Yellow jacket is an aggressive wasp with a poisonous stinger. Their nest in and around your property might result in severe problems. People often get stung by them without any potential reason making them highly dangerous and nuisance creatures.
You need to have proper knowledge to control these wasp and their sting. For the safety of yourself and your loved ones, we bring this exclusive guide explaining the necessary home remedies for you to perform afterward yellow jacket stings.
1. Remove the Stinger
If you get stung by the yellow jacket, you must first remove the stinger from your skin. Look carefully at the area of the sting, you might find a tiny dot usually black in coloration, this is the stinger you should get rid of.
Although yellow jackets don't normally leave a stinger behind after piercing the skin, they might do sometimes. It is suggested to use your fingernail or a credit card to scrape the stinger. You can also try using a clean and blunt straightedge like the back of a knife.
2. Clean the Area
After the successful removal of the stinger from your skin, another important thing you shouldn't ignore is to thoroughly clean the stung area. You need to properly wash it with soap and water.
Once you get stung by the yellow jacket, it releases the venom into your skin. If you wash the area properly ensuring the complete removal of any leftover venom on the skin, you can prevent the wound from fatal infection. The cleaning work is for healing the wound.
3. Apply Meat Tenderizer
For the initial few hours, you might experience pain and swelling in the affected area after you get stung. You need something to cope with this problem that can help you neutralize the local reaction. It has been suggested to apply a mixture of meat tenderizer and water in the stung area which can help reduce the pain and swelling to some extent.
Prepare a paste of meat tenderizer and water, and apply it to the sting area using a cotton ball for about 20 minutes. The meat tenderizer powder is found to have an enzyme called papain, naturally found in papaya fruit. This is responsible for breaking down the proteins in meat and will do the same for the venomous yellow jacket sting.
The use of a cold pack or a cloth soaked in cold water is another method to reduce the swelling and pain resulting from the yellow jacket stings. Also, you can try this as an alternative to using a meat tenderizer. You need to apply the cold pack for about 10-15 minutes in the affected area.
While doing this, you need to be aware that ice packs shouldn't be applied directly to the skin, this may cause frostbite inducing unwanted risks and hazards. The application of the ice pack immediately starts to show its result by significantly reducing inflammation and painful swelling.
5. Elevate
Elevation simply means to raise the affected area above the level of your heart so that you can reduce the probable pain, throbbing, and swelling to some extent. Elevating the limb encourages better blood circulation, which reduces the pooling of blood and fluids around the sting site.
If you've got stung on your arm or leg by the yellow jacket, you need to prop them up using different structures or homemade tools. Make sure to lift the affected area above the heart level and continue to rest in the position for some period.
6. Use Baking Soda and Water
This is one of the easy homemade remedial solutions against the yellow jacket sting. It has been found that the venom of the yellow jacket is acidic. To counteract the venom, the alkaline nature of baking soda is proven to be effective. This method has been quite beneficial in preventing the injury to get worsen further.
You need to mix a spoonful of baking soda with water to prepare a paste. Now, gently apply the paste using a cotton ball to the sting area for about 5 to 10 minutes. This will certainly help to relieve the pain and itching and can reduce the swelling and inflammation significantly. Make sure to rinse the area with water and you can repeat the process after a few hours.
7. Try Honey
The sweet honey is a magic to this world. You should know, it isn't just for the addition of sweetness to your tea or beverages, honey is a powerful natural remedy for yellow jacket stings. The antibacterial properties of honey have been effective in preventing the wound from getting fatal infection.
You need to gently dab a small amount of honey to the sting area and cover it with a soft cloth or bandage. Make sure to leave the honey on the site for about an hour, you can experience the result of reduced itching and swelling immediately. After an hour, you need to rinse it off with water.
Vinegar is another kitchen element that can come to your rescue in the time of need. The acidic nature of vinegar helps to neutralize the venom of the yellow jacket sting. It doesn't matter whether you've white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, don't hesitate to use any of them in such time.
Simply soak a cotton ball in the vinegar and gently dab on the sting area, holding for around 10 minutes. After the process, rinse the area with the help of water, but make sure you let the area get some air.
