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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, for painful or swollen stings and large local reactions; a severe allergic reaction needs 112.
- First step: scrape the sting out sideways with a fingernail or a bank card as soon as you can; do not pinch it with tweezers.
- Normal reaction: pain, redness and swelling at the sting, which usually settle within a few days.
- Large local reaction: swelling more than about 10 cm across, which can grow over 24 to 48 hours; see a doctor.
- Emergency: call 112 for swelling of the lips, mouth or throat, difficulty breathing or fainting, and use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one.
Do not book a video appointment if, after a sting, you have swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue, wheezing or difficulty breathing, a tight throat, confusion or fainting, or pale, grey or blue skin or lips. These are signs of anaphylaxis: use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one, call 112, and lie down with your legs raised.
Can an online doctor treat a bee sting?
Yes. Most bee stings cause pain and swelling that settle with first aid, and a doctor can assess them by video: the sting site, the size of the swelling, and the signs of an allergic reaction. The doctor can treat a large local reaction, check whether you need an allergy referral or an adrenaline auto-injector, and tell you what to do next time. A severe allergic reaction needs 112, not a consultation.
How an online consultation helps with a bee sting
- Allergy signs checked first: Symptoms away from the sting, such as a rash, swelling of the face or dizziness, are checked first, because they change everything.
- The swelling assessed: The doctor looks at how far the swelling spreads, and tells a large local reaction from an infection.
- Relief that suits you: Painkillers, an antihistamine or a steroid cream, chosen after the doctor checks your other medicines.
- Ready for the next sting: Whether you need an allergy clinic, adrenaline auto-injectors or venom immunotherapy, and how to avoid stings.
What the doctor checks in an online bee sting consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the signs of an allergic reaction come first. The doctor asks about:
- Allergic reaction: swelling away from the sting, a widespread itchy rash, breathing difficulty, dizziness, tummy pain or vomiting.
- The sting: where it is, whether the sting was removed, how large the swelling is, and whether it is still growing.
- Several stings: how many times you were stung, because many stings at once need medical advice.
- Past reactions: how you reacted to stings before, and any allergy tests or adrenaline you have been prescribed.
- Your health: other allergies, long-term conditions and the medicines you take.
Before the call, mark the edge of the swelling with a pen and note the time, so the doctor can see how it is changing.
How to remove a bee sting
A honeybee’s sting has tiny barbs that hold it in the skin, so the bee cannot pull it out: it leaves the sting behind, with a small venom sac attached, and dies within a day or two. Wasps do not leave their sting, which is why they can sting more than once. Speed matters more than the method, because at least 90% of the venom is delivered in the first 20 seconds. Remove a bee sting as soon as you can:
- Scrape it out sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a bank card.
- Do not pinch it with tweezers or your fingers, which can squeeze more venom out of the sac.
- Wash the area with soap and water.
- Hold an ice pack or a cold, damp cloth on it for at least 20 minutes, and raise the area if you can.
Bee sting symptoms: normal, large local and allergic reactions
What does a bee sting look like?
A sting causes a sharp pain that lasts a few seconds, then a red, swollen, painful bump. After a honeybee sting, the sting itself often stays in the centre as a small dark barb with the venom sac attached. A normal reaction usually settles within a day or a few days, and a large local reaction can last up to a week. How the body reacts decides what you need to do:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Reaction | What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Normal reaction | Sharp pain, a red mark and swelling at the sting, settling within a few days | First aid, painkillers and an antihistamine |
| Large local reaction | Swelling more than about 10 cm across, which can grow over 24 to 48 hours | See a doctor |
| Infection | Redness, warmth, pain or pus that increase after the first few days | See a doctor |
| Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) | Swelling of the face or throat, breathing difficulty, a widespread rash, dizziness, collapse | Adrenaline, and call 112 |
Painful swelling at the sting is a normal reaction, not a sign of allergy. Anyone can become allergic to stings, and the risk is higher in beekeepers, in people stung often or many times at once, and in people with mastocytosis, a condition of the mast cells. Having hay fever or a food allergy does not raise the risk. In the UK, honeybees and wasps cause most serious reactions, and most people who are allergic react to one or the other, not both.
Can a bee sting kill you?
Rarely. For almost everyone, a sting is painful but harmless. Deaths come from a severe allergic reaction, which usually starts about 10 minutes after the sting; in the most severe reactions, breathing and the heart can stop 5 to 10 minutes after the sting. That is why adrenaline comes first and 112 straight after.
