I have unfortunate news...

While I was walking around my property this morning I suddenly felt a VERY sharp, burning pain on my thigh and when I reached down I swatted away a flying, stinging insect.

It was either one of these -a mud dauber:

Or one of these - a European hornet: 

The latter is very nasty and aggressive without provocation. What did I do to them to deserve such rage?

Because stinging and biting insects are part and parcel of living on a homestead/farm it's very important to know how to treat stings and bites to avoid unnecessary pain and discomfort - especially for children. 

How to Treat a Sting:

1. Remove the stinger if it's still in the skin.
2. Clean the area with soap and water. 
3. Add enough water to a small amount of baking soda to create a paste, and apply to the sting. Leave it for around 30 minutes or so then wash it off. This helps with pain and redness. 
4. Hold an ice pack to the area to reduce swelling. 
5. Allow 2-5 days for the sting to heal.
6. Apply tea tree oil to the sting (never apply tea tree oil to broken skin) to prevent scarring and speed up the healing process. 

Source

I hope you never have to experience the sting of a hornet because it's extremely painful, but this guide will help you find comfort if it does happen. 

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. I'm gonna go back to icing my wound. ;_;

Cheers!