How to Avoid a Wasp Sting

It can be an unpleasant part of the job, but the fact is Recycling Depots attract wasps. The thing that many people don’t realize though, is that if we all work together to ensure that our recyclables are rinsed and cleaned we can drastically reduce the amount of buzzy visitors we get. The majority of wasps that you see in a bottle depot actually arrive with the recyclables. They are attracted to your sweet smelling cans and bottles and will often unknowingly hitch a ride to our depot when you bring your refundables back.

Once here and away from their hives they don’t live long but there are plenty of opportunities to sting someone. Since our staff is often working around wasps, we polled them on their best sting avoidance techniques and this is what advice they had to offer:

The Advice

1-      Do not wave your arms around in an attempt to swat the wasp. Stay calm and move with gentle gestures.

2-      Avoid wearing perfumes and sweet smelling body lotions.

3-      Wear neutral coloured clothing because wasps and bees are attracted to bright colours and floral patterns.

4-      Rinse your recyclable beverage containers well and don’t leave food or drinks sitting out.

5-      Watch where you put your hands. The majority of stings that our team members get are from grabbing bins without looking first and catching a wasp unexpectedly.wasp stings, how to treata wasp sting, how to prevent a wasp sting, bottle depot tips, returning baottles and avoding wasps, lots of wasps at bottle depot

If you do get stung, it’s important to remove the stinger before attempting to treat the pain and swelling. An easy way to do this when you’re not at home is by using a credit card or ID card to scrape at the skin and remove the stinger. To counteract the pain, mix baking soda and water to form a thick paste and apply it to the sting then cover it with a band aid. If you haven’t got any baking soda you can use sugar and water and rub it on for a few minutes then clean it off. Or get a hair dryer and turn it on the warm setting, blow it on the area, the heat helps defuse and counteract the venom from the bee or wasp sting.

The following is a list of household products that you can apply to the sting to reduce the pain:

1-      White Vinegar

2-      Tabasco Sauce

3-      Aspirin

4-      Listerine

5-      Ammonia

6-      Oragel

7-      Ice

8-      Honey (ironic yes but honey is an anti-bacterial disinfectant and antiseptic – so slather it on!)

Do you have any home remedies or tips to share with us for preventing or treating a wasp sting? Leave a comment below!