I'm still wondering whether or not to move from just building hives for others into trying to raise a hive myself. I have been allergic to stings in the past. The last sting was in Idaho in 1998 and it was a bad year for yellow jackets. I was stung on the ring finger and the whole hand swelled up like Mickey Mouse's hand. No hives or restricted breathing. I did take a couple of Benadryl to be on the safe side though. Are honey bee stings milder than wasp or hornets?
I've read (in Linda'a blog) where she and others are wearing the blue nitrile gloves instead of the thick and cumbersome cloth gloves. I bring this up because Linda mentioned the bees could sting through the nitrile gloves and that got me wondering if you did get stung through the glove, would the stinger come out with the glove if you took it off quickly??? As far as protective cloths go, I have an over size pair of coveralls that are similar to what a mechanic would ware. Can the stingers reach through the coveralls?
Also while I'm here, can anyone say how much doing a series of desensitizing shot would be? Will they work if you are allergic?
Doesn't sound like you are allergic (to YJ stings anyway...which is a totally different venom than honey bees) just reactive. Most react something like you did on the first few stings but acclimate to the venom and build some what of a tolerance. Stings can reach through denim but jeans are what I normally wear with a bee jacket.
Scott
swelling is not an allergic reaction. sweating, hives, trouble breathing, etc., are the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
you can keep bees for years and be stung with no problem, then develop and allergy. you can develop more resistance to being stung. you can have no change. there are no guarantees, but you are starting with a normal reaction and not something to keep you from beekeeping.
and, as hardwood points out, YJ and honeybees stings are not the same.
If you ask 100 people if they are allergic I wouldn't be surprised if 75 said they were. Truth is only a couple actually are. I get alot of sting over the coarse of a summer. Most only hurt for a second. On occasions one will itch or swell abit but if and when a yellow jacket gets me I swell.
Also a beejacket is not totally sting proof.....I have had them sting me through one even with a shirt on under it. Just think of those little stings as kisses of love and affection passed from 60,000 or so girl by just a few discontent ladies.
I heard somewhere that only 1 in 1000 is actually allergic. Don't know if that's true or not.
Scott
Mahalo for all the information! So, all be said and pointed out, should I think of having a bee sting me close to medical attention to see if I am or not? Or just jump in with fingers crossed?? :-D
That one's up to you! If you're really concerned about it you can visit an allergist and he can test it for you.
Scott
Does anyone know if there is a break-down for bee venom with strength, regions or bee types (Italian, Russian etc..) Is all bee venom the same?? I'm no expert but snake venom varies with the different types of snakes..... they all have the different chemical mixes??
Good idea Scott. Didn't think of the obvious!! Next time I have an apt. I'll see if my VA Dr. is allowed to do that on my plan! It would be great to find out I'm NOT allergic to bees!
Mahalo
if he can't do that, see if he'll write for a couple of epi pens. many of us keep them even if we are not allergic. they can be spendy if they are not covered....
Another good idea. Thanks Kath! BTW... if I am able to get a couple of the epi pens, do I have to keep them on ice if I go somebodies bee yard?
Mahalo
no. the new ones are far more stable than the old. i keep mine in the kitchen and in a cabinet in the barn. they are fine.
Mahalo again Kathy. Just one more question about stings. I have a one acre lot and the weeds, trees, and grass are always being cut back. How tolerant are bees to that kind of activity? If I don't keep the jungle cut back, it will over take the whole place including the hive!
Would it work to trim out away from the hive late in the evening? If the hive is say with in 40 feet of the house, will the guard bees give me any grief?
Just don't want to get into a project only to find out it would interfere with daily living.
Royall
can only tell you what i do. i run the tractor around the hives with no problem. when i weed whack closer to them, i suit up. my bees are close to my barn and next to my horses. i have another close to the house and i walk by it all the time with no problem. unless you get a particularly nasty hive, they should not be a bother.
I can give an answer to the machinery question. Two of my hives are about ten ft from my mulch pile.I pulled two loads of mulch out of the pile with my bucket tractor with no problem. Went back for the third(which I didn't need) and got mobbed. Had all I could do to back away without tearing things up while being stung all over. Broke my glasses keeping them out of my eyes. So my answer would be don't trust them. Suit up if you have to work machinery near them. Had a similar experience while weedwhacking.
Also I have found that I am tolerating stings a little better than I used to.
