We need more information on the eyelid area.
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A double or even a triple single malt, no water added. Dip index finger in the whiskey and rub on the sting area. Don’t waste the rest so consume at your leisure. Pain will be gone but the swelling will remain but at least you will sleep well.
Also good for tooth ache, gargle for 10 seconds then accidentally swallow, repeat several times. Good quality whiskey should be used first then the blends.
Sheers, hic !!
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I had a troupe of 11 year old boys at mine yesterday. They decided to “poke” the hive. One was stung 4 times another once and they were all chased out of the apiary. Luckily no lasting damage to any of them and plenty of material for stories at school.
Curiosity, lots of kids and ‘wild’ insects… a dangerous mix.
That’s a good idea, I might see if I can get one of those heat gizmo’s if they work, as it is only looking normal today, after 8 days, and I took internal and external corticosteroids, homeopathics, antihistamines, etc. I think the problem was I didn’t get any treatments to it quickly enough when I was first stung.
@Dawn_SD I thought of your face when my face was all swollen. I also had tears coming down my face when I was stung, even though I wasn’t crying, but felt like it 
@BeePeeker Thanks Tracey , but I don’t need anything to keep me feisty 
Although everyone commented on how young I looked on my Birthday lol 
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Hi @Semaphore,
That BiteAway gizmo thing is awesome. Got given one years ago by my German beek sister, but only started using it recently. The heat seems to neutralize the poison.
I use it 5 times in a row on a bee sting. No more swelling at all. Highly recommend.
Purchased a second one here in Australia for $60. Bit steep, but so worth it.
Can you tell me the manufacturer or brand name of the BiteAway. Maybe I am ‘old school’ and need to catch up from Calamine and band aid which I don’t have in my apiary first aid kit as it didn’t do anything positive. I got a hit on my hand a week or two back and it looked like a football for a few days.
Regards
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Sounds like it’s an item for any first aid kit.
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Hi Peter,
Skeggs already found it for you. Thanks @skeggley.
A wwoofer on my brother’s organic farm in Hawaii had a scorpion sting on his forehead (scorpion was inside his cap) and we remembered the principle of the bite away.
We heated a teaspoon over a lighter and applied the back of the spoon to the sting. That worked just as well. Calming down the wwoofer took a while though.
Since beeks have a smoker lighter in their gear, you just need to add a teaspoon for quick and effective treatment.
I think the bite away disc heats up to 60C. There is a kids setting too, a little cooler and shorter I think.
On checking @skeggley’s link, I found the bite away heats to around 50C, the kids’ setting provides the same heat for about half the time.
On a bee sting, I apply the bite away about 5 times in a row. It’s just a bit more severe compared to a mossie or sandfly bite.
When I use it, I don’t get any swelling the next day and the sting sensation (aka pain) disappears faster. They say not to use on eyelids, but seeing the result of Faroe’s and Dawn’s sting near the eye, I would probably use it anyway.
@Webclan and @skeggley Got to give it a go. I got a sting a couple of weeks ago on my hand and it looked like a foot ball 30 minutes later, no chance of lifting a cup of coffee to my mouth. As this gizmo applies heat I guess I didn’t help by rubbing it with an ice cube !!!
When I was able to type on my keyboard I mentioned the bee sting to my brother in passing, his reply was “… didn’t you remember you are allergic to bee stings”, being blessed with my older age I had forgotten.
Regards
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The good thing about the BiteAway is that it can be used for mosquito, wasp and sand fly stings as well as bee stings. good item to have when camping etc.
I read up about it- there has been a clinical trial. It definitely works for some stings but the evidence for bee sting effectiveness was limited as not many people in the target group got stung by bees:
@Webclan I used it on my eyelid! The burning sensation was stronger but combined with my broad spectrum approach (Remove stinger, BiteAway, Wash with soap, Ice, Antihistamines)- the next day swelling was minimal.
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I have ordered one on EBay and figure that at some time I can do an update about its effectiveness. On the internet there is a promo on it and suggested it should be used twice a minute apart for bee stings, the same as for wasps and hornets. An update when it happens, forever the optimist !!! At under $20 including postage it is worth the money if it works to even some degree.
Regards
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Wow @Peter48, you got it for an amazing price. Or is it a Chinese knock off? However, if it works you will be gladly surprised.
Coming from Melbourne but till I get it the country of origin isn’t known but the user handbook will be a giveaway. Looks the same that is available as the genuine article.
Regards
The only ones I see on flea bay are in excess of $50.
Cases for the Biteaway stick on the other hand…
I’ve tried about everything that was on the market or touted as a cure for stings over the years. The most effective, the most available and the most inexpensive is this:
http://bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#plantain
Click on the picture for a larger picture.
If you do a search on EBay for “Bite Away” it will find them.
Yet another ‘false’ Summer here with 20c of a night to 27c and the bees are loving it.
I think there is almost certainly a degree of placebo effectiveness… in fact I am sure of it.
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Jack, If the placebo works it will win me over, My reaction to a recent sting on my hand and it looked like I had a boxing glove on it, which is normal for me.
Still a false summer here, 27c today in the shade and the bees are very busy.
Cheers
Placebo effect can kick in anytime, yet, ice didn’t work at all, even though I believed it would, because a bee sting sort of burns too. Maybe relieved some of the pain.
I swell up pretty good, especially the next day. With the heat treatment, next day I had totally forgotten about the sting. No ice, no washing the area, no medicine.
Almost ready now to do inspections in summer clothing and veiled hat. Just want to avoid stings to the eye area.
All my sister had to say: see, I told you. She did, just after the bite away got invented in Germany. She must know, she’s a beekeeper. Non flow hiver.
While looking for Bite Away online, I found another Italian product used for mozzie bites, which I saw around in shops, but thought it must not work.
It uses clicking/electricity.
Then I found a stronger one they actually recommend for snakes, bees, wasps - Ecosave:
Interesting… I’m not sure if I will buy both products… the ecosave is 65 euros… a bit expensive, and the BiteAway is 30 euros…
hmmmm…
The ecosave looks like a really good product to have if you are in the bush in Australia. I wonder if it would work on tick bites as well, which I have a bad reaction to.
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