mossel bay bites and stings
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A snake in the grass?
Whilst many holiday homes have
been standing shut, patiently waiting
for their occupants to nally arrive for
the summer holidays, the bees have
been far from inactive.
A b
bee
sting
can be
considered
consider
a medic
medical
emergency.
Make sure yo
you
know-ho
have the know-how
on what to do in case of
this kind of emergency.
But what to do when you stumble upon
a beehive in your holiday pad or a
swarm of bees passing by this festive
season? Here are some handy tips.
Leave any bee hive alone if you are
not trained at handling bee hive removal.
Have someone monitor the bee
ject like a piece of paper to stop poison being pumped in.
Try to remain calm.
Contact Netcare 911 or the closest
hospital for advice on how to treat
the allergic person.
Do not take alcohol or other stimulants - only water.
Note the time of being stung.
Remove constrictive items such as
rings, watches and shoes.
Do not squeeze or cut the sting.
Carry the victim to the vehicle. It is
probably better to drive directly to
hospital rather than wait for an ambulance.
Anti-histamine will be administered
intravenously (depending on severity of the allergic condition).
Who can you contact for safe bee
removal?
Riaan Bosch: 082 298 5847
Herman Venter: 082 773 8987
How to treat snake bite
Apply rm pressure to the site of
the bite using your hand. Then,
wrap the limb rmly with a bandage (tear up some clothing if a
bandage is not available), starting at the site of the bite and
working towards the heart.
Immobilise the victim and splint
the limb.
Lay the victim down and keep
him/her calm and reassured.
Transport the victim to the closest hospital. If there is no hospital nearby, transport the victim to
the closest doctor.
Only a qualied doctor can inject
anti-venom.
Do not give the victim alcohol or
any other liquid.
Keep the victim’s mouth and
throat clear of saliva and resort
to articial respiration if necessary.
Suction may help if done immediately, even if only to reassure
the victim. All uid removed by
suction must be spat out immediately. If possible, suck over a
sheet of rubber or plastic.
Try and identify the snake and
do not try to kill the snake responsible, as a second bite
would really complicate matters.
Who to contact for safe snake
removal:
Fire and Rescue Services: 044
6065035/6
MO073298_CL
hive or swarm and its location.
Inform people around you about
the bee hive and its location.
Warn them not to disturb the hive or
bees.
What to do when a bee stings a person allergic to bee sting?
This is classied as a medical emergency.
Remove the sting with a sharp ob-
It is summer, the time when snakes
come out of hibernation. When
walking outside, not only on hiking
trails, but also in suburban areas,
be vigilant and always wear shoes.
If you do happen to come across
a snake, rather let it go undeterred.
Here are the top three snakes species most commonly found in Mossel Bay:
Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) - is a
large, extremely venomous snake.
It gives warning by inating its body
and hissing loudly. This large, thickbodied snake is sluggish and is reluctant to move out of the way. The
puff adder has a broad head and its
colour ranges from straw yellow to
light brown or orange-brown.
Cape Cobra (Naja nivea) - with a
long, slender body and a colouration
from normally bright, uniform yellow or yellow with brown specks all
over the body. These snakes average about 1.2m, but may grow to
be well over 2m. The Cape Cobra
produces a powerful neurotoxin
that affects the respiratory system.
Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) - meaning ‘Tree Snake’. The
boomslang is largely tree living. It
is a large, slender bodied snake
with a distinct head and very large
eyes with round pupils. Colouration
is variable, they may be leaf-green,
bright green or black with dark grey,
black-edged belly scales or brickred to rust-red with an orange-pink
belly.
Thursday 12 December, 2013
Group Editors Holiday Guide - Garden Route and Karoo
81