How to identify bee species and how to treat stings

When playing in wooded areas, children are susceptible to bee stings, some of which can result in hospitalization. Identifying the species of bee can help in the treatment of children.

How to identify bees

Vespidae (smooth hairy): This family includes wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets. The stinger is smooth and barbless and can sting multiple times.

• The scientific name of the hornet is Vespa affinis. The body and abdomen of the hornet are slender, with black and yellow stripes . The head is as wide as the chest, not smooth, with many small dotted pits, and short, sparse, stiff hairs.

Wasps have black and yellow stripes. (Photo: Picture Insect).

Wasps often make their nests in the open, on tree branches or bushes, and sometimes in the roof. The nests are made up of many layers, like a ball or cabbage, with wrinkled surfaces, so people often call them devil-faced wasps.

Wasps are insectivores and spider larvae eaters. When their nests are disturbed or threatened, worker wasps will sting people or animals in self-defense. Wasps are attracted to people who wear bright clothes, wear perfumes, or run away after disturbing their nests.

• The scientific name of the ground bee is Vespa nigrithorax, also known as the wasp. Ground bees can be identified by their black body, yellow dots, brown abdomen, head and thorax with many yellow-brown hairs. The antennae are light brown, smooth, and hairless. Ground bees often nest in bushes, close to the ground in rotten wood.

The ground bee has a black body with yellow spots. (Photo: Research Gate).

• Yellow jacket : Yellow jacket has a slim body, long body, yellow all over, makes nests in trees or under thatched roofs.

Apidae (shaggy): This group includes honey bees, bumble bees and hornets. The characteristic of this group of bees is that their stinger has a barb. Once embedded in the skin of the stung object, the stinger cannot be pulled out, leading to the bee's death. Each honey bee stings only once.

• Honey bees: The back of the honey bee has shaggy hairs, the upper abdomen has brown rings, alternating with black rings.

Close-up of a honey bee. (Photo: Bee and Blooms).

• Bumble bees: Bumble bees are characterized by a shaggy head and back, a saffron-colored neck and upper back, and saffron-colored wings.

The bumblebee's neck and upper back are saffron in color. (Photo: Honey Bee Suit).

• Hornets : Hornets are large, round, hairy, fly slowly, and make loud noises.

Hornets fly slowly and make noise. (Photo: Forest Pets).

How to treat bee stings

Bee stings are dangerous for both humans and animals. Toxins in bee venom such as Melittin, Phospholipase A, B, Hyaluronidase, Histamine, Serotonin, Acetylcholine, Acid phosphatase, Apamin, etc. will cause kidney and liver damage, muscle destruction, hemolysis, blood clotting disorders, lung damage leading to respiratory failure, etc.

If you are stung by a bee, you can remove the stinger by gently pulling it out or using tweezers. Avoid squeezing it with your fingers, as this can spread the venom.

After removing the stinger, we need to wash the stung area with soap and warm water, apply cold compresses to the bite to relieve pain and reduce swelling.

After a bee sting, if the following signs appear, take the victim immediately to the nearest medical facility:

• Hives
• Tired
• Cold hands and feet
• Red urine, little urine
• Wasp sting >10 times

To avoid being stung by bees, people should not wear brightly colored clothes when going to the countryside or dense forests. In addition, people should avoid climbing to pick fruit because this can lead to accidents such as slipping and falling, or being attacked by bees due to accidentally or intentionally disturbing the beehive. It is important to regularly check and clear beehives around the house and in the garden.

BSCKII Nguyen Minh Tien

Deputy Director of City Children's Hospital