Identify you attacker. A honeybee, which has a fuzzy golden brown body, can sting only once. That's because its barbed stinger remains embedded in your skin, causing the bee to die. Bumblebees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, on the other hand have smooth stingers that can zap you repeatedly. So be prepared to flee.
Yellow jackets pose an additional problem.
Smashing one of them can lead to a full-scale attack by its nest mates. Breaking its venom sac releases a chemical that incites other yellow jackets to attack. The key to effective treatment is quick action. The faster you can apply some sort of first-aid treatment, the better your chances are of controlling pain and swelling. Remove the stinger.