When one of your bees does sting you, the stinger and its sack of poison will be left embedded in your skin. This sack will still contain a lot of poison. If you try to pick out the sting you will squirt the rest of this venom into yourself. Scrape the sting out with a blunt knife or even your finger nail
The stinger also contains pheromones that other bees can smell. They in turn will also attack you if they scent this chemical smell. Move away from the hive; use the smoker if other bees are buzzing round you. Use soap and water to remove this attack trigger from your skin. Scraping the stinger away will probably have removed the odor, but why take a chance?
To relieve the pain of the sting, a cool compress will help. Alternatively apply an ice pack. Some beekeepers swear that using a raw union draws out the poison.
You can buy proprietary anti histamines that help prevent the reaction from spreading. Calamine lotion is also a good remedy. You can also take pain killers to help give you relief.
If you start to have difficulty with breathing or swallowing. If you begin to feel nauseas or are getting headaches etc. You may be having an allergic reaction. You must seek medical help quickly.
When the pain eases it will now start to itch. Leave it alone or it may get infected. After 3 or 5 days, all the swelling and itching should be over and done with.
If a bee gets inside your veil leave the area before removing it. Never remove your veil when you are surrounded by bees
