Bites and Stings First Aid: Scorpions, Snakes, Bees and Jellyfish

Desert camps, farms, gardens and beaches bring UAE residents into contact with scorpions, snakes, bees and jellyfish. Most stings are painful rather than dangerous, but a few need an ambulance. Environmental emergencies are part of the first aid course.

Scorpion stings

Wash the area, apply a cold pack wrapped in cloth, and keep the person still. Most adult stings cause local pain only, but children are at greater risk; call 998 for any child or for symptoms beyond the sting site.

Snake bites

Keep the person still and calm, remove rings and watches before swelling starts, keep the bitten limb still, and call 998. Do not cut the wound, suck out venom, apply a tourniquet or ice, or try to catch the snake; a photo from a safe distance helps.

Bee and wasp stings

Scrape a bee sting out with a card edge, then use a cold pack. Watch for anaphylaxis; multiple stings or stings inside the mouth need medical help.

Jellyfish

Get out of the water. Rinse with vinegar or seawater, not fresh water, remove tentacles with a gloved hand or card, then immerse in water as hot as can comfortably be tolerated to relieve pain. Call 998 for breathing difficulty or collapse.

Animal bites

Wash thoroughly with soap and running water, control bleeding, and seek medical advice about infection and vaccination.

Where

See first aid for Al Ain farms and desert sites.

This guide summarises first aid for the public and does not replace training or medical advice. In an emergency in the UAE call 998 for an ambulance.

More First Aid guides: Emergency-by-emergency first aid

• First Aid Course in Abu Dhabi — dates, format and booking
• Severe Bleeding First Aid: Pressure, Tourniquets and Packing
• Burns First Aid: Cool, Cover, and When a Burn Needs Hospital
• Heat Stroke vs Heat Exhaustion: First Aid for UAE Summers
• Anaphylaxis First Aid: Recognising a Severe Allergic Reaction
• Asthma Attack First Aid: Helping With a Reliever Inhaler
• Heart Attack First Aid: Warning Signs and What to Do
• Stroke First Aid: The FAST Test and Why Time Matters
• Seizure First Aid: Keep Them Safe, Time It, and When to Call 998
• Low Blood Sugar First Aid: Helping in a Diabetic Emergency
• Fainting First Aid: What to Do Before and After Someone Faints
• Fractures and Sprains First Aid: Support, Cold and When to Call
• Head Injury and Concussion First Aid: Danger Signs to Watch For
• Poisoning First Aid: Swallowed, Inhaled and Skin Exposures
• Drowning First Aid: Safe Rescue, Breathing and Pool Safety
• Eye Injury First Aid: Chemicals, Dust and Objects in the Eye
• Electric Shock First Aid: Make It Safe Before You Touch
• First Aid Kit Checklist for Home, Car and Workplace
• All First Aid guides, by topic

Other life support and first aid courses: BLS Course · ACLS Course · PALS Course · Training calendar

Frequently asked questions

What do you do for a scorpion sting?

Wash it, apply a wrapped cold pack, keep them still, and call 998 for children or symptoms beyond the sting site.

Should you suck venom out of a snake bite?

No, and do not cut, apply a tourniquet or ice.

How do you remove a bee sting?

Scrape it out with the edge of a card.

Should you use fresh water on a jellyfish sting?

No, use vinegar or seawater.

When is a sting an emergency?

With breathing difficulty, swelling of the face or throat, collapse, or any snake bite.

Sources and further reading

What we teach follows the awarding body and the UAE health authorities. For the definitive position on a course or licensing question, these are the places to check.

• Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED — American Heart Association
• Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre — Abu Dhabi

Last reviewed 21 September 2026 by the training team at Safety First Medical Services, an American Heart Association training centre at Addax Office Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Call +971 55 761 9841 or email training@safetyfirstmed.ae.