Friday, September 18, 2009

Relief from Stings

Took the dog for a hike this morning. He ran ahead and started barking and growling at something. I thought he might have had a bear treed. When I caught up to him, he charged whatever it was, and "it" turned out to be a hornet nest. He skeddadled all the way back to the truck with his tail between his legs. They chased me for probably close to a hundred yards. I stopped a couple times and they were still buzzing around me. When I got back to the truck a bit later, the dog was running in circles because there were still two live hornets attached to his butt by their stingers. 

I had enough stings to test a couple home remedies.

Some were left alone, and they're still burning, swollen and itching. (Especially one inside my ear and one in my armpit.) 

Some were covered with a paste made from baking soda and water. It had no discernible effect.

Ditto with meat tenderizer. 

But: I cracked open eggs and put the membrane you find under the shell on others, and it made an amazing difference. The swelling went right down, and they they're no longer bothering me at all. I don't know if the proteins from the eggs do something to the venom or what, but it's an old wives tale that really works. Just peel pieces of that opaque membrane from the inside of an egg's shell, put them on stings, and let them dry. Remember this one, you'll need it sooner or later.

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