If you are stung by bees, the stingers should be removed as soon as possible. Stingers should be scraped out with a finger nail, knife or some other sharp object. Do not pinch or pull out the stingers. Pinching the stinger will press the attached venom sack and inject any remaining venom into the victim s skin. If you are going to work with honey bees it is important to wear protective clothing, especially a veil.
Bees normally attack first around the face and eyes.
Make certain the veil does not have holes and does not touch the skin. When fully dressed you should not have any exposed skin, and any potential entry paths such as pants legs, pants pockets and shirt sleeves should be closed with tape, zippers or velcro. A bee smoker can be used to reduce defensive behavior. A swarm of honey bees may cluster temporarily on almost any object such as a tree branch, mail box or fence. The swarm may remain for a few hours or, at times, for several days while scout bees search for a suitable nesting site.