Wasps, hornets, bees, scorpions, ants, along with even more various and sundry insects, can ruin outdoor summer fun with their nasty stings. It’s been often debated which sting is the worst.

Interestingly, people have vivid ways of describing the pain levels:

• “Like a hammer smashed my hand…”
• “Burn like a hot coal…”
• “Like someone burned me with a lighted cigarette…”
• “Felt like someone cut off the tip of my ear…”

The viciousness of a sting can depend on several factors. The first is how many stings happen at once.

People tell stories of a chance encounter with a nest of say bumblebees, or hornets, or wasps and being stung repeatedly. Along with the pain comes intense swelling. (If such an incidence occurs to a child, it can also result in an ongoing phobia.) A honeybee, on the other hand, can sting only one time and then goes off to die.

Other variables can include the location of the sting. One beekeeper who had been stung many times in his career with no ill effects was one day stung on his upper lip. Suddenly his entire face swelled and the pain was intense.

Interestingly enough, there are scientists who have voluntarily undergone controlled sting tests to report what they then believe to be the worst (most painful) sting. Such tests provide some information, but as mentioned, it does not take into effect multiple stings, or the adrenaline rush that comes from the fear and panic of meeting head on with a nest of angry hornets (for instance), or even the possibility of intense allergic reactions.

For the most part, preventing stings from happening when families are active in the out-of-doors during the summer months is difficult if not impossible. After all, we are invaders in the insects’ territory, who are only protecting their boundaries. At the home, however, there are measures to take to control the pests inside. Connor’s takes pride in helping families and businesses control stinging pests.

So, what’s the most painful sting that you’ve ever encountered?

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 1st, 2011 at 6:28 am and is filed under Uncategorized . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.