Honey bee bites in Washington
Washington has 5,382 verified honey bee records in the GBIF biodiversity database — ranking it 17th nationally. Sightings concentrate in May to August. The bite itself appears immediate sharp pain and lasts swelling up to several days.
| Verified records | 5,382 |
|---|---|
| Peak sightings | May to August |
| State bite season | April to October |
| Active | daytime |
| Habitat | flowering lawns and gardens; hives in trees, walls and managed apiaries |
| Bite appears | immediate sharp pain |
Identifying it in Washington
The barbed stinger left in the skin is diagnostic — no wasp does this. Because removing it takes seconds and venom keeps being pumped, speed matters more than technique, and scraping is better than pinching.
Locally, the species most often confused with it are paper wasp sting, bald-faced hornet sting, yellow sac spider bite — all of which are also recorded in Washington.
Seek medical care if
Call emergency services now for difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, dizziness or fainting, or hives spreading away from the bite.
- breathing difficulty, throat or tongue swelling, faintness, hives away from the sting — emergency
- a previous severe reaction to a sting
- many stings at once
What else it could be in Washington
These are recorded in Washington too and are the ones most often confused with it here. The differences below are the ones that actually separate them.
| Honey bee sting | Paper wasp sting | Yellowjacket sting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern | single | usually single | single or several — this wasp can sting repeatedly |
| Where on body | feet — bees are often stepped on in clover, hands, face | hands, head, arms — often while gardening or opening a shutter | hands, face, neck |
| Appears | immediate sharp pain | immediate sharp pain | immediate sharp pain |
| Records here | 5,382 | 2,216 | 44 |
Season in Washington specifically
Records in Washington concentrate in May to August, which is what local sighting data shows rather than a national average — seasonality shifts substantially with latitude. The general bite season in Washington runs April to October.
Because flowering lawns and gardens, exposure in Washington tends to be concentrated in specific places rather than spread evenly — which is why a bite history ("where were you in the 24 hours before?") narrows the answer faster than the appearance of the mark.
Care
- scrape the stinger out sideways with a card or fingernail immediately — do not pinch it, that squeezes the venom sac
- wash and apply a cold pack
- antihistamine and pain relief
- adrenaline auto-injector if prescribed
Avoiding them in Washington
- shoes on in clover and flowering lawns
- stay calm and move away slowly rather than swatting
- no strong floral fragrance when working in the garden
Questions
When are honey bees active in Washington?
Washington records peak in May to August. The general bite season in Washington runs April to October.
Are they common in Washington?
Washington accounts for 5,382 verified records in GBIF, ranking it 17th among states for this species. Records reflect reporting effort as well as abundance.
What does the bite look like?
a white raised centre in a red swollen area, with the barbed stinger often still in the skin, red with a pale centre. Single.
Get a photo assessment in the app
Everything above is free to read. The app adds what a page cannot: point your camera at the bite and get an assessment of the most likely cause, a severity read, and a day-by-day care plan — including the specific signs that mean you should be seen.
iPhone and iPad. Free to download.