An Old Remedy for Bee Stings and Mosquito Bites
Spring and summer are busy times in Maine for wasps, hornets, honeybees, and bumblebees. They don’t want to sting you, but if they do, here’s an old-time sting remedy—mud.
Some Mainers have been known to grab a small amount of wet mud from a nearby puddle to slap onto a fresh sting from an accidental encounter with a bee. When the moist dirt begins to dry on top of the wound, you can see the mud turn yellow from the venom being drawn out. (Of course, if you are allergic to bee stings, medical attention is the priority. The information in this post is for informational purposes only.)
If you don’t want to grab nearby dirt to relieve your sting, a certified herbalist once suggestive an alternative: powdered clay.
You may have some in your home right now in a store-bought container of French green clay used for facial masks. Some labels even state insect bites and stings are another reason to use the powder.
Just take a small amount and mix with water to form a thick paste, apply to the sting area (or black fly or mosquito bite), and let it dry before washing the clay off with water. And if you find the clay is difficult adhering to the wound, place a bandaid over the top to keep the clay in place.
Like plain, old mud, the clay will start to turn the color of bee venom as it draws the poison away from your skin.
I could thank that herbalist lady a thousand times, it seems, during the growing up years of my two children. Both adults now, they each keep a small bottle of powdered clay in their first aid cabinets. As kids, they learned how to apply clay to their multiple bug bites and occasional bee stings acquired during their frequent outdoor romps.
There are various kinds of powdered clay, and all of them are good for insect issues. Bentonite clay is an off white color, while red desert clay is a darker hue. And of course green clay is famous for facial masks. You can find clays in the health and beauty sections of stores, health food markets, or online.
Powdered clays are great for reducing the swelling and pain of bee stings and those irritating bug bites we get during Maine's short, beautiful summers--with or without the mud puddles.