Stings, and What to Watch For

First, the honest disclaimer

We Are Not Medical People

This page is written by a pest control firm, not by doctors. It sets out what a sting normally does, what to do about it, and the signs that mean getting help urgently. It does not diagnose anything and it is not a substitute for advice from a pharmacist, a GP, NHS 111 or, where it matters, 999.

If you are worried about a reaction, get it looked at. Nobody has ever regretted taking a sting reaction seriously.

The normal one

Sharp, Then Sore, Then Itchy

A typical wasp sting gives a sharp burning pain, then a red, swollen, raised lump a few centimetres across, then itching. The pain eases within a couple of hours and the swelling and itch settle over a day or two.

What generally helps: wash the area with soap and water; put something cold on it for ten to fifteen minutes; keep the limb raised if it is swelling; and try not to scratch it, because broken skin is how a boring sting becomes an infected one. A pharmacist can advise on antihistamines and painkillers.

One useful difference from bees: a wasp does not leave its sting behind. There is nothing to scrape out, so do not go hunting for one. It also means a wasp can sting more than once, which is why walking away from a disturbed nest matters more than swatting at the one that got you.

The large local one

Alarming, Usually Not Dangerous

Some people get a large local reaction: swelling that spreads well beyond the sting site — a whole forearm, a whole foot — peaking after a day or two and lasting up to a week.

It looks far worse than a normal sting and it is uncomfortable, but in itself it is not usually dangerous. It is worth getting advice, particularly if it is on the face or near a joint, or if the skin becomes hot, increasingly red and painful over the following days, which can indicate infection rather than reaction.

A large local reaction is not the same thing as anaphylaxis and does not necessarily mean you are at risk of it. That is a question for a doctor, not a website.

The emergency

Signs That Mean 999, Now

A severe allergic reaction — anaphylaxis — is rare, but it develops fast, usually within minutes. Call 999 immediately if after a sting someone has:

• swelling of the lips, tongue, face or throat
• difficulty breathing, wheezing, or a tight throat
• a widespread rash, hives or flushing away from the sting
• dizziness, faintness, confusion or collapse
• severe stomach pain or sudden vomiting after a sting
• a sense that something is badly wrong

If they have an adrenaline auto-injector prescribed, it should be used straight away as they have been shown — and 999 should still be called afterwards, every time.

Two other situations warrant urgent help even without those signs: a sting inside the mouth or throat, which is why drinking from an open can outdoors in late summer is a genuinely bad idea, because swelling there can block the airway; and being stung many times at once, which is a different kind of problem from a single sting.

If someone in the house reacts badly

Tell Us When You Book

This is the single most useful thing you can tell us, and people routinely do not mention it.

It changes the timing, how the approach is made, which entrance the technician works from, and how long everyone stays indoors afterwards. It may mean attending early or late when activity is lower, and it may mean asking the person concerned to be elsewhere for the visit.

It also raises the priority of the job. A nest by a back door is an annoyance in most houses; in a house with someone who carries an auto-injector it is not.

Short answers

Wasp Questions

Going further

Wasp Guides