For a bee sting on a child, start by removing the stinger, then apply ice and a baking soda paste to reduce pain and swelling. Most stings cause sharp pain and a raised welt that fades within a few hours, and simple home treatment is all that’s needed. Here’s exactly what to do, step by step.
Remove the Stinger First
Honeybees leave their stinger behind in the skin, and it continues pumping venom for a short time after the sting. Scrape the back of a butter knife, credit card, or fingernail across the skin to flick it out. Don’t use tweezers, because squeezing the stinger can press more venom into the wound. Yellow jackets and wasps don’t usually leave a stinger, so if you don’t see one, move straight to treatment.
After the stinger is out, wash the area gently with soap and water.
What to Put on the Sting
Cold is the fastest way to bring down pain and swelling. Wrap an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables in a thin cloth and hold it on the sting for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Don’t place ice directly on a child’s skin.
A baking soda paste also helps. Mix a small amount of baking soda with just enough water to form a thick paste, spread it over the sting, and leave it on for about 20 minutes. This can help neutralize some of the irritation from the venom.
For itching or continued swelling, apply 1% hydrocortisone cream (sold over the counter as Cortaid or store-brand versions) to the sting site up to three times a day. This is one of the most effective topical options for calming the itch that often develops in the hours after a sting.
Pain Relief and Antihistamines
If your child is uncomfortable, a children’s pain reliever can help with the burning and soreness. For itching that doesn’t respond to the cream alone, an oral antihistamine is the next step. Non-drowsy options like cetirizine (Children’s Zyrtec) or loratadine (Children’s Claritin) work well. Diphenhydramine (Children’s Benadryl) is another option, though it causes drowsiness. Follow the dosing on the package based on your child’s age and weight.
Home Remedies That May Help
Honey applied to the sting and covered with a loose bandage for up to an hour is a popular home treatment. Research on medical-grade honey, including Manuka honey, shows it can reduce inflammation and fight bacteria, though whether regular household honey has the same effect is less clear. Diluted apple cider vinegar soaked into a cloth and held on the sting is another common remedy. Neither of these has strong clinical evidence behind it, but both are generally safe to try as long as they don’t cause more irritation. If any home remedy makes the sting feel worse, wash it off and stick with ice and baking soda.
What to Expect as It Heals
A mild sting produces instant sharp pain, a small welt, and some swelling. In most children, this clears up within a few hours. Some kids have a moderate local reaction where the swelling, redness, and itching get worse over the next day or two before gradually improving. This kind of reaction can last up to seven days and still be normal, even if the swollen area is larger than you’d expect. It doesn’t mean your child is allergic.
Keep the area clean and discourage your child from scratching, which can break the skin and invite infection. Signs of infection include increasing redness, warmth, pus, or pain that gets worse after the first couple of days rather than better.
Signs of a Serious Allergic Reaction
Most bee stings are painful but harmless. A small number of children, however, develop anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can come on within minutes. Watch for any of these symptoms:
- Trouble breathing or tightness in the chest
- Swollen tongue or throat or difficulty swallowing
- Widespread rash or hives spreading beyond the sting site
- Dizziness, vomiting, or loss of consciousness
If your child shows even one or two of these signs, call 911 immediately. If your child has a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen or Auvi-Q), use it first, then call 911. Multiple stings also warrant emergency attention in young children, even without obvious allergic symptoms, because the total venom load can cause a more serious reaction on its own.