top of page

A Red Wasp Attacked Me. Here's What I did About It.

authormargarite

Please note: I am not a medical professional. Therefore, the information in this blog is not meant to take the place of medical treatment. It is always a good idea to seek medical treatment when necessary or in doubt.


I have been most fortunate in my life. While most bugs love my diabetic blood and I get eaten alive, very few have stung me. I stepped on a honeybee barefoot when I was a kid, and that was the worst of it until now.



A few days ago, I was unloading my car after work when I was attacked. The little devil dive bombed me as soon as I stepped onto the front porch to make my second trip. Worse, he got caught in my luscious locks, which were blowing in the wind. I shook my head violently, smacking my hands against my long strands of hair in an effort to dislodge the wee beast. In answer, he stung the heck out of the side of my neck and flew off.


Unloading my car took priority because there was cream cheese involved (it's too expensive to let spoil in a hot car), so I gathered everything that was left and made a beeline into the house. Yes, I saw the tiny demon flying just beneath the porch roof. Tucking my head, I dashed inside and locked the door behind me.


I had the fleeting thought that I hoped I wasn't allergic to wasp stings as I washed the side of my neck with soap and cold water. It was burning pretty bad by that point, but I couldn't see any worrisome swelling. The entire side of my neck was red, though.


Thanks to my childhood education, I knew exactly what to do. I mixed baking soda (approximately a teaspoon) with water in bowl until it formed a paste. Then I slathered the paste onto my neck. I kept it there for the rest of the night. Once it dried, I was snowing baking soda wherever I went. I know you're supposed to cover it, but I didn't have large bandages. Besides, baking soda doesn't hurt anything and even removes odors.


When my husband came home and heard what happened, he asked me why I used baking soda and water. Simple - that's how I learned to handle stings in school and 4-H. I believe my mom also shared that wisdom with me during my formative years. Somehow, nobody had ever taught my husband that treatment.


There is another was way to treat a sting that involves tobacco. I've seen this method used a couple of times, but no one in my house uses tobacco anymore, so that wasn't an option. I've seen this treatment using both chewing tobacco and cigarettes.


To use tobacco, you wet a small amount, squeeze it to make it squishy, and then place it on the sting for a few minutes.


Mom had a hornet sting her in the corner of the eye when I was little. We were outside, in the middle of nowhere, and Dad had Red Man. So, Mom got Red Man pressed to her eye. It wasn't pleasant, but it worked. I personally prefer baking soda paste, but you use what's handy.


I know there are over the counter medicines you can buy to address stings, but don't ask me what they are. I've never used any.


You might wonder what happened to my winged attacker. My hubby took care of him after I explained the reason there was baking soda everywhere. Because he loves me, he vacuumed my mess while I washed the treatment off my neck before bed.


Do you have any home remedies you'd like to share? I'd love to learn about them.


Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please join me again next week for more Ozarks Maven.



I am an Amazon Associate. As such, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through my affiliate links.





32 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


© 2023 by Margarite Stever

bottom of page