9. Make Use of Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera is another very useful plant in your house. In fact, it is a go-to remedy for almost every kind of skin problem and it does the same for the yellow jacket sting as well. If you don't have a plant, hurry towards the nearby nursery right away! Or, you can make use of the store-bought gel as well.
Aloe vera has been found to have effective cooling and anti-inflammatory properties that are responsible for reducing the burning sensation and severe swelling associated with insect stings. You can directly apply the gel to your wound and let it rest at the site for some minutes. There's no harm in re-application, make sure to use it for tranquility.
10. Use Toothpaste
It shouldn't surprise you, toothpaste can help to soothe the pain and swelling resulting from the sting of a yellow jacket. This is because most of the toothpaste contains baking soda and mild abrasives along with other essential ingredients. You can make use of your toothpaste to help cope with the sting incident.
You need to apply a small dab of toothpaste on the sting area and let it remain at the site for some minutes until it dries. You should leave it for around 20-30 minutes. This can help to draw the venom out of the wound and might as well help you to provide relief.
11. Activated Charcoal Solution
Activated charcoal is generally prepared by heating charcoal in the presence of a gas. It has been commonly used to treat poisoning. Although activated charcoal is not quite a common household element, you can purchase it from nearby food stores. You can try using activated charcoal mixed with water on your sting area.
Make sure you grab a Band-Aid and secure the charcoal-added sting area on your body. After leaving it for around an hour, you can find some relief with the reduction in swelling and itching. You might as well repeat the process after rinsing the area with the water until the pain subsides. The charcoal has been found to draw the venom out of the sting, helping to get rid of inflammation.
12. Plantain Leaves
Plantain is a useful plant often considered a natural medicine for cough, wounds, inflamed skin or dermatitis, and insect bites. It has been recommended to use crushed leaves of the plant on the affected area to treat insect bites and stings, eczema, and small wounds or cuts. This is actually a common weed found mostly in the wild.
You need to extract the juices from its leaves and apply them to the sting site. Make sure to secure the crushed leaves and their juices by wrapping the site with a soft bandage or cloth and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes on the site. The anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties of the plantain are certain to offer significant remedial solutions with great relief.
Essential oils are a mixture of chemicals extracted from plants that are found to be volatile, highly concentrated, and hydrophobic in nature. These oils carry the essence of every plant it comprises. Apart from that, they have some excellent anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
Especially essential oils like lavender and tea tree oil are found to be more productive in helping to relieve the pain associated with the yellow jacket sting. It has been suggested to mix a few drops of lavender or tea tree oil in an oil of coconut or olive and gently dab this oil mixture to the sting area. Your swelling and pain will instantly go away, helping to prevent the infection as well.
14. Onion Slices and Garlic
You might've heard a lot of remedial solutions using onions and garlic from your grandparents. Well, they aren't wrong and you can prove it now since you've got stung by the yellow jacket. Although it is an old-fashioned remedy, the anti-inflammatory properties of onion and garlic can never get old.
It has been recommended to slice the onion and press some garlic cloves, now you need to squeeze the juices out of it. Place the juice into a bowl and apply it to the sting area using a cotton cloth. The healing properties of onion and garlic can relieve the pain significantly while helping to reduce swelling and inflammation.
15. Epsom Salt Bathing
An Epsom salt, Magnesium Sulphate, is a beneficial element in the treatment of sore muscles, bronchial asthma, and migraine headaches. In addition to that, it is effective in healing cuts and wounds while relieving pains and muscle cramps.
You can try an Epsom salt bath for soothing the yellow jacket sting. You just need to dissolve a cup of Epsom salt in warm water and apply this solution for about 30 minutes to soak the affected area. This method is effective in making you feel calm with relief if the sting area is in a more accessible area such as your hand or foot.
Yellow Jacket Sting Identification
Identifying yellow jacket sting is not very complicated. You will experience some distinctive symptoms and reactions after the sting. However, if the allergic victim is stung multiple times, he/she might experience some harsh reactions resulting from the insect's venom.
