14 Natural Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings

14 Natural Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings

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Imagine that your family is all ready for a tasty meal outdoors, but then a few yellow jackets appear and zip around the table. Unluckily, you’ve just tangled with one of those angry bugs and got stung. And these stings caused by yellow jackets are more serious than those caused by bees, so you need to act quickly and find the immediate medical care.

But instead of using the OTC treatment, you’re recommended to use more natural therapies – home remedies for yellow jacket stings. Before that, let’s learn more about these flying insects!

All about yellow jackets

Yellow jackets are described as bee-similar creatures that are actually wasps with yellow and black stripes on the body. Measured within 10 – 16 mm in length, most of these bugs are defined and slimmer, which are opposite to bees. Besides, they’re considered as the scavengers which tend to eat meat and other sugary ingredients. This fact simply makes them big trouble nearby any trash picnic or barbecue area.

Home remedies for Yellowjackets stings
Yellowjackets

Why do yellow jackets sting you?

Commonly, these creatures do not sting or attack until they feel threatened. The most common reasons why they try to attack us is that they tend to be quite territorial of their colonies. It’s why they will instantly react to you whenever being annoyed. So when you’re so close to their nest, like many feet away, the bugs are more likely to sting.

Unlike the normal bees, they won’t just sting you once yet do it over and over again. Thus, they’re always seen very aggressive, especially the female jackets. They will sting you while the males won’t. More dangerous than we thought, the flying insects here probably sting your kids more often than anyone else since they often play outside.

What does a yellow jacket sting look like?

If being stung by a normal honeybee, you can see that it has no other choice but to strike. It will sting only once as stated above. As a result, the patient suffers a red welt plus a white spot in the center where is stung through the skin. On the other hand, when you’ve chased down a threat by a yellow jacket, things are worse. The affected area seems to turn red and experience the pain, swelling, and itching.

Besides, there will also be infection and inflammation around the area. This condition might last within a few first hours. Also, when they attack you, meaning that they’ve left behind a marking so that their allies can find and sting you again, too. It sounds terrible, right? And their bite would vary from person to person, based on whether you’re allergic to their venom or not. But how to learn that you’re allergic?

How possible is it to know that you’re allergic?

Like the entire time, most people won’t be able to explore that they’re truly allergic to a particular insect bite until they’ve been stung. Once a person suffers an allergic reaction to that sting, they tend to experience the irritation, redness, and some pimple-like dots, itching and the mild-to-average swelling around the stung area.

Therefore, since the condition is still mild, you can easily treat it at home by using some natural, inexpensive but effective ingredients. These natural home remedies for yellow jacket stings will offer you fast relief [1][2][3].

Meanwhile, wasp stings are quite prevalent, particularly in some warmer months when most people go outside for a long period. As contracting wasp stings, the condition is uncomfortable; however, most people can get better quickly without any complications.

What are the symptoms of Yellow Jacket Stings?

In fact, there is a great number of people when it comes to wasp sting without sting allergies will reveal only some small symptoms during and after the condition. Those symptoms can include the initial sensations, going with sharp pain or burning at the sting site. Also, swelling, itching, and redness are accessible as well.

As mentioned above, yellow jackets find no difficulty in removing their stingers away from your skin, helping them sting you repeatedly. And our reactions to their stings often vary largely, from the least irritation to even death. Here are the most common reactions to those disturbing stings:

Local reactions

1. Normal local reactions

A raised welt around the sting site is likely to be developed, and a tiny white mark can be seen in the middle of the welt where the stinger affects your skin. The swelling and pain can go away in several hours after the sting. It tends to feel so itchy and warm whenever you touch. Meanwhile, in larger local reactions, that swelling is likely to spread, not to mention both nausea and exhaustion might occur.

Since these symptoms are not severe and not a warning of allergy, you can use some home remedies for yellow jacket stings for help.  

Large local reactions

For most people having large local reactions, they can be allergic to the wasp stings. However, some life-threatening symptoms, like anaphylactic shock, does not cause you any concerns. Large local reactions to wasp stings consist of severe redness and swelling flourishing within from two to three days after being stung.

In case there are many stings caused by yellow jackets, they are likely to lead to allergic reactions in some people. Now, the symptoms of yellow jacket stings will be much worse than a mild case, including indistinct speech, weakness, hard swallowing and breathing, vomiting, fever or even unconsciousness.

Take a note that there is no need to develop those symptoms post the wasp sting, but you can experience some of them after being stung. In this case, it is extremely necessary to go to a doctor for medical treatments.

