In the warm season, owners of suburban areas are often bothered by various winged insects (mosquitoes, bees, wasps, beetles, bumblebees, hornets, etc.), many of which bite. This article will focus on such a winged creature as a bumblebee. You will find out if bumblebees bite, and what a threat they pose to human health.

Did you know? Bumblebee is one of the most cold-resistant insects in the world. He is endowed with the ability to quickly contract pectoral muscles, thus warming his own body to +35 ... + 40 ° C. This fact allows this insect to compete with bees. Unlike the latter, bumblebees have the opportunity to leave their homes on a cold early morning to collect the first juice from flowering plants.

Description of Bumblebees

Bumblebee belongs to the order Hymenoptera and the family of real bees. In many ways, the insect is similar to a honey bee. The number of species of bumblebees on Earth reaches 300. In large dwellings of these insects live up to 150-200 individuals. Bumblebee is a sitting-bellied insect, depending on the species, medium and large individuals are found: a female individual from 13 to 28 mm long, and a male one from 7 to 24 mm. The body is covered with dense short hairs. The body color is mostly bright, presented in the form of black and yellow stripes. Some individuals have orange or red stripes. Sometimes you can see insects with a solid black coloring of the body.

Among other features that distinguish bumblebees from other representatives of Hymenoptera, we can note:

• belly not pressed up at the apex;
• glossy on the outside, slightly sunken hind tibia in a female;
• the edges of the hind limbs of the female covered with hairs, forming a kind of tartlet;
• the sixth abdominal flap in the female, not aligned on the sides;
• dark, strongly chitinized genitalia in the male.

Do bumblebees have a sting and does it bite

Summer residents are often interested in the question, do bumblebees bite or not. The fact is that only working individuals (females) and the uterus are able to sting. Drones (males) are absolutely harmless. An important point is how the bumblebee bites. The bumblebee sting has no notches and it almost never clings to the skin of the victim. That is why bumblebees do not die after attacking the victim. Bumblebees are relatively peaceful creatures; they use the sting only for self-defense.

Important! Multiple bumblebee bites pose the greatest threat. A large amount of poison in the body is fraught with disorders of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. There is also the possibility of anaphylaxis and death.

The reason for the attack for them are:

• sudden movements of a person, perceived as a direct threat to life;
• an attempt to destroy their nest or family supplies;
• pungent smell of alcohol, perfumes and colognes;
• bright blue colors in clothes.

There is a cavity inside the sting of this winged aggressor. At the time of the attack, through this empty channel, the insect releases a microscopic dose of toxin into the victim’s body.

Is a bumblebee bite dangerous?

In most cases, the attack of the insect in question does not carry any complications. But with a tendency to allergies, intoxication of the body is not excluded, since serotonin acts as one of the components of bumblebee poison. The bite of a winged aggressor is dangerous for women in position. Nursing mothers should also be careful, since the immunity of the newborn is still not able to cope with the effects of the poison, even in such a small amount.

Important! When biting a bumblebee, it is forbidden to consume alcoholic beverages, as this will lead to increased swelling.

A bumblebee often bites or stings on a finger, arm or leg. A bite in these parts of the body usually does not give unforeseen consequences, except when the sting penetrates a blood vessel. If the bite came in the area of ​​the face (eyes, nose), neck or ear, swelling of the mucous membranes, a violation of their normal functioning and other negative consequences are possible.

Bite symptoms

In the absence of an allergy to poison in the first minutes, a person feels pain and burning. This is followed by swelling, redness, and itchy sensations around the bite area. These symptoms should go away without consequences within 2-4 days.

As for the allergic reaction, its symptoms are:

• itching, swelling, and redness throughout the body;
• nausea, vomiting;
• suffocation;
• rapid pulse, trembling in the body, high fever, joint pain, less often - involuntary muscle contractions and fainting.

Immediate appeal to the hospital requires circumstances such as:

• multiple bites (more than 20);
• the victim of a bite is a child, a person with chronic pathologies or advanced age;
• the mucous membrane of the oral cavity or the eyeball is affected;
• there are allergy symptoms or if the body in the past negatively responded to the bites of other insects;
• there is a suspicion of infection - pain, swelling and trembling are aggravated, and the inflamed area begins to fester.

