How To Remove a Bee Stinger

You’re outside enjoying the day when it happens: BZZZ-zap! The sharp poke of a honeybee sting instantly delivers a burning pain. As the winged assailant flies off, you notice it left something behind in your skin.

So, how do you get that bee stinger out? Let's find out from emergency medicine specialist Christopher Bazzoli, MD.

How to take out a bee stinger

Removing the stinger quickly is important. The reason? The little clump you may see atop the stinger is a venom sac — and it’s pulsating because it’s pumping venom into you through the stinger.

Venom fuels the pain and swelling that accompanies a sting. It can continue to flow through the stinger for up to a minute after the sting.

“Time is the most important factor in the removal process,” explains Dr. Bazzoli. “Getting the stinger out right away means less venom getting pumped into you — which should reduce your reaction to the sting.”

Ways to remove a bee stinger

A honeybee stinger isn’t smooth like a needle. Instead, the stinger’s surface includes two alternating rows of saw-toothed blades. These barbs anchor the stinger in your skin after it detaches from the bee.

To work the stinger from your skin, there are two basic methods — scraping it out or pulling it out.

Scraping close to your skin has long been the preferred approach and can be done using:

• A fingernail. This would be the fastest approach given that the needed equipment is … well, right at your fingertips.
• An object with a straight and rigid edge. Options that might be immediately handy include a credit card or driver’s license from your wallet or a plastic butter knife if you’re at a picnic.

What about grasping the stinger with your fingers or a tweezer and pulling it out? Many advise against this tactic due to concern that squeezing the stinger may force out more venom. But research has cast some doubt on that theory.

Bottom line? “Whatever you do to get the stinger out as quickly as possible is going to be the best solution,” says Dr. Bazzoli.

Tips for stinger removal

As you’re working to get the stinger out, keep these tips in mind:

• If you get stung because you’re near a bee hive, get away from the location. A bee’s sting releases a pheromone that alerts other bees to a potential danger. “Other bees in the hive may start attacking once that alert goes out,” warns Dr. Bazzoli.
• While working quickly is a priority, you also want to be gentle to avoid breaking the stinger and leaving part of it in your skin. (Again, using something rigid to scrape close to your skin should help you remove the whole stinger.)
• Pulling your skin flat by stretching it out at the sting site may help make it easier to remove the stinger. This is particularly true if it’s in an area where there are folds of skin.

Treating a bee sting

Once the stinger has been removed, Dr. Bazzoli suggests taking the following steps:

• Wash up. Clean the area around the sting with soap and water. This will help remove any bee venom that may be lingering on your skin, while also reducing your risk of infection.
• Inspect the sting site. Take a closer look at your wound. If you see a piece of the stinger in your skin, use clean tweezers to work it out and then rewash the site. “Catching this right away reduces your risk of infection later,” adds Dr. Bazzoli.
• Ice. Applying ice or a cold pack to the sting can reduce swelling and limit pain. Place the cold pack on the wound for about 10 to 15 minutes. Reapply after waiting 10 minutes if the pain persists.
• Elevate the affected area (if possible). Elevation can minimize swelling by decreasing blood flow to the site of the sting. (Gravity is your friend!)
• Medicate as needed. Bee stings aren’t comfortable. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help with the hurt and inflammation. Antihistamines can reduce skin symptoms, while aloe may also ease itching and swelling.

Symptoms related to a bee sting should start to lessen within a few hours. Swelling and skin discoloration usually go away in two to three days. (But in some cases, it can take a week or more for your skin to clear up completely.)

What if you’re allergic to bee stings?

A severe allergic reaction to a bee sting can be life-threatening. Call 911 or head to an emergency room if you have difficulty breathing or other symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

If you have a known allergy to bee stings, immediately use your epinephrine auto-injector (commonly known by the brand name EpiPen®) if your healthcare provider has prescribed one to you.

“An allergic reaction is somewhat of a spiraling process, so using an EpiPen early is really beneficial to limit that chain reaction,” states Dr. Bazzoli. (Any sting that calls for the use of an EpiPen should be followed by a 911 call, too.)

If your rash spreads after a sting or you develop nausea, vomiting or diarrhea hours later, seek medical care.

Do only bees leave their stingers?

The jagged design of a honeybee stinger causes it to detach from the bee and stay in your skin. (That’s also why these bees can only sting you once.)

Wasps (such as yellowjackets) and hornets, on the other hand, have smooth stingers. These typically don’t break off in your skin following a sting. This allows those insects to sting multiple times, too.

If a wasp or hornet stinger does break off in your skin, follow the same process as you would with a bee stinger.