Allergic reaction

And the most serious reaction here is called the anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction. This is when being allergic to a specific substance; the immune system tends to overreact to that allergen by producing some chemicals that trigger the symptoms. In a few cases, a general sting from your body will release an antibody known as the IgE to fight against their venom. This agent is believed to be the reason causing other allergic reactions in the later stings.

Aside from that, you’re prone to low blood pressure, hard breathing, and other circulatory issues. More dangerous than this, this could lead to your cardiac arrest, a sudden loss of your blood flow that might result from your heart failure to pump properly. At times, such symptoms can consist of your loss of awareness in daily life.

But don’t worry too much! In reality, a lot of people experienced such an anaphylactic reaction, but they haven’t still suffered any severe consequence after that. Thus, you can rely on a few home remedies for yellow jacket stings for more convenience.

Toxic reaction

In contrast to other mentioned responses to a yellow jacket sting, a toxic reaction means being triggered by toxins in their venom instead of an immunologic response. Due to the truth that most yellow jackets love to reside in colonies, you who might annoy a nest will be attacked several times. As a result, there’s a big amount of venom found in your body. At this time, you’ll suffer many skin symptoms which are quite common to the insect stings.

They’re fever, nausea, headache, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, muscle convulsions, and more. Any victim who experiences such toxic responses tends to have an allergic reaction to his or her later stings.

For detail, the symptoms of yellow jacket stings will be much worse than a mild case, including:

Delayed reaction  

Unlike the local reactions, which only last a few hours after the sting. With delayed reaction, the symptoms will last for days and even weeks. As compared to others, these reactions can be seen as the least popular type and make up less than three percent of every insect sting. The most commonly encountered signs here include your brain, blood vessel, kidney, and nerve inflammation.   

Besides, the sickness here would start for 7 or 10 days after the insect sting. We call it the serum sickness – a reaction to the insect’s injection of its serum. Its noticeable symptoms are rash, fever, itching, joint pain, and your lymph nodes might get swollen as well.

However, most of the stings won’t need you to make a medical appointment, except when you’re experiencing a severe reaction. So when would be the best time to consult an expert?

What’s the best time to see a doctor?

Go to see a doctor whenever you’re having any noticeable sign of a severe allergic response, like hard breathing, dizziness, or hives. It’s when you need to use your emergency medical service in your local area.

In this situation, never think of driving yourself to the doctor’s room since it’s risky! If you’ve been attacked multiple times by yellow jackets, seek urgent support. Last but not least, do not even bother calling your doctor whether you find these sting symptoms worse just after a few days.  

Top 14 Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings

For mild cases of yellow jacket stings, if you opt for using treatments at home, make sure the stinger is removed from the skin by pulling it away with a knife. After that, cleanse the area with soap and water. Finally, try some of these home remedies to quickly get rid of the symptoms.

Let’s find out top 14 home remedies for yellow jacket stings that are easily applied at home and extremely effective.

1. Cold Compresses

Cold compresses - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
Cold Compresses

The cold compress is among best home remedies for yellow jacket stings that you need to think of initially. The first thing you should do to ease the pain and reduce itching is using the cold compress, in which the ice will numb the nerves to inhibit the swelling and inflammation [4].

  • Put some ice into a bowl of cold water
  • Dip a piece of cloth into it then wring out the excess water
  • Apply the cloth to the affected area then wait for 10 minutes
  • Do this at least 2-3 times a day
  • Alternatively, you can use any other cold subjects like a cold bottle of water or an ice bag to hold against the skin. Remember not to put ice or frozen things directly onto the skin to avoid frostbite.

2. Vinegar

Vinegar - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
Vinegar

After cold compress, it is recommended to apply vinegar to make it become home remedies for yellow jacket stings. It is advisable to use vinegar to make home remedies for yellow jacket stings. Thanks to the acetic acid, vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar are able to reduce inflammation and swelling as well as ease the itching and pain [5].

  • Dip a piece of cloth in white vinegar or apple cider vinegar then apply it to the affected area. Leave it for 5-10 minutes then wash off with water.
  • Another way to use vinegar is to mix it with meat to make a paste. Apply it onto the stings for about 30 minutes then wash off with water.

Learn more about other benefits of apple cider vinegar at Home Remedies For Jock Itch and Home Remedies for Oral Thrush.

3. Baking Soda

Baking Soda - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
Baking Soda

Among our 14 home remedies for yellow jacket stings, Baking soda makes another great yellow jacket stings treatment thanks to its alkaline quality. By applying the ingredient externally on the affected areas, you can quickly ease the pain, swelling, and itching.