Speaking from personal experience, don't always assume that you won't react to a bee sting based on previous exposure. I've had bees for four years and have gotten stung a number of times. I got stung in the neck 3 weeks ago during a cutout and developed hives and itching all over my body that abated with Benadryl. Yesterday I got stung 10 times on my ankles and developed hives quicker with nausea/vomiting/ and tachycardia (fast heart rate). I won't take chances any more and will need an epi pen in my suit. But I won't stop keeping bees!!
Quote from: Royall on June 05, 2012, 03:26:20 PM
I've read (in Linda'a blog) where she and others are wearing the blue nitrile gloves instead of the thick and cumbersome cloth gloves.
I wear the playtex dishwashing gloves. Purple ones. I've watched the bee's try to sting me through them and they can't seem to get through. A little more cumbersome than nitrile but not as cumbersome as the leather gloves.
Quote from: MTWIBadger on June 05, 2012, 11:13:04 PM
I've had bees for four years and have gotten stung a number of times. I got stung in the neck 3 weeks ago during a cutout and developed hives and itching all over my body that abated with Benadryl. Yesterday I got stung 10 times on my ankles and developed hives quicker with nausea/vomiting/ and tachycardia (fast heart rate)..... But I won't stop keeping bees!!
This is a true allergy. You need to be awesome careful, the next sting could kill you. This is how it works. No super sensitivity and then, boom, allergy.
I can even weed wack close to my hives early in the morning and it does not bother the bees. I have also done it in the afternoon and it does not bother them. I keep the engine speed low and that may be the key.
Loose clothing seems to prevent stingers from getting through. The Ultra Breeze suits and jackets are multi layer and I just don't think a stinger is long enough to make it all the way to skin, if you are allergic you should wear a full suit of one of these.
Gloves. Gloves suck, even latex or nitrile, the get caught and tear. Not had a sting through them yet, but I think I have some pretty gentle bees, they allow me to work the hives bare handed most of the time. I hope to remember to stop by the welding shop and get a pair of gloves for welding with TIG or MIG. Very soft goatskin and thick enough to not get stung thru.
Again, Badger, you are allergic and anaphalyxis is a real possibility, do not work your bees without adequate protection and keep an epi pen with you and take 100mg of benadryl as soon as possible after a sting and go to the emergency room as soon as possible....have someone drive you if possible.
As I posted before I was stung on my installation 10-15 times. After the stings I worked in the yard for 8hrs to exhaustion. The stings were itchy and red but not until later that night(12hrs after) I started getting the shakes and felt cold. I took tylonal and grew extremely hot then when I woke up hours later I was fine. A couple days later my stings were normal until about a week later they grew red again and started itching. I took benadryl for 24hrs and hadn't had a problem since. I don't think I'm allergic I think the amount of stings, the fact I haven't been stung at all since I was 12, and the extreme exhaustion I put my body through following and two days prior had a lot to do with the chills later that night. Hopefully I want have to face that amount of stings again seeing a have a suit now. But it was a experience none the less.
Stinging can go the other way, too. Some of you may remember I posted last year that I got stung in the neck and had a systemic reaction. It sounds a lot like Badger's. The next time I got stung (a month after that, then once earlier this season) no reaction at all, not even local. That part was nice and I'm hoping to keep that resistance for awhile!
Jack, I hear you though. It could have gone the other way, too. I do carry an epi pen just in case things change. I'm usually in my apiary by myself and sometimes I forget to take my phone. Best to be safe and have one!
MTWI, i got some advice once that i have found to be useful. i don't have allergic reactions but i have large, nasty reactions. i was advised to take Loratadine before i got in a situation where i was likely to be stung. removals, etc.
on those occasions where i have been stung after taking it, and then have taken benadryl after, my reactions have been much less. it has the advantage of not putting you to sleep, so i can be away from home and not worry about swigging benadryl until i get home.
Quote from: calrow99 on June 05, 2012, 06:15:12 PM
Does anyone know if there is a break-down for bee venom with strength, regions or bee types (Italian, Russian etc..) Is all bee venom the same?? I'm no expert but snake venom varies with the different types of snakes..... they all have the different chemical mixes??
As far as I know, there is not much difference between stings from different breeds of bees - they are all the same species, some breeds are known as being more aggressive, but that can also be as much a matter of the hive as the breed. When talking about snake venoms, there are big differences because the water moccasin, rattlesnake, and cobra are different species.