• Question: why does baracondate soda cancel out a wasp sting?

    Asked by rmcaneney950 to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 20 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      not sure why… but i guess bicarbonate of soda is alkaline… so a wasp sting must be acidic so the soda neutralises the sting??

    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Wasp sting venom is alkaline and so it is commonly thought that its effects can be neutralised with vinegar or acid and this neutralisationthen reduces the pain. Incidentally bee sting venom is acidic and so its thought that its effects can be neutralised with bicarbonate of soda or alkali.

      However, wasp stings have so many ingredients that it is very unlikely that it is the alkali that is the single active ingredient that causes the pain. Neutralising a sting with bicarbonate of soda is unlikely to work (or even be practically possible) because the venom from wasps is injected under the skin and after a few minutes spreads deep into your tissues. Sticking an unknown strength of bicarbonate of soda onto the skin surface is unlikely to even get near the venom so no “neutralisation” is likely to take place anyway!

      Have you tried it and does it work? 🙂

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