  • Make a paste from baking soda by mix it with a little water
  • Use the paste to apply on the skin for at least 5 minutes
  • Wash off with water
  • Do this 2-3 times a day to quickly get rid of the discomforts

Aside from treatments for health issues in an adult, baking soda is completely safe for use to deal with problems in babies and infants, including treatments for diaper rash.

4. Plantain

Plantain - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
Plantain

Possessing wonderful healing properties, plantain is considered as among the safest home remedies for yellow jacket stings. Specifically, by making use of the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities, plantain helps promptly reduce the symptoms of yellow jacket stings while successfully prevent infection and inflammation [6]

  • Press the plantain leaves with both hands to squeeze its juice out. Spread the juice over your stung skin area. Let’s wait for only a few minutes until it gets dry.
  • Try to rinse it off with your warm water. Remember to repeat this routine a few times for a couple of days for the optimized results.
  • Besides, feel free to apply the OTC plantain ointment to your affected area many times as you like on a regular basis to speed up the recovery.

5. Honey

Honey - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
Honey

Similar to other home remedies for yellow jacket stings, Honey will show you how to get rid of yellow jacket stings successfully. The special enzymes in the ingredient possess the ability to ease the pain and reduce itching in the affected areas. Furthermore, the antibacterial properties of honey can fight back infection and inflammation[7][8].

  • Directly apply raw organic honey onto the affected site. Let it dry naturally and wash off with water. Repeat this 2-3 times a day in a couple of days until you see improvement.
  • Mix honey and turmeric to make a paste then apply onto the stings. Let it dry naturally then wash off with water. Do this a few times a day until the condition completely improves.

6. Onions

If you don’t like to use the rest of our home remedies for yellow jacket stings, jump to onions. Onions have been a good companion in preventing and treating insect bites, and yellow jacket stings are no exception. It’s like a magical herb that works well in decreasing your swelling and the pain of your sting.

  • Cut onion into thin slices then rub it to the stings. After a few minutes, stop and continue to leave the juice of onion on for 15 minutes. Finally, wash off with water.
  • Alternatively, use slices of onion to apply onto the affected skin for 30 minutes. Remove then wash with water.

Learn more about other benefits of onion at Home Remedies for Scabies.

7. Activated Charcoal

Activated Charcoal - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
Activated Charcoal

Another ingredient you can use to make treatments for yellow jacket stings is activated charcoal. By neutralizing the venom and remove toxins out of the body, active charcoal deserves the greatest solution out of these home remedies for yellow jacket stings. Moreover, charcoal can prevent your swelling, itching, and pain [9][10]

  • Use a slightly wet charcoal tablet to rub on a bandage. Apply it on the affected area and replace after a few hours.
  • Alternatively, take the contents of 2-3 charcoal capsules and mix it with a little of water then you will get a paste. Use the paste to apply to the affected area. After a few hours, remove it and wash off with water. Do this a few times a day to quickly get rid of the pain.

8. Aspirin

If there is nothing you can find around your house but some aspirins, take advantage of them. This is also beneficial for your symptoms of yellow jacket stings by inhibiting the toxin and accelerating the healing process. Also, aspirin can reduce pain and swelling while preventing inflammation.

  • Crush some aspirins into powder form and mix with water to get a paste
  • Apply the paste to the stings and let it dry naturally
  • Finally, wash off with water

9. White Toothpaste

White Toothpaste - Home Remedies for Yellow Jacket Stings
White Toothpaste

The reason why white toothpaste becomes one of the most incredible home remedies for yellow jacket stings comes from its ingredient enables to inhibit the toxin in venom and quickly reduce the symptoms of the stings.

You can also use toothpaste to deal with yellow jacket stings because the ingredient is able to inhibit the toxin in venom and quickly reduce the symptoms of the stings.

  • Take a little white toothpaste to dab on the affected area
  • Leave it for a few hours then wash off
  • Repeat 2-3 times daily

Make sure you are using purely white toothpaste but not whitening, colored or gel ones.

10. Ammonia

Ammonia is well known for it natural alkaline properties. Thus, it can fight back the acidic toxin in the venom. By applying ammonia, you can promptly get relief from the pain, swelling, and itching. As effective as our recommended home remedies for yellow jacket stings, Ammonia is trusted to counteract any acidic toxic from the venom so that it can lessen the symptoms easily.

  • Dip a cotton ball into ammonia
  • Use it to dab on the stings
  • Do this several times a day

11. Meat tenderizer

Though this is not as commonly used as other natural home remedies for yellow jacket stings, meat tenderizer is still believed to lessen your pain and itching. There’s an enzyme contained in this known as the papain. You can find it in papaya fruits which can break down the protein in meat and would do the same thing for your insect sting.

