Gardening is a great way to bring a little nature into your home. I personally spend a lot of time gardening indoors and outdoors.
But one of the most painful things I experience while gardening is to get stung by a bee. Have you ever been stung by a bee while gardening?
It hurts! But how to avoid bee stings while gardening? In this article, we’ll give you all the tips and tricks so that you can avoid bee stings while gardening.
Simple ways How To Avoid Bee Stings While Gardening:
Always Wear a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeved shirt while gardening:
Bees are an important part of nature, but they’re also a threat to gardeners. They can sting you if you’re not careful.
In order to avoid being stung by bees you must always wear a hat, sunglasses, a long sleeved shirt and pants. Bees will not bite the face or head so it is important that you protect these areas from getting stung.
Don’t wear loose clothing:
Bees can become trapped between layers of loose fitting clothing and then sting when they can’t escape.
Don’t swat and don’t panic:
Swatting at them will agitate them and make them more likely to sting you.
Don’t panic or run away. This will just agitate the bees, making them more likely to sting you.
Stay cool and slowly walk away from the area, but don’t wave your arms around or make any sudden movements.
If you find yourself in a swarm of bees, protect your face and eyes by covering your head with your hands and walking quickly indoors or into a car.
Avoid scented soaps, shampoos and perfumes:
Bees use smell as their primary sense, so strong fragrances such as soaps, shampoos and perfumes may attract them.
The smells from these products can attract bees and cause them to investigate your hair or skin more closely than they otherwise would.
Pick the right time of day to garden:
Bees are most active in the middle of the day between 10 AM to 4 PM when temperatures are warmest, so schedule your gardening activities for early morning or late afternoon.
That’s also when you’ll avoid the fiercest heat and worst sunburns, so it works out well for both you and the bees.
Avoid Loud noise and Vibrations:
Avoid loud noise and vibrations. Loud noises, such as those from a lawn mower or leaf blower, can irritate bees and make them more likely to sting.
Know what bees are attracted to in your garden:
If you have lots of flowers, bees will be attracted to them. If you have colorful flowers, they’ll be even more attracted to them. Bees love colors like red, yellow and orange.
They also love fragrant flowers like roses and lavender and flower such as daisies, sunflowers and cone-flowers. Avoid planting these types of flowers if you want to avoid bees in your garden.
Is bright colour clothing, floral prints and dark colours attract bees?
One of the most common myths about bee is that bright clothing and floral prints attract bees. Not true! Bees see ultraviolet (UV) light, which precisely explains why they are attracted to flowers such as roses and daffodils.
And while the colour black deters bees, bright colours and floral patterns do not. Some people believe that wearing dark colours attracts bees because dark colours are hotter than light coloured clothes when exposed to sunlight.
However, this isn’t true either; studies have shown that heat has no effect on a bee’s ability to detect colour. They can also easily take into account any lighting conditions, for instance sunsets or under moonlight.
So what does attract bees? Primarily, it is the fragrant chemicals and nectar secreted by plants that attract bees to flowers in the first place.
What to do in case you are stung ?
As much as possible, you should try to avoid getting stung by a bee at all. But in case you do get stung by a bee while gardening, here’s what you should do:
-The first thing you should do after being stung is remove the stinger. For this use a credit card or anything with a straight edge and scrape against the site of the sting. Do not use tweezers as this can squeeze more venom into your skin.
-Wash the area with soap and water.
-Use cold compresses for about 10 minutes at a time.
-Take an antihistamine or apply calamine lotion to relieve itching.
-If you have swelling, use hydrocortisone cream or take ibuprofen.
-Call your doctor if the swelling or itching doesn’t go away in a few days. You may need emergency treatment if you show signs of an allergic reaction after being stung by a bee while gardening. This includes trouble breathing, hoarseness or rapid heartbeat.
Conclusion
Bee stings can be painful and dangerous. To avoid them, you need to pay particular attention when working around bees. The best way to protect yourself is to learn as much about your local bee species as possible.
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