products
  • Be cautious when eating or drinking sweet substances outdoors, like soda
  • Keep food and drinks covered when dining outdoors 
  • Stay calm and still if a bee approaches you, try not to swat or move quickly
  • Be mindful of where you place your hands and feet when outdoors
  • If you encounter a bee’s nest or hive, maintain a safe distance
  • If you are allergic to bee stings, carry an epinephrine auto-injector with you
  • Work with a professional bee removal company to avoid nests nearby

Avoid Bee Stings with Professional Bee Control

If you discover bees on your property, it’s crucial to handle the situation with care. Disturbing a nest can provoke defensive behavior from the bees and increase the risk of stings. It’s best to leave the removal of a bee’s nest to professionals. 

If you need bee removal services, call us today for a quote!

What Do Wasps Eat?

Why are wasps so active in fall?

Wasps, like bees, play different roles within their colony. Over time adult wasps have developed a strange reciprocal relationship with the larvae they care for. They each produce food for the other. As the nest goes dormant in fall, wasps become hungrier and more active in order to fend for themselves.

It’s not just you: wasps really are significantly more active in fall than they tend to be in spring or summer. And they can be more aggressive than usual! If you’ve ever wondered why it seems like you run into more wasps in the fall, we can explain. Here’s what you should know about what wasps eat and “the season of the wasp,” along with what you can do about it.

Why are wasps more aggressive in fall?

During the summer, wasps have a singular focus: feeding and protecting their colonies. Adults spend summer searching for food and bringing it back to the nest for larval wasps to eat. This insect-heavy summer diet consists primarily of:

A wasp feeds from a raspberry
  • Ants
  • Bees
  • Beetles
  • Aphids
  • Spiders
  • Fruit
  • Honey

While adult wasps hunt and kill to bring food back to the hive, they themselves only eat sugars, like those found in fruit, sap and honey. Strangely, it’s only the larvae that are carnivorous.

Meanwhile, the larvae eat the hunted and chopped-up insects and produce a nectar for the adults. This fuels the hunters, so they’ll have the energy to continue finding food. As young wasps grow up, the queen continuously fertilizes eggs. This cycle ensures that there are always enough adult wasps, larvae–and nectar–to keep the colony going.

When summer becomes fall, the queen shuts down the nest and stops fertilizing eggs. No new larvae means no new nectar for adults. Instead, the last generation of larvae grow up and have to hunt for food on their own. To replace their beloved larval nectar, wasps seek out foods with more sugar than usual. They’ll fly further, stay out longer, and guard their spoils more aggressively. In other words, the wasps you run into this fall are hangry.

What do wasps eat in fall?

Larval wasp nectar is rich in sugar and carbohydrates. In fall, wasps need to find a way to replace those sugars and carbohydrates by altering their diets. To accomplish this, wasp diets become quite varied. They’ll consume fruit, honey, nectar and small insects but also:

  • Garbage
  • Sugary snacks
  • Soda
  • Meat

You’ll probably see a lot of wasps crashing your picnic or gathering around your garbage dumpster this fall. Human food and garbage is often a great source of sugar and carbohydrates.

Different types of wasp species have different food preferences. Paper wasps ingest wood and wood pulp to build their nests. Mud dauber wasps have been known to target and hunt spiders. Yellowjackets will eat the same types of meat humans do if they can get their hands on it. Whatever the particular wasps near you want, just keep in mind that they’ll want more of it this fall. 

Are wasps dangerous during fall?

The main damage a wasp inflict is psychological. Human beings see their nests and immediately panic. Wasp stings hurt, and when they swarm, wasps can inflict a significant or even dangerous amount of pain. Unlike bees, wasps can sting repeatedly and are more inclined to attack you in fall than they are during the summer. 

If you run into a wasp between September and November, try to keep your distance. Move away from the wasp slowly and steadily. Don’t make sudden movements, lunge or throw something at the wasp, or otherwise react aggressively. 

If you are stung by a wasp, keep the wound clean and use a cold compress for relief. You can check Healthline for more information about what to do for a wasp sting.

How to get rid of wasps in the fall

There are a number of ways to keep wasps out of your home or business during the fall. Start by: 

A swarming nest of wasps inside a wooden hole.
  • Watch for nests. Wasps usually build their nests in lofty, inaccessible, covered areas. Around homes, they’re common on roof eaves, rafters, lofts, or in garages or sheds. By fall, wasp’s nests will be large and established. Most wasp’s nests are built of regurgitated wood pulp and look like paper or wood. If you see a wasp’s nest, do not attempt to remove it yourself. Not only is this dangerous, but it will also likely be ineffective. Instead, call in the pros. Removing a wasp’s nest from your property is the best way to reduce wasp presence near you. 
  • Limit their access to your food. Wasps are all about food in fall. If they can’t get food near you, they’ll have to find it elsewhere. Secure your trash cans, clean up outdoor spills, and avoid eating meals outdoors during fall. The harder you make it for wasps to eat near you, the fewer wasps you’ll have to deal with.
  • Clean up yard debris regularly. This is a good tip for all deterring all pests, not just wasps. Pests use yard debris as a way to hide as they approach your home. If you clean up yard debris like leaves regularly, you’ll make your yard far less appealing to potential pests. Proper lawn care in fall makes a big difference when it comes to pest prevention.

What do wasps do in winter?

By November you should be seeing the last signs of any wasps in your neighborhood. For better or worse, the reality is: most wasps don’t survive the winter.

After their heroic push to locate new foods and survive the fall, most wasps die off. The only members of the colony to survive are the females who will go on to breed and become queens in the following year. These few royals will hibernate over winter and remerge in the spring to start their dynasty in a new nest.

How to get rid of a wasp nest 

Wasps can be scary, especially during fall. If you suspect you have a wasp problem or see a nest, call the team at Griffin Pest immediately. We’ll send a certified pest technician out to assess the situation and apply an integrated pest management plan. Enjoy all seasons without the fear of upsetting hungry wasps.