Travel
Safety information - Stings from Bees, Wasps and other flying animals
Most
stinging insects are relatively safe to be near, even in large
numbers, so long as they are not aggravated.
However, dozens of people a year die from insect stings, mostly
due to anaphylactic shock, some as a direct result of the toxins.
In 1989 32 people in the southern US died from fire ant stings
[ants sting 9 million Americans a year], while wasps, yellow jackets
and bees and rack up up to 100 deaths a year in the USA.
Prevention
of Bee and Wasp Stings:
-
be observant when using a noisy garden tool in wilder parts of
your outdoor spread in USA.
Check for hives/nests or dangerous insect activity before use.
Do not use a noisy tool within 50 yards of a hive or 150 yards
of a wild bee colony [if you're in the USA and they could be Killers].
- don't swat bees or wasps, you'll probably
just enrage them.
Only wack a wasp if you are sure to kill it. If you strike or
kill a bee you'll set off its defence pheromone which will bring
unhappy relatives seeking vengeance.
- cover food and drinks outdoors, and take care that a wasp hasn't
gone swimming in your coke.
- check your damp beach towel for stinging animals cooling off.
- if wasps persist [they love sweet things], make a trap by putting
something sweet in a jar [jam/honey/beer], put a couple of inches
of water in, cover it and punch a wasp-size hole in the cover.
The critter will crawl in, buzz around, fall in the water and
drown.
Travel
Safety tips for Killer Bees:
There
is one type of bee which is a problem in South and Central America
and is now happily travelling in the southern states of the USA.
The
Africanized bee is a hybrid created in the 1950s when scientists
were trying to improve honey yield. Some African bees escaped
and interbred, creating highly aggressive animals.
Africanized bees have 27% less venom than
regular European honeybees - and thus are less dangerous individually,
but they are grumpy, sensitive and seem to have a 'one out, all
out' defence policy!
Killer
Bee information:
They look just like regular honey bees, and are honey bees.
They reproduce five times faster than ordinary honey bees.
Colonies can number up to 60,000 bees.
They have killed over 1,000 people so far.
They may swarm and aggressively defend their nests when approached
or disturbed from up to 100 yards away - though usually you'd
have to bee a lot closer. Noise and vibrations from power mowers/cutters
are a common cause of attack.
They will chase invaders for up to a quarter of mile [about 300m]
and continue attacking for up to 10 hours.
In flight they look like a small cloud, sound like a power tool
and may cluster anywhere, car bumpers included.
And
the good news is:
in 2003, after a determined onslaught by safety officials in USA,
remaining 'killer' bees are much less aggressive than a few years
ago as their mad siblings have been exterminated. Now, quiet
activities near their nests are unlikely to cause trouble.
If the bees become irritated, they often warn off intruders by
bumping heads with them, not stinging. If that happens to you,
don't swat them, just turn around and leave!
The chances of being killed by a bee these days in the USA are
less thean being killed by lightning or a dog.
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Safety
advice in the event of a
massed stinger attack:
- Keep calm, cover your head if possible [e.g.with your shirt]
and run steadily to safety as most people can outrun them if they
don't panic. Bees don't travel very fast, 4mph top speed.
Run in a straight line [a bee line!], don't try to zigzag!
- Get into anything that is sealed in such a way as not to allow
insect entry, such as a tent or a car.
Do not:
- scream as this will only irritate them more and increase the
severity of the attack.
- run towards other people who will also get attacked, unless you
feel that they should take some of the burden of your misfortune.
- hide under water [e.g. your pool] as they will still be swarming
above - and go for you - when you surface for air. Killer Bees may
continue to attack for up to 10 hours.
- rip your clothes off, even if some bees got inside. If the shirt
comes off the rest of the bees will have more targets.
Treatment of stings:
- all bee stings include an alarm pheromone which incites their
mates to attack, so step one is to get away from a nest/hive with
all speed.
- scrape/pull out stings as soon as possible. [contrary to traditional
advice, speed is of the essence, not method. Penn State University
'96] A honey bee sting has a pump attached that continues to introduce
venom for 1 minute after stinging. A wasp doesn't leave its stinger.
- apply an ice pack [e.g. anything frozen wrapped in a kitchen
towel] to minimize swelling and pain. But not too long at any
one time unless you want frostbite. Off/on, off/on...
- lift limb to heart level to reduce swelling.
- take an antihistamine tablet to reduce swelling and itching.
- take a pain killer, preferably anti-inflammatory.
- the swelling and redness may be worse the next day; this is
a normal allergic reaction. If however the swelling is still painful
and a fever is present there may be secondary infection and a
hospital visit is advisable.
- antibiotics do not help.
Severe
reactions:
- if the victim has been stung multiple times, is young or old,
or is one of the 1% that is super-sensitive to stings, watch for
signs of systemic allergies. These may include:
- headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the tongue or
throat, difficulty in breathing, cramps, drowsiness or unconsciousness.
Get medical help.
- severely allergic people should carry an epinephrine kit and
use it, followed by an ice pack and hospital.
Other
Travel Safety - Dangerous animals information:
Scorpion
Stings | Snake bites
Lion
Attacks | Bear Attacks
Crocodile
and Alligator Attacks
Blue-ringed octopus and Stonefish
Shark
Attacks | Jellyfish Stings
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