It will help treat your sting right away as long as you leave the paste on the sting site for more than 30 minutes.

  • Mix one-quarter teaspoon of the meat tenderizer with a sufficient amount of water for making the paste.
  • Apply the mixture to your stung skin and wait for 30 minutes.

12. Toxic drawing paste

As one of the best home remedies for yellow jacket stings, the essential oils can be mixed together to form this toxic drawing paste. It will neutralize the venom of your stings so that you’re likely to dodge the future infection. To make this mixture, you should prepare the lavender hydrosol, baking soda, peppermint oil, and chamomile oil.

  • Mix your baking soda with a few drops of lavender hydrosol to form a thicker and smoother paste. (in case that the substance here is not available, try to use the water instead)
  • Mix the peppermint oil and chamomile oil to this paste
  • Spread the whole paste over your stung site.
  • Leave it there for thirty minutes at least for the best result
  • Wash it off with warm water.

This solution needs to be prepared for some days if you truly want to gain the noticeable results.  

13. Antibacterial ointment

After being stung, you might like to use some essential oils as your home remedies for yellow jacket stings. In this case, never miss using the antibacterial ointment as it can help you dodge the worst infection that probably blocks your recovery and lead to high fever if not cured soon.  To use it, ensure to prepare these ingredients in advance: tea tree oil, shea butter, rosemary oil, and the geranium oil.

  • Avail a boiler for melting the shea butter
  • Add tea tree oil, geranium oil, and rosemary oil together into the melted shea butter before stirring it well
  • Store it in your fridge for two hours
  • Spread the mixture here over your affected skin area to prevent infection
  • Repeat the process from two to three times a day for the most satisfactory outcome.

14. Herbs and essential oils

Herbs and essential oils - Home remedies for yellow jacket stings
Herbs and essential oils

Another effective home remedies for yellow jacket stings you can easily find here would be herbs and some essential oils. All of them contain the best wound-healing properties that can relieve the severity of a sting:

Aloe vera

The herb is quite popular for soothing your skin irritation and relieving the entire pain effectively. So knowing that you’ve got an aloe vera plant, don’t hesitate to break off its leaf to press the gel and apply straight on your stung skin area.

Calendula cream

As compared to our suggested home remedies for yellow jacket stings, Calendula cream is featured with some antiseptic properties. These would recover any minor wound quite well and get rid of your skin irritation. For the best result, apply this cream to your stung spot and then cover it with a clean bandage.

Lavender oil  

Owning the anti-inflammatory characteristics, lavender essential oil is mentioned as a great solution for your swelling issue. To make it work well, have the oil diluted with a bit of carrier oil, coconut oil, or olive oil. After that, you can dab only a few drops of the mixture on your stung skin area. Note that before trying any of these home remedies for yellow jacket stings, ensure to see if the stinger remains on your skin or not.

Tea tree oil

It’s not strange to know that tea tree oil is a natural solution out of other amazing home remedies for yellow jacket stings. By having the antiseptic properties, the oil is recommended by doctors to ease your insect sting pain. Try to mix it with your carrier oil and then apply a few drops to your affected skin site.

Witch hazel  

It’s considered as a true herbal remedy for relieving any insect bite and bee sting. So it can reduce your inflammatory problems, irritation, and itching. You can dab it directly on your sting when needed.

Additional Tips:

Here are some other tips on how to treat yellow jacket stings:

  • Remember to keep calm whenever a yellow jacket attacks you. Don’t move suddenly. Leave the sting on for the wasp to fly away or grab an object to get rid of it carefully.
  • Keep your foods being covered as much as possible when eating outdoors in the summer since insects are easily engaged to sweet foods or drink. Also, keep the trash cans covered
  • Stay calm whenever you can. Although yellow jacket stings are scary, remaining calm and controlling the allergic symptoms warrant positive results for anyone who gets involved.

Conclusion

Stings are quite painful, whether you’re allergic to these yellow jackets or not. If they sting you, be calm first because the higher chances here you’ll be fine. Our home remedies for yellow jacket stings in this article would help relieve your redness and increased swelling at the stung skin area right away. Please note that once being stung, you need to clean it at once first before using these natural therapies for the best results.  

*Disclaim: The effectiveness from applying these natural tips will be depended on the body condition of the applicant.

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1 Comments

  1. very good, very informative article.
    However, please know that plantain mentioned in this article does not look like a banana as shown in the picture.
    Plantain is a small low growing weed, The leaves can be crushed to extract the juice or
    dried and crushed to make a potion.
    Very good for treatment of insect or honeybee stings.

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