The identification procedure is explained below in a more detailed structure:
Localized Reactions
The localized reaction is the most common type of reaction an individual might experience. The victims are likely to possess the symptoms of pain, swelling, warmth, redness at the site of the sting, and itching right away after the incident. This reaction might last for some hours until it starts to subsidies.
In some cases, the victim may be subjected to large localized reactions of conspicuous swelling followed by fatigue and nausea. These reactions might take a week to lower. The localized reactions usually do not seek any major medications and are often limited to a small area of the sting.
Secondary Bacterial Infections
The infection is more likely to develop on your infected skin if you fail to adapt and maintain consistent hygiene on the affected site. The major lookout includes proper cleaning and disinfecting of the wound developed by the yellow jacket sting.
If you neglect the habit of hygiene around the site area by scratching the wound triggered by the itchiness, you might invite the bacteria into your wound. This can turn into bacterial infections turning a minor case into a more severe one.
The proper identification of the sting is very crucial in determining the appropriate treatment. There are a couple of differential factors that might help you to distinguish the sting of a bee and a yellow jacket. Scroll down to find out the detailed information on this case:
Difference in Sting
In general, the stinger of the yellow jacket is smoother, allowing it to sting multiple times without dying, and is less likely to lose its stinger. These wasps are found to bite the flesh to get a better grip and inject their venomous stinger inside.
Similarly, when a bee stings, it often leaves its stinger embedded in your skin. This is because the stinger of the bee is barbed and gets stuck once it penetrates and punctures the skin along with the abdomen, digestive tract, muscles, and nerves. They are likely to die after stinging.
Difference in Behavior
It has been found that yellow jackets are more aggressive in nature. They are likely to attack even in the most unanticipated ways. If their nest is disturbed, they can sting you multiple times.
Bees are more gentle and less aggressive. They are likely to attack and sting the intruder when they feel provoked. Honey bees visit flowers for pollen and nectar. Generally, they try to avoid humans.
You need to make sure you are equipped with the necessary tools and protective gear before approaching the nest of the aggressive yellow jacket. Take extra caution because nest removal is a bold task to perform, you might get stung leading to fatal injuries.
You need to consider wearing thick and long jackets, boots, and pants. You might as well wear a protective covering for your head and eyes like a hat, mask, and glasses. Your clothes should protect your skin from the poisonous stinger of the yellow jacket.
2. Locate the Nest
Yellow jackets are often found to build their nests underground, especially in the areas of dirt or soil and in the trees, logs, or underneath the eaves. You need to properly inspect your property for the possible environment.
If you see the flying yellow jackets in or around your house, taking entrance and exiting through a small hole, there's more possibility of such a place to be their home or nest. Make sure to check for them in your attic or basement, behind your house walls, and on the edge of the roofs.
3. Treat at Night
Once you've located the nest, you need to wait for them to remain inactive. More particularly, these wasps are likely to remain inactive during the night when it turns darker outside. During the daylight, or dawn and dusk, the yellow jackets are active and highly aggressive toward provoke.
You need to avoid the risk of uncontrollable swarming of these wasps around you while performing the nest removal task. At night, cautiously make a slow pace toward their nest using a flashlight. Once you're at a reachable distance, you need to aim correctly at their entrance and exit, while applying your eliminating product.
4. Make Use of Two Treatments
It has been recommended to use foam and dust insecticides for the successful and best treatment of the yellow jacket. Following these two approaches, you might need to perform two separate treatments on two different nights. This has been a proven approach for the effective removal of the yellow jacket nests.
Initially, on the first night, you will need to treat the nest with the foam insecticide. Carefully, apply the insecticide on the entrance and exit of the nest which will seal it and allow the chemicals to seep into the chamber. This will further prevent the yellow jacket from swarming and coming after you.
Similarly, on the second approach, you need to use dust insecticide which will coat the nest with the poison, eventually shutting down the yellow jackets.
When to Seek For Medical Help
The reactions and symptoms of the yellow jacket sting might vary from person to person and entirely depend upon the sensitivity of the sting location on the body and the allergic tolerance.
More particularly, an allergic person might need medical help immediately.
