ANIMALS

Aggressive bees? How to defend against an attack (and take care of a sting)

Bees are essential insects for the survival of our ecosystem, but they can sometimes become aggressive and attack humans.

This happens when they feel threatened or there is a perceived threat to their environment.

However, there are several precautions we can take to avoid being attacked and solutions to alleviate the symptoms of the sting. This photo gallery focuses on how to defend yourself against a bee attack and how to take care of a sting to enjoy the beauty of nature safely. (source: abcnews)

Freepik
Aggressive bees? How to defend against an attack (and take care of a sting)
Bees are essential insects for the survival of our ecosystem, but they can sometimes become aggressive and attack humans. This happens when they feel threatened or there is a perceived threat to their environment. However, there are several precautions we can take to avoid being attacked and some solutions to alleviate the symptoms of the sting. This photo gallery focuses on how to defend yourself from a bee attack and how to take care of a sting to safely enjoy the beauty of nature. (source: abcnews)
Freepik
Preventing an attack: holding your breath
Bees use their sense of smell to detect who is hovering nearby. If you want to avoid being noticed by bees, the best thing to do is to hold your breath and immediately move away. Remaining calm is essential.
Freepik
What not to do: waving arms and hitting
If the bees do not move away, the solution is not to wave your arms or strike them. In fact, quite the opposite. These movements do not make the bee run away, rather they make them think that a predator is trying to attack them, and so they react, attacking in turn. They do this because they feel threatened and because they are tasked with defending the queen.
Freepik
What not to do: kill a bee
A bee that is killed, according to the Saguaro National Park guide (Arizona, USA), gives off an 'alarm smell', a call to other bees, which will come en masse to the scene.
Freepik
What to protect yourself?
Protect the face at all costs: especially the nose, mouth and eyes.
Freepik
How to take care of a sting: pulling out the stinger
Although it is popular belief that removing the stinger is risky, it is exactly the thing to do. Removing the stinger as quickly as possible is essential to prevent more venom from entering the body. In addition, the stinger releases pheromones that alert other bees, attracting them.
Informativa ai sensi della Direttiva 2009/136/CE: questo sito utilizza solo cookie tecnici necessari alla navigazione da parte dell'utente in assenza dei quali il sito non potrebbe funzionare correttamente.