- How common sting allergy is: in Europe, 0.3% to 8.9% of adults have had an allergic reaction to a sting that went beyond the sting site, and the share is higher in beekeepers. Stings cause nearly half of all cases of anaphylaxis in adults.
- How many stings are dangerous without an allergy: venom becomes poisonous in its own right only with very many stings; toxic reactions usually follow 500 or more, and can be fatal.
- After one severe reaction: the risk of another reaction beyond the sting site at the next sting is less than 50%, but there is no way to predict it, and allergy tests cannot tell how serious the next reaction will be.
This is why a reaction away from the sting site, even a mild one such as a widespread rash, needs a doctor afterwards, to decide whether you should carry adrenaline and see an allergy specialist.
What to do in a severe allergic reaction
Anaphylaxis comes on very quickly after the sting. Act straight away:
- Use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one.
- Call 112, and say that you think it is anaphylaxis.
- Lie down with your legs raised. If breathing is difficult, sit up slowly with your shoulders raised. Do not stand or walk, even if you start to feel better.
- If there is no improvement after 5 minutes, use a second auto-injector.
How to avoid bee and wasp stings
A few habits cut the risk of stings in summer:
- Keep your arms and legs covered outdoors, and avoid going barefoot or wearing sandals on grass.
- Avoid strong perfumes, hairsprays and scented cosmetics in summer, because they attract insects.
- Do not swat at a bee or a wasp: move away slowly and calmly, and wait for it to fly off.
- Check food and drink before you eat or sip, keep them covered, and outdoors choose a bottle with the lid on or a drink with a straw.
- Keep away from open bins, and leave nests to a professional.
Which bee sting treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on the type of reaction and on how you have reacted before. This is the framework the doctors use, in line with NHS and UK allergy guidance.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain and swelling at the sting | First aid, painkillers and an antihistamine | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Swelling more than about 10 cm across | An antihistamine, sometimes a short course of steroid tablets, and an allergy review | Yes | If swelling affects your breathing or swallowing: call 112 |
| A sting in the mouth or throat, or near the eye | Assessment of the swelling | Yes, to assess | If it affects breathing, swallowing or eyesight |
| A past reaction away from the sting, such as a rash or dizziness | An allergy clinic referral, and adrenaline auto-injectors | Yes | For allergy tests and immunotherapy |
| Signs of anaphylaxis | Adrenaline and emergency treatment | No | Call 112 now |
Worried about how you reacted to a sting? A doctor can tell you in one consultation what it means for next time.
See available times →Treatment options for bee stings
What you can do yourself
- Remove the sting, wash the area, cool it and raise it.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for the pain.
- Take an antihistamine as soon as you can, and continue it until the swelling eases.
- Ask a pharmacist about hydrocortisone cream for itching and swelling, and do not scratch.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. For a large local reaction, the doctor may prescribe a short course of steroid tablets. If a sting has caused symptoms away from the sting site, the doctor can prescribe adrenaline auto-injectors, which you then carry two of at all times, and refer you to an allergy clinic for tests. For a serious sting allergy, allergy specialists offer venom immunotherapy: injections of tiny amounts of venom, increased over time and usually continued for 3 to 5 years, that make the immune system less sensitive to stings. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Pinching the sting out with tweezers can squeeze in more venom. Home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda are not recommended, and toothpaste or mud does nothing for the venom. Anaphylaxis needs adrenaline straight away: antihistamines are for small, local reactions.
Special situations
Several stings at once
Many stings at once can make you unwell even without an allergy. Get medical advice, and call 112 for any sign of a severe reaction.
A sting in the mouth or throat
A sting inside the mouth, for example from a bee or wasp in a drink, can cause swelling that affects breathing. Suck an ice cube or sip cold water to limit the swelling, get medical advice promptly, and call 112 if swallowing or breathing becomes difficult.
If you carry adrenaline
Carry two in-date auto-injectors at all times, keep them out of direct sunlight and the fridge, practise with a trainer device, and make sure the people you travel with know how to use them. Adrenaline is now also available as a nasal spray, and the same rule applies: carry two doses.
Beekeepers and outdoor workers
Frequent stings raise the risk of becoming allergic. If a reaction has gone beyond the sting site, ask about allergy testing.
Picnics and holidays
Outdoor meals in summer attract bees and wasps, so keep food and drink covered. Other summer health problems are covered on the travel illnesses page.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When a bee sting is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: painful or swollen stings, large local reactions, and planning after a reaction: an allergy referral, adrenaline auto-injectors and prevention.
