Medical emergencies
First Aid Kit
It is good practice to always have a First Aid Kit available when going to the apiary
The items this should contain can be found in here.
Stings
If stung immediately scrape across the sting with a fingernail or hive tool.
Squeezing or trying to pick it out will make it much worse. The quicker you are the less serious will be the sting. Apply antihistamine cream immediately.
Anaphylactic shock
This is a life threatening emergency and needs to be dealt with immediately.
The signs to look out for are:
Skin pale, cool and clammy
Rapidly developing blotchy rash
Breathing shallow – gasping for air
Dizziness
Pulse weak and rapid
Itching or swelling in areas other than the site of the sting
Tightness in the chest
Nausea and often vomiting
Unconsciousness or cardiac arrest
Action
Remove the victim away from danger of further bee stings. Do not remove their hood until well away from the bees and it is safe to do so. Also be aware that when a person is on the ground, the veil often falls against the face. Insure that the veil is not resting against the face and that the bees can't sting through the veil.
Call 999 or 112 and give exact details of location and nature of the emergency.
It is always a good idea to have the Eircode of the Apiary to allow the emergency services to get there rapidly
Lay the victim down
Insulate but don’t heat
Offer plenty of reassurance and don’t leave them.
Only move them to get out of the danger area
Offer nothing to drink or smoke
If patient becomes unresponsive, check airway and place in recovery
position.
Monitor breathing until paramedics arrive
These reactions may be reversed by administering epinephrine
(adrenaline) in the form of EpiPen or Jext
Please be aware that an EpiPen contains epinephrine and should be self-administered.
If you are not a doctor, or a trained paramedic, you should make this clear before administering an EpiPen to another person at their request.
The injection can be administered through clothing if the risk of being stung is too great.
See video on how to use epipen by following this link
First Aid Kit
It is good practice to always have a First Aid Kit available when going to the apiary
The items this should contain can be found in here.
Stings
If stung immediately scrape across the sting with a fingernail or hive tool.
Squeezing or trying to pick it out will make it much worse. The quicker you are the less serious will be the sting. Apply antihistamine cream immediately.
Anaphylactic shock
This is a life threatening emergency and needs to be dealt with immediately.
The signs to look out for are:
Skin pale, cool and clammy
Rapidly developing blotchy rash
Breathing shallow – gasping for air
Dizziness
Pulse weak and rapid
Itching or swelling in areas other than the site of the sting
Tightness in the chest
Nausea and often vomiting
Unconsciousness or cardiac arrest
Action
Remove the victim away from danger of further bee stings. Do not remove their hood until well away from the bees and it is safe to do so. Also be aware that when a person is on the ground, the veil often falls against the face. Insure that the veil is not resting against the face and that the bees can't sting through the veil.
Call 999 or 112 and give exact details of location and nature of the emergency.
It is always a good idea to have the Eircode of the Apiary to allow the emergency services to get there rapidly
Lay the victim down
Insulate but don’t heat
Offer plenty of reassurance and don’t leave them.
Only move them to get out of the danger area
Offer nothing to drink or smoke
If patient becomes unresponsive, check airway and place in recovery
position.
Monitor breathing until paramedics arrive
These reactions may be reversed by administering epinephrine
(adrenaline) in the form of EpiPen or Jext
Please be aware that an EpiPen contains epinephrine and should be self-administered.
If you are not a doctor, or a trained paramedic, you should make this clear before administering an EpiPen to another person at their request.
The injection can be administered through clothing if the risk of being stung is too great.
See video on how to use epipen by following this link
