A HORRIFIED mum was forced to suck out 40 bee stings from her toddler’s skin after he was attacked by a huge swarm – reminiscent of a horror film.
Jo Evans was at her local rugby club with friends and family when her four-year-old son, Brody-Jac, was suddenly swarmed by a colony of honey bees.
She feared her son might suffer the same fate as Macaulay Culkin’s character in the 90s film, My Girl, after he was engulfed by a swarm of bees, prompting her to suck out 40 stings to save him.
The 39-year-old social worker from Swansea was sitting with friends at the side of the pitch, “a stone’s throw away” from where her two children and other kids were playing on a bank in September.
Unbeknownst to her, the children had accidentally disturbed a honey bee hive while throwing stones into a stream – aggravating the winged insects.
The mum-of-two was horrified when she heard her eight-year-old son Blake screaming and turned to see a swarm of 50 bees surrounding her youngest, Brody-Jac.
Jo’s husband – 36-year-old social worker Jason Evans – sprinted over to rescue little Brody-Jac, suffering several bee stings himself.
The terrified mum then began sucking out the bee stings from her tot’s body after he was stung dozens of times across his arms, back and head.
Fearing their son could go into anaphylactic shock at any moment, the parents rushed Brody-Jac to hospital where luckily he made a full recovery.
Jo said: “The kids were throwing stones at a stream and obviously unknowingly aggravated this hive. They didn’t know it was there.
“The older children were obviously more aware of the situation and ran over to alert us. We were only sitting a stone’s throw away.
“I could hear my oldest screaming ‘I’ve been stung in the neck!’ When I turned my head, I could see my youngest standing in the middle with all the bees surrounding him. There were around 50.
“It made me immediately think of My Girl. One of the characters is allergic to bees and instantly died. It was like I was reliving that movie. I thought this was it.
“We didn’t know if Brody-Jac was allergic to them or not at that point. So I was really thinking the worst.
“My husband ran over and got my youngest out of there straight away and he was getting covered in bees.”
Jo then began using her mouth to suck the dozens of bee stings out of her little one’s body before rushing him to the hospital.
She added: “I’d already got the one sting out of my oldest and started sucking out the stings in Brody.
“I don’t even know if mother’s instinct started kicking in or I went into survival mode.
“They were all over his hands, arms, belly, back and head. Ones in his head I could just pick out with my nails.
“I just wanted to take the pain away from him. There was another child that had 11 stings.
“His face had swollen up and he had hives on his skin. Because he was crying, I knew he could breathe.
“We took him to hospital and they just told us to keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t get infected.
“They told me ‘good thinking’ about me sucking the stings out.
“The pain must’ve been horrific for him. He had over 40 stings and he had a coat on. The bees obviously went through his clothes.
“I don’t want anyone else to go through what we did that day. If your child is stung and there are signs of an anaphylactic shock, you have to ring 999.”
It comes after a man suffered multiple organ failure and narrowly escaped death after being stung by a giant honey bee.
And a toddler was taken to hospital in agony after being stung 18 times by a colony of angry bees.
What to do if wasps swarm & how to treat stings
The best thing to do if wasps swarm is to run away as fast as you can until you reach shelter, according to Pest Expert.
This could be a building or vehicle but is just anywhere where you can get away from the critters.
The pest experts advise against jumping in water as the cunning creatures might wait for you to come out before launching another attack.
They say If you have more than one layer on, pull your top over your head to help protect your face.
If you do get stung by a wasp it is important you remove it as soon as possible.
The sting can be scraped away from the skin using the edge of a credit card, or if you don’t have one to hand, you can use your fingernails.
You should never use your fingers or tweezers as it can cause the venom to spread.
After removing the sting you should:
- Wash the affected area with soap and water
- Apply ice or a cold compress for up to 10 minutes to reduce the swelling
- Avoid scratching the area to reduce the risk of infection
- Not apply home remedies such as vinegar or bicarbonate of soda, as they’re unlikely to help.
Some people are allergic to wasp stings and they can cause them to go into anaphylactic shock, which requires urgent medical treatment.
Symptoms of anaphylaxis include:
- Severe swelling
- Hives or itching
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- A sudden drop in blood pressure
