How do you treat a yellow jacket sting?

Cleaning, icing, and monitoring discomfort and swelling are remedies that treat yellow jacket stings. The stinger can be removed by scraping with a flat- or straight-edge surface -- such as a butter knife or credit card -- as long as venom is not released with accidental or deliberate pulls or squeezes. The priority is cleaning with soapy water and then alcohol or ammonia; minimizing pain and swelling with ice, immersions in Epsom salts, medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, and remedies such as baking soda, meat tenderizer, salt or vinegar pastes; and monitoring for allergic reactions -- such as respiratory distress -- which demand epinephrine or 911.