Ann, thanks for this tip! I haven't been stung in many years but was concerned about the possibility this year with so many bees around ... a few with large stingers as pictured below. I might just have to add ammonia to my shopping list to have some on hand just in case!

LIn, it's also great for jelly fish & man of war stings so put some on the boat! In a pinch, one can use Windex which has ammonia but as the song goes...... Ain't nothin' like the real thing baby, ain't nothin' like the real thing.

It also works on mosquito bites!

There's enoug ammonia in cigarettes, that if you break the tip off one and chew it for a moment and squish it into the bite/ sting it works great too!

In an emergency it's alot easier to find a smoke than a bottle of ammonia!

I can't tell you how many times I've saved the day with that little trick!

was also going to mention mosquito bites... main ingredient in the product after bite.. and just used it yesterday

I wish I'd known about this a bit sooner!

I had a day recently when bees were landing on me right and left; luckily, those were on my shoulder and shirtfront so I could see what they were and be aware that I needed to avoid them until they flew away. The next evening I wasn't so lucky; one landed on the back of my knee and the edge of my shorts must have brushed it when I walked. I pulled the stinger quickly and came in for the baking soda, but it didn't seem to do all that much to relieve the symptoms. Next time I'll try the ammonia.

Thanks, Ann!

At home the ammonia is handy and available, and a small plastic bottle of ammonia in the garden is good to have nearby.

@Onewish1 makes a good point. The "AfterBite" product, which is mostly ammonia, comes in a handy size container, about as big as Sharpie marker, and can easily be carried when away from home in the car or in a backpack or lunch basket.

I happened to have an "Afterbite" in my purse and DH was complaining about a chigger bite a few weeks ago. When I gave it to him, we learned that the main ingredient was ammonia. After reading about the ammonia, I have decided that when we finish one of our small bottles of eye drops, I will wash it out thoroughly and refill it with ammonia for my "Mom Bag." Thanks for the great tip, Ann!

Ammonia probably a lot cheaper than the "Afterbite."

Yes, ammonia is a lot cheaper than Afterbite.

Y'all taught me something --- I just use Benadryl gel for skeeter bites.

Chelle, if you get stung by a honeybee or any bee/wasp that loses it's stinger & dies after it stings you then here's the FIRST thing you do when you get stung -- DO NOT PULL the stinger out --- the reason the bee dies is b/c it's guts are pulled out of it's abdomen along with the stinger --- that poison sac is still attached to the stinger & it continues to contract, pumping the remainder of the poison into you. So if you pinch that sac you just inject the rest of the poison into you. What you want to do is SCRAPE the stinger out with your fingernail or a stick or anything handy. That way you do not squeeze the rest of the poison into you. (We used to be beekeepers so that's how we know that trick). If the wasp does not loose it's stinger then head straight for the ammonia. I might also add that the ammonia works for Saddle Back caterpillar stings & I know that first hand.

flaflwrgrl said:Yes, ammonia is a lot cheaper than Afterbite.

Y'all taught me something --- I just use Benadryl gel for skeeter bites.

Chelle, if you get stung by a honeybee or any bee/wasp that loses it's stinger & dies after it stings you then here's the FIRST thing you do when you get stung -- DO NOT PULL the stinger out --- the reason the bee dies is b/c it's guts are pulled out of it's abdomen along with the stinger --- that poison sac is still attached to the stinger & it continues to contract, pumping the remainder of the poison into you. So if you pinch that sac you just inject the rest of the poison into you. What you want to do is SCRAPE the stinger out with your fingernail or a stick or anything handy. That way you do not squeeze the rest of the poison into you. (We used to be beekeepers so that's how we know that trick). If the wasp does not loose it's stinger then head straight for the ammonia. I might also add that the ammonia works for Saddle Back caterpillar stings & I know that first hand.

My wording was incorrect. I meant to say that I scraped the stinger out with my fingernail. It's good info to have right, however, so thank you for catching my error!

oh by far the ammonia is cheaper.. but I like that the afterbite comes in a gel now.. so it doesn't run all over when applied .. great for my computer bag at work.. I work in auto garages and it's handy when the place is infested and I didn't realize to spray myself up before I went in

A friend of mine told me to use honey after a bee sting (scrape out the stinger first) and use vinegar or lime, lemon, anything that is sour after a yellow jacket sting.
Something, I think a bumblebee, stung me last week, I was not sure what it was, just bigger than a bee and it had black fuzz near its head. I noticed that there was no stinger, so I fished out the lemon from my ice tea and rubbed it on the spot and the pain stopped immediately, but the back of my hand still swelled reddish. After that first time, I used vinegar when it started itching again. It took about 3 days for it to completely heal. Next time I will use the ammonia. I usually put Tiger Balm on me, the insects do not like it, but that day I did not use it. Tiger Balm is the only thing that I know for sure to stop the itching for mosquito bites for me. I did not try the ammonia, but I will next time. Thank you much for the tip. I am going to buy the Afterbite.

We have some really large red wasps here that sometimes get into the sunroom and hide in the plants. I've never been stung, and hope I never do but I'll keep the ammonia handy!

to ATP tantefrancine!!!!!

flaflwrgrl said: to ATP tantefrancine!!!!!

from me, too!

I never have any fingernails since my hands are so wrecked up from gardening but I have used a credit card for scraping the stingers out of wasp or bee stings.

About switching out the eyedrops bottle for an ammonia container..... PLEASE put a new label on it lest some unknowing person picks it up and uses it for eyedrops. In high school chemistry class we were taught never to reuse containers for poisonous or dangerous chemicals without labeling clearly.

Thank you wakingdream for pointing that out about clearly labeling the containers!!!!!!!!!

And to ATP! We're glad to have you here.

Thanks for reminding us! and

Does ammonia work on yellow fly bites too?? For some reason they are really BAD this year...purple is my color NOT red welts

I have no personal experience using it with yellow flies Ginger. Are you talking about deer flies? At any rate, as I said, no personal experience but it's not going to hurt you so I say give it a go & see. I'm not sure if yellow flies have any poison & the ammonia works by breaking down the protein in the poison.

@gingin

No clue if yellow and deer are the same. The yellow HURT when they bite, itch like crazy and leave big welts on me. Will get some ammonia and see does it work better then alcohol.