First aid for a bite

First of all, treat the affected area with hydrogen peroxide or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, ethyl alcohol, ammonia, diluted with water. You can soak cotton wool with one of the listed remedies and keep it on the wound. Dampen a towel in cold water and use it as a compress. This technique will slow down the process of absorption of poison, relieve pain and swelling.

The toxic substance can also be pulled out with the help of a piece of white pressed sugar soaked in water, applied to the wound. Try to drink as much hot sweet tea as possible. If your health does not improve, you will need specific treatment under the supervision of a doctor.

Treatment for insect bites at home

In accordance with the severity of the condition of the victim, it is recommended to use the drug or to resort to traditional medicine methods.

Medical supplies

If there is intolerance to bumblebee poison, take an antihistamine such as Suprastin, Diazolin, Claritin, Tavegil. The following therapeutic ointments and creams will help normalize the condition:

1. Fenistil Gel - applies from one year. The action of the agent begins immediately after application.
2. Advantan - hormone-containing effective agent with quick action. Use with caution.
3. Menovazin - An effective tool based on menthol. It has a cooling and antiseptic effect.
4. "Bepanten"- an ointment that has a healing, anti-inflammatory effect.
5. Nezulin - cream for children. It has an antibacterial effect and relieves itching.

In addition, you can grind a tablet of activated carbon, dilute the resulting powder with water, then apply gruel to the area of ​​inflammation. Top with polyethylene. The Validola tablet soaked in water and applied to the bite site also helps.

Did you know? Scientists still have not been able to determine the exact time of the appearance of bumblebees. The earliest fossils of the genus date back to the Oligocene era (34–24 Ma).

Folk methods

In the case of a normal reaction to bumblebee venom and with a stable general state of health, you can use the means of alternative medicine:

1. Grind the fresh leaves of dandelion, plantain or parsley and attach them to the painful area. Update the tool every 2-3 hours.
2. Tansy flowers (1 tsp) pour 200 ml of boiling water. Return the water to a low fire and simmer for 5 minutes. After cooling, strain the liquid, then make lotions on the area of ​​inflammation.
3. Place a cut raw potato, apple or tomato on the wound.
4. Wipe the affected area with a cube of frozen milk for about 10 minutes. It is also useful to apply herbal ice from a decoction of chamomile.
5. Prepare the slurry by mixing baking soda with water. Apply the resulting composition to the wound. Or dilute 1 tsp. soda in 200 ml of water, then moisten gauze with a soda solution and keep it on the wound for a quarter of an hour.

Important! Never apply garlic or onions to affected areas of the body. These products will cause a burn of the epidermis and aggravate your condition.

Bumblebee Bite Prevention

Bumblebees inhabit almost everywhere. They build beehives in crevices in the ground, on sandy cliffs, can adapt old stumps to their dwellings, as well as burrows abandoned by mice and moles. Finding hives is quite difficult - insects masterfully hide them, therefore, despite the relatively calm nature of bumblebees.

Certain precautions will not hurt:

• try to go around places where their homes can be located;
• be on your guard in places of their congestion (near the shelves in the market with fruits, sugary drinks, ice cream);
• do not give an insect a reason to attack you (do not touch it, do not gesticulate near it);
• When going for a picnic, avoid catchy flowers in clothes and, if possible, refuse perfumes;
• do not entice insects with the smell of fried meat or alcohol;
• refrain from eating desserts, sugary drinks, watermelon and melon in the fresh air;
• in the summer, install mosquito nets on all windows in the house or apartment.

Did you know? A bumblebee is depicted on the emblem of the Hummeltal commune in Bavaria, as well as on the emblem of the Hummuli volost (Estonia).

If trouble could not be avoided and you have suffered from a bumblebee attack, the above recommendations will help you not to get confused and take all necessary measures. And finally, we note that although these winged creatures bite, you should not purposefully exterminate them, because they pollinate flowers very well, and their honey is rich in valuable organic substances and minerals.