In-person care: anaphylaxis, swelling in the mouth or throat that affects breathing or swallowing, allergy testing, and venom immunotherapy.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue
- wheezing, fast or difficult breathing, a tight throat or trouble swallowing
- sudden confusion, drowsiness, fainting or collapse
- pale, grey or blue skin or lips, or a widespread swollen, itchy rash
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a sting in the mouth, the throat or near the eyes
- tummy pain with vomiting, or dizziness, after a sting
- many stings at once
- swelling that keeps getting worse, or a high temperature with swollen glands
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about the sting: show it on camera, and say when you were stung, how the swelling has changed, and how you reacted to stings before.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s a bee sting? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Wasp stings can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about bee stings
How do you get a bee sting out?
Scrape the bee sting out sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a bank card as soon as you can. Do not pinch it with tweezers or your fingers, which can squeeze more venom into the skin. Then wash the area and hold something cold on it.
What does a bee sting look like?
A red, swollen, painful bump that follows a sharp pain lasting a few seconds. After a honeybee sting, the sting itself often stays in the centre as a small dark barb with a venom sac attached, and should be scraped out sideways.
How long does a bee sting last?
The sharp pain of a bee sting lasts a few seconds. The swelling and itching usually settle within a day or a few days. A large local reaction can grow for 24 to 48 hours and last up to a week. See a doctor if the swelling is more than about 10 cm across.
Does a bee die after it stings you?
A honeybee does. Its sting has barbs that hold it in the skin, so the bee leaves the sting and venom sac behind and dies within a day or two. Wasps keep their sting and can sting more than once.
Why do bees sting, and why does it hurt so much?
A honeybee stings only in defence, when it is trodden on, swatted, trapped in clothing or when the hive is threatened, and it dies afterwards because the barbed stinger tears out of its body; wasps and hornets sting more readily and repeatedly. The pain of a bee sting comes from melittin and other venom proteins, which damage cells and trigger histamine release, and the swelling from the body’s reaction to them. Bright colours, perfume, sugary drinks and bare feet on clover attract stings.
Can a bee sting kill you?
Rarely. Deaths come from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that usually starts about 10 minutes after the sting, or, without an allergy, from hundreds of stings at once: toxic reactions usually follow 500 or more. Use adrenaline and call 112 at the first sign of anaphylaxis.
Is swelling after a bee sting an allergy?
Painful swelling at the sting is a normal reaction, not a sign of allergy. Swelling more than about 10 cm across is a large local reaction and needs a doctor. Symptoms away from the sting, such as a widespread rash, swelling of the face or difficulty breathing, are signs of a severe allergic reaction.
What are the signs of an allergic reaction to a bee sting?
After a bee sting, swelling of the lips, mouth, throat or tongue, wheezing or difficulty breathing, a widespread itchy rash, dizziness, confusion or fainting, and pale, grey or blue skin. Use an adrenaline auto-injector if you have one, and call 112.
What should I put on a bee sting at home?
After removing the sting and washing the area, hold an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on it for at least 20 minutes and raise it. Hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion helps the itching, and an antihistamine tablet the swelling. Bicarbonate of soda, toothpaste and mud are not recommended.
What is the difference between a bee sting and a wasp sting?
A bee leaves its sting in the skin with a venom sac attached, so the sting needs removing. A wasp does not leave its sting behind and can sting more than once. The first aid and the warning signs are otherwise the same.
Can you become allergic to bee stings later in life?
Yes. Anyone can become allergic, and the risk is higher in beekeepers and in people who are stung often or many times at once. If a sting has caused symptoms away from the sting site, ask a doctor about allergy testing.
What is venom immunotherapy?
Venom immunotherapy is a course of injections of tiny amounts of bee or wasp venom, increased gradually and usually continued for 3 to 5 years, to make the immune system less sensitive to stings. Allergy specialists offer it to people with a serious sting allergy.
Can an online doctor treat a bee sting?
Yes, for painful or swollen stings and large local reactions. A doctor can assess the sting by video, recommend treatment, and refer you to an allergy clinic or prescribe adrenaline auto-injectors when needed. Anaphylaxis needs 112.
- Insect bites and stings, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 1 June 2023.
- Bee and wasp stings, DermNet, New Zealand, 2021, updated 2024.
- Insect bites and stings: first aid, St John Ambulance (UK), reviewed 28 April 2025.
- How to treat a bee sting, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (US), published 21 July 2017.
- Anaphylaxis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 21 June 2023.
- Insect sting allergy, Anaphylaxis UK, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Insect bites and stings, Patient.info, reviewed by UK GPs, 2025.
- Allergies, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 5 March 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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