Late Summer Stings

[GSF]

It seemed a couple weeks back that the bee stings started to hurt worse. I have also noticed that now when they sting the whelp looks more like a wasp or hornet sting as in a 3/8" circle rise with a red dot in the middle. Before the circle wasn't pronounced. If there was swelling it would be generalized and not defined.

It seems I can remember the old folks explaining it. Their reason was "they was full of cotton poison". On the surface it sounds stupid because if they were "full" of cotton poison they wouldn't have made it out of the field. Also, they don't really spray cotton anymore. I think their logic may be supported by the phrase "non-lethal" dose.

Anyway my point is; there is a difference and has always been a difference in late summer. Any train of thoughts?

[flyboy]

Just a completely wild guess but it might be that we change during the year and are more sensitive at different times. Apparently the bee sting contains strong antibiotics, as is witnessed by the fact that Apiatherapy works to knock down some diseases like arthritis, ALS, MS etc.

[Michael Bush]

Not all stings are created equal.  I have never seen a real pattern as to the when and why, they just aren't.

[Hops Brewster]

"cotton poison", eh?  Old timers might not be talking about sprayed pesticides on the cotton, but maybe some compound in the cotton pollen that contributes to the sting irritation.

Take what I say with a grain of salt though.  All I know about cotton is what I'm wearing today.  :roll:

[BeeMaster2]

I agree, the old timers probably noticed that when the bees were working cotton that the stings were worse. There is probably something that they get from the cotton to affect the stings.
Jim

[Steel Tiger]

 Several weeks ago, I received about a dozen stings at once. A few just gave a burning sensation for several hours, some welted and swelled a bit and one really swelled up and almost made my forearm look like Popeye's arm. All the bees came from the same hive. I guess it's what part of the body is stung and possibly what bee stung you. Perhaps a guard bee has a bit more potent sting than a gatherer.

[Rurification]

I got pinged on the forearm a few days ago.  I felt her land and looked down in time to see her get me.    Usually I get a little swelling and some itching.   This time, The swelling was 5 inches across with a little puss pocket in the center. That lasted for 3 days.  I still have a hard spot right where she got me.   I figured it was some sort of pollen that didn't agree with me.  We've still got a lot of late summer stuff blooming. [No cotton this far north.]  That's just my guess, though.   I'm kind of relieved to know that my experience isn't totally unique.

[GSF]

My wife got nailed yesterday right in the upper lip. The normal look for her lips is, well, perfect. The area between her upper lip and nose swoll up so bad  the underside of her upper lip turned up and out. It reminded me of one of those pictures on the evolutionary chart of man. 

[BeeMaster2]

My wife got nailed yesterday right in the upper lip. The normal look for her lips is, well, perfect. The area between her upper lip and nose swoll up so bad  the underside of her upper lip turned up and out. It reminded me of one of those pictures on the evolutionary chart of man. 

Gary,
I sure hope your wife does not read this thread, for you sake.  :-D
Jim