12 Natural Bee Sting Remedies

12 Natural Bee Sting Remedies

The pain and swelling remedy that works for one person may not do much for another, so I’ve compiled a short list of the ones that people claim as the best. The majority of these items can be found around the average household, but you may want to purchase a couple of them to have handy for the growing season.

1. Garlic cloves: This one is quite popular and is touted as one of the best for the pain of a sting. Crush a garlic clove to release the garlic juices and press it against the sting.
2. Lavender essential oils: Just a drop on the sting site is all you need. The essential oils in the lavender are supposed to neutralize the venom immediately.
3. Baking soda and water: This one seems to have been around forever, but it’s a favorite. Mix the baking soda and water to form a thick paste then slather it onto the skin. Don’t wash it off.
4. Peanut butter: This was a new one for me. Again, people everywhere seem to find it effective. I’m anxious to try it, I mean, I am; but I’m not, you know?
5. Plantain (Plantago spp.): Plantain is a common weed that apparently had medicinal properties when it comes to bee stings. It makes itself at home almost everywhere, but whether you can find it around your home or not will depend on how obsessed you are with your yard or garden. In fact, if you’d like to plant plantain on purpose, there are some cultivars grown as ornamentals. They called P. major 'Rubrifolia' which has lovely purple foliage and P. major 'Rosularis' that has green bracts (in truth, they're leaves) that look like green roses. To use plantain as a bee sting treatment, chew up some of the leave to release its juices or firmly roll it between your thumb and fingers. Then press the juicy leaves against the sting.
6. Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flowers: Prepare flowers by crushing enough of them to get a good juice content and apply to sting.
7. Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) leaves: Prepare the leaves the same way as plantain.
8. Basil: Using crushed basil leaves is said to be extremely affective for pain caused by stings.
9. Onion: Cut an onion in half and press the inside of it (the juicy part) on the sting.
10. Honey: So, how ironic is this? I mean, it seems only fitting that if the bees have the sting; they also have the cure. Pour some honey on the affected site.
11. Parsley: I would crush quite a bit of parsley so you could really get some juice to try this one.
12. Apis Mellifica: Are you ready for more irony? Apis Mellifica is a homeopathic remedy that's made from whole bees that's suppose to work wonders on stings from all kinds of critters including fire ants. There are different potentcies and dosages so if you purchase some, follow the directions on the label.

Most of these natural remedies call for crushing or mixing ingredients, so it might not be a bad idea to invest in a mortar and pestle. A mortar and pestle is a small marble, stone, or wooden bowl with a little marble club-like thing used for crushing that looks like it belongs to cave people.

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12 Natural Bee Sting Remedies