The sweat bee is attracted by our sweat. And the carpenter bee makes holes in the fences.
We usually see bees that live in large families, but there are also single bees. They are harmless and rarely bite.
Carpenter bee
It is a large solitary bee that burrows in old wood. Therefore, she is called a carpenter. The bee is almost black and has purple wings. More like a bumblebee or hornet.
Such a bee will only sting if you press it or open its nest.
Male carpenter bees also have this characteristic behavior - they hang menacingly in front of your nose. But you don't need to be afraid, because males do not have a sting.
Sweat bee
It is literally a sweat bee from the word sweat. It is also dark, but shallow.
The sweat bee is attracted by the smell of our sweat and sits on the skin. If you press it down, it will sting, but this bee does not attack by itself. So do not slap the first living creatures you come across. Some just crawl peacefully.
What to do if a bee stung
Some bees leave a sting in the skin. Attached to this sting is a pouch of poison. The pouch contracts and the full dose is injected into the skin over a few seconds. If you manage to knock off the sting with the bag, then less poison will get into the skin.
The bite site will turn red, hurt and scratch. You can do nothing.
For about every tenth person, this will all itch very badly, hurt and swell a lot. In this case, it is useful to apply something frozen and wrapped in a wet rag to the bitten area every two hours for 20 minutes.
For itching, you can take an over-the-counter antihistamine like Cetirizine.
For pain, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever like Ibuprofen.
If the next day does not get better, then you need to show this case to the surgeon.
When to call an ambulance
If the skin swells and turns red NOT at the site of the bite, but somewhere else. For example, they stung my hand, and my lips were swollen.
If you have a stomach ache, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. A severe allergic reaction can manifest itself.
If there is hoarseness or shortness of breath.
If you feel dizzy and feel like you are turning off.
In fact, only about 10% of people will have severe swelling of the bite site, and only 10% of them will then be seriously allergic to bee venom.
What to do to avoid being bitten
Do not handle bees and wasps. Do not pull a drowning wasp out of the jam with your hands. Do not lick a bee smeared with honey (real story - one grandmother died from this).
If the buzzing creature is behaving aggressively, then do not wave your hands, but calmly move away.
If there are a lot of buzzing creatures, then cover your nose and mouth with your hand and hide in the car or indoors.
