A bee's sting is acidic A wasps sting is basic what substance would be suitable to use to relieve the pain and swelling caused by sting?

Answer 1

The acidity or otherwise of the bee and wasp venom is probably irrelevent because it has been injected under the surface of the skin by the insect. There are two problems: firstly, it would be almost impossible to judge the amount of a substance required to just neutralize the venom; and secondly, because the venom is under the skin, any chemical applied to the surface of the skin that was strong enough to reach the venom would probably do more harm than good to the skin.
In any case, it is not the acid or base that causes the pain and swelling, rather it is other substances in the venom, such as the peptides melittin and apamin in bee venom. Melittin causes the breakdown of cells in the immediate area of the sting, and apamin is a neurotoxin. There are similar complex compounds in wasp venom.
The best thing for the pain is general painkiller such as paracetamol or ibuprofen; and the swelling may be checked with an antihistamine such as piritin, though to be effective this would have to be taken very soon after the sting occurs. For most people, the most effective treatment is time.