I was just outside in my yard and reached up to snip off a dead branch on a hanging plant and a wasp stung my hand ... hurts like crazy!#%&! It's been many years since I've been stung and in the past I've used vinegar as well as baking soda which always worked ... not this time. Ouch! Any tips to alleviate the pain?

You've already tried what I usually do. You could ice it, too. That might help a bit with pain. Taking some aspirin or tylenol might help.

Lin, if you have a natural foods store near you, what I use is an insect repellent called "Herbal Armor". It not only does repel very well, but it takes the sting or itch out of a bite or sting very well. I took it into my last appt. with my dermatologist and she said that the aromatic oils in it have good anti-histamine properties.

But the best immediate treatment is absolutely to use ice!

In addition to the ice and tylenol...

Apply ammonia. It's the main ingredient in "After Bite".

Since it is your hand you can keep it elevated to prevent some of the swelling. Use a sling if you can or just rest your arm on top of your head as much as you can.

Let someone else cook dinner, do the dishes and laundry. Take care of yourself.

Also, if you can, take Benedryl to prevent any allergic reaction. Normal everyday dose is 2 pills, prescription dose is 4 pills.
(I am not a medical professional so please only do this if it is okay.)

Thanks Y'all, much appreciated!

The sting has subsided quite a bit; my hand is still quite red and swollen but I'm okay. My husband got a magnifying glass and said we needed to remove the stinger but we never found one so I'm assuming that crazy wasp took his stinger with him. When the baking soda and the vinegar didn't seem to alleviate the pain, I put ice on it for quite awhile which seemed to finally help.

@plantmanager Karen, Thanks for the tip about taking Tylenol ... didn't need it this time but that's a good tip to know in case I ever get stung again!

@Dyzzypyxxy Elaine, Thank you so much! I'm definitely going to get some of that Herbal Armor to keep on hand.

@Greene Ammonia is the thing I couldn't remember but I didn't have it in the house anyway.

I always immediately go for Baking Soda; when we had a boat, we always kept a box in the first aid kit because it worked for mild Bee stings as well as mild Jelly Fish stings but it sure did nothing for this wasp sting! I couldn't get that danged wasp to release the back of my hand for what seemed like a very long time! I bet the neighbors wondered what kind of weird dance I was doing as I jumped around, swatting and brushing my hand to try to get that thing to release me!

Geesh, I see wasps a lot sometimes during the summer ... just wasn't expecting one in January but this is Florida after all. I went back out and checked the hanging basket (Selenicereus anthonyanus) and other plants nearby that oak tree but thankfully I did not find a nest of it's relatives.

I'm glad you didn't find the nest! You've had enough for one day. We used to boat and dive in the Marshall Islands, and we always had the baking soda on hand for the jellyfish stings.

Wasps do not leave their stinger likes bees do. Wasps can sting repeatedly...not a pleasant thought.

greene said:Wasps can sting repeatedly.

I wondered why it appeared like I have two welts and two areas that appear really sore! My hand is still red and a bit swollen but nothing like it was a couple of hours ago! I've iced it off and on the past two hours.

Lin, if you can't find the Herbal Armor at your local natural food store, I get mine online from Amazon. Just so you know, the 4oz. bottle is around $9 but the 8oz. bottle is $14 so a much better value. I use it all the time so I buy it often. Keeps my ankles from getting bitten in the summer when I'm out weeding etc.

Also, if your hand swells up again or gets more swollen and itchy tomorrow where the stings are, try soaking it in hot water with baking soda in it for about 10 minutes. Do it maybe morning and night, it really helps.

If it was a paper wasp, my stings always swell up and itch terribly the next day. But I am mildly allergic to bee stings so that may be why.

Elaine, thanks for that information; I will order it from Amazon! We get dog food and stuff from amazon all the time. I do believe it was a Paper Wasp ... they sometimes build nests under the roof eaves and I've had them construct nests on my hanging plants at times too.

I keep elephant garlic in the garden, slice a clove, sprinkle salt, hold to sting....
Of course, clay usually works, too... Good luck finding any at my house!

I usually find that the sting abates rapidly with or without treatment.... And then starts itching....

Interesting to hear about getting stung in winter, I usually tell people that they aren't aggressive without a nest to protect, that you can let them crawl on you... If you have the nerve...

Oh my, I'd freak out if more than one wasp were crawling on me!