A Cure For Bee Stings?

Hey, I recently received an email from Donna with a neat article on bee stings. I thought I would pass it on to you guys. If you are working outside a lot on your wildflowers and garden projects in the summer you might need to know this interesting information.
I am not sure where the article came from, anyway here goes.
The article starts "A couple of weeks ago, I had the misfortune to be stung by both a be and a hornet while working in the garden. My arm swelled , so off to the clinic I went. They gave me a cream and an antihistamine. The next the swelling got progressively worse, so I headed to my regular doctor. Infected arm - needed an antibiotic.
What was interesting is what the doctor told me. "The next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes." I thought, wow, next time (if there is one) I will try it.
Well that night, my neighbor Shelley's niece was stung by two bees. I saw her arm was swollen so I went in the house to get my money. Taped a penny to her arm for 15 minutes.
The next morning there was no sign of the stings. Were we surprised! Her niece, we decided, just wasn't allergic to bee stings. Well guess what happened again a few days later? I was helping Shelley deadhead her flowers and - you're right - a hornet stung my left hand twice. I thought, here I go again, back to the doctor for yet more antibiotics.
Well, I promptly taped tow pennies to my stings, then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The coins took away the pain immediately, I stilt wasn't sure what would happen. In the meantime, the hornet stung Shelley on the thumb. Again a penny.
The next morning, I could see only a spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness, no swelling. I went over to see Shelley and hers was the same. Then Shelley got stung while cutting grass. Applying the penny worked again.
I just wanted to share this marvelous information in case you experience the same problem. The doctor said the copper in the penny somehow counteracts the bite. I would never have believed it but it definitely worked for us. We need to keep a stock of pennies on hand at school and at home. Remember this little bit of wisdom and tell your friends and family."
I think I will try this remedy for sure if I ever get stung by a bee again. I might even try it for any spider or bug bite. Who knows it might work on them too! This Kay at Ion Exchange saying
save those pennies, you never know when you might need them! Have a great day!

More Honeybee News

We at Ion Exchange feel the plight of the Honeybee is a story worth following. This article was recently posted in The Iowa Native Plant Newsletter.

AGRICULTURE: BEE DIE-OFF COULD CAUSE $75 BILLION IN LOSSES, FEDS ESTIMATE

The mysterious malady affecting honeybees could cause $75 billion in
economic losses in the United States, said Agriculture Secretary Mike
Johanns.
Johanns said the Colony Collapse Disorder already threatens $14.6 billion in
pollinated crops.
The disorder has been found in 35 U.S. states, one Canadian province and
parts of Asia, Europe and South America. Its origin remains unknown.
Johanns said the Department plans to spend $7.4 million researching colony
collapse this year and noted that USDA would allocate an additional 2.7
million for pollinator projects from state extension service offices and
other parts of the department.
According to the White House budget request for fiscal 2008, USDA spent $2.7
billion on agricultural research last year.
Troy Fore, Executive Director of the American Beekeeping Federation, said
the disparity between those numbers shows USDA should be doing more to fight
colony collapse. In the week of June 25, which was National Pollinator
Week, Democrats and scientists asked Congress to boost research funding for
pollinators and to make more federal and private conservation programs
available to conserve habitat for the bees and other insects, birds and bats
that help pollinate plants and keep natural systems in order.
The Ecological Society of America held a congressional briefing regarding
ecosystem services, such as pollination, in agricultural
systems: http://www.esa.org/pao/policyActivities/briefing032007.php

Natural Insect Repellents

I am always looking for natural products to incorporate into my life style. I don't want to buy anything that is not good for the environment including all wildlife. So I look here and there for environmentally safe products. My favorite thing is to find something for a particular problem that is a household item, something you have around the house anyway. A study from Iowa State University conculded that cattnip is a great mosquito repellent. Well I have cats and I know how much they are attracted to catnip and I tried to visualize myself covered in catnip. That immediately brought the vision of me running through the grass and past my native wildflowers I just planted from my cats who no longer think of me as a friend but a huge plaything. I guess I will pass on the catnip idea. I thought I would share a few natural remedies for the flower garden or the vegetable garden that I have run across in my searches. Here is one that works pretty good on soft-bodied insects (mites, aphids, mealybugs): Mix one tablespoon canola oil and a few drops of Ivory soap into a quart of water. Shake well and pour into a spray bottle. Spray your plant from above down, and from below up to get the underside of the leaves. The oil smothers the insects. Another one that is good for Fungal diseases: Mix two tablespoons of baking soda into a quart of water. Pour into a spray container and spray affected areas. Repeat this process every few days until problem ceases.
We at the Ion Exchange would love to hear your natural remedies.
Have a great day! Kay at Ion Exchange