Could the bite of an insect really kill you? This can happen; bee stings are known to kill people in some circumstances; such as the news from UP suggests. I don’t know about you, but the very sight of a beehive gives me the shivers. So when can a bee kill? What should you do to avoid bee stings and what should you do if it does?
60 year Satnam Munjwani from the Ratanlal Nagar area of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh was attacked by a swarm of angry honey bees. He was outside his own home when he was attacked, and before others could come to his assistance, he had collapsed. He died before reaching the hospital.
His wife Gauri and relative Prakash who were with him were also attacked by bees. Gauri was very badly bitten and is currently in a critical condition in the hospital.
Bee stings are poisonous. They can be very painful and cause localized swelling and inflammation that can last for several days. If enough bees sting you, they could inject sufficient venom to kill a person. About a thousand could kill an adult and 500 stings could kill a child.
For most of us, it is most unlikely that bees could prove dangerous and very unlikely that they could cause death – unless one is allergic to bee venom that is. Those who are allergic to bee venom could have an allergic reaction that sends the body into anaphylactic shock causing the airways to swell and close up, leading to death. If an allergic person is stung, they would need immediate medical attention and perhaps an epinephrine shot. The same is true for wasp stings as well.
The fact is that a vast majority of bees have no interest in stinging humans and will go out of their way to avoid you unless their hives are under threat or if the bees are threatened or angry. There is a significant proportion of bees that are incapable of stinging. Only the female worker bees and the queen bee can sting. The drones (males) cannot. The same is true for wasps.
Mostly, if you don’t bother bees, they will not sting you. The bee will die after they sting you because they will leave the stinger back in your skin. So obviously bees don’t have a death wish and they aren’t looking to bite. If they wander into the house, gently wave them away using a newspaper or similar while making sure that a door or window is open for them to leave. Sudden movements, running or making a fuss could startle a bee into stinging. If you're on a picnic, wear protective clothes, avoid flowery smelling cosmetics and keep food covered so as not to attract bees.
The stinger lodged in the skin must be removed. Some recommend using a credit card like object to do this and then clean the area with soap and water. Applying ice wrapped in cloth could help control the pain and swelling. For abundant caution take a tetanus shot if you haven’t had one in the last decade.
If the sting causes a rash and itching over the body, this could be signs of being allergic. If the stung person seems to be having difficulty breathing, swelling or low blood pressure, consider this an emergency and rush them to medical care. If a non allergic person has been stung multiple times (10 to 20 times), inside the mouth or the eyes, it is advisable to seek medical attention as well.
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