People with wasp or bee allergy should avoid situations where they risk getting stung.  If a wasp or bee is seen, remain calm and still, and do not try to wave it away or swat it.  Wasps and bees rarely attack people tending to sting only if disturbed or cornered.  It therefore follows that people who tend to ignore them are less likely to be stung.  

Certain people appear to attract bees and wasps, this may be due to their chemical secretion.  They are also drawn to perfumes and bright colours, white clothing is preferable.  Avoid using perfume, after-shave or scented toiletries when you are going to be in an 'at risk' area.  Wasp or bee allergic people should avoid sugary drinks, and sweetened foods when eating outdoors, other foods should be kept well covered before being eaten.  On the picnic table, special scented candles, or cloves stuck into a potato, can be used to repel stinging insects.  Never walk on grass barefoot and if clothing has been left outdoors, shake it carefully before putting it back on.  

What to do if stung

Bees will leave their sting behind in the skin, wasps do not do this.  If stung by a bee, flick away the sting being careful not to squeeze the sting and inject more venom.  For either a bee or wasp sting, apply ice or a cold compress to the sting, and rest the affected part.  Any sting reaction, allergic or not, will be lessened by avoiding undue stress or exertion.  Exercise and heat (e.g. a hot bath) should be avoided as either may increase the severity of any reaction.  For the vast majority of bee or wasp stings, these are the only measures that are needed.

For mild allergic reactions in adults or older children two tablets of chlorpheniramine (Piriton) can be helpful.  This would be suitable in someone with a previous history of allergy to the insect with localised and very itchy swelling several inches across.   More severe or generalised reactions, for example with all-over itching or rash, might be better treated with an injection of antihistamine and medical help should be considered.

Severe reactions with any hint of faintness, change of skin colour, clamminess or breathing difficulty should receive urgent medical attention.  Those with known allergy to the insect concerned may carry a pre-loaded adrenaline syringe (for example EpiPen) and if the situation warrants it, (see under anaphylaxis)  this should be given first, the seeking of medical advice should then follow.

Desensitisation treatment for bee or wasp venom allergy may be suitable for certain people who have suffered a severe and generalised allergic reaction to a bee or wasp.^260,261  Although the treatment is very successful (after treatment, a venom dose equivalent to two stings can be given without effect) it is tedious and time-consuming and suitable cases for treatment need to be selected with care.  For example, those whose work or hobby brings them into close contact (e.g. farmers, gardeners, beekeepers) and who if untreated might be forced to change their occupation or hobby may be especially suitable for treatment.  So too might be someone with a severe allergy and living in a very remote location,  

To be suitable for treatment, the sufferer should have test evidence of allergy to the insect concerned.  At least one previous allergic reaction should have been sufficiently severe to cause either a breathing upset (throat narrowing or wheezing attack), a fall in blood pressure, or a collapse.  Angioedema (allergic swelling), dizziness, nausea, sweating or a choking sensation during a previous attack are other symptoms that may be taken into account when assessing suitability for desensitisation treatment.