Delayed Sting Reaction

beek4018 · May 29, 2010, 10:07:22 AM

On Thursday ( two days ago) I got tagged about 10-15 times by my girls.

Of course it hurt a bit at the moment of impact, but I really didn't have much of a reaction at that time, and even less after taking a shower. A bit of redness but not much swelling.

I was a bit queasy that night, but nothing horrible.

Yesterday (Friday) one or two of the sting sites (particularly the ones in my scalp) were beginning to itch a bit.

Today a few of the sites on my arms are really on fire and itchy.

Is it common for the sting reaction to be delayed like this?

Thanks for any and all advice.

Kathyp · May 29, 2010, 11:01:12 AM

it is for me. when i get stung i have about 12 hours of the fantasy "i'm developing a resistance" and then the reaction starts. for me, it's pain, swelling (sometimes extreme) intense itching after 24 hours or so. usually lasts 3 or 4 days, but i have had stings remain swollen for over a week and itch like crazy for two.
usually i pop or swig benadryl when i get stung. it helps a lot. yesterday i didn't. to day my hand looks like a red oven mitt.

any time you take several stings, benadryl is a reasonable and prudent precaution. lots of the guys here have built up a resistance over time and they can take the stings. for people like me and new beekeepers, there is no point in taking the risk of a bad reaction when there is a simple way to lessen the chance of disaster.

bull · May 29, 2010, 11:32:27 AM

Kathyp's, got it right, thats the way it happens to me.

Unless you get a dirty bee-sting i had some bee's i cut out on a farm that i think got there water from the grown in front of the stock tank ( poo poddle) . there stings were bad little infections lasted a week and look nasty.

brer · May 29, 2010, 12:11:50 PM

I'll remember the benadryl thing for next time I get stung.

One of the girls got me between the eyes Thursday. I currently have an asian cast to my face because of the swelling around my eyes.

sarafina · May 29, 2010, 12:40:48 PM

Benedryl helps a lot!

What are you wearing for protection? How did you get stung on the face? 10-15 is a lot of stings - sounds to me like you need better protection. The only time I have been stung on the face is when I was wearing a jacket that was too big for me and the elastic band slipped down too far and left a gap around my thighs for them to crawl up in my jacket and into my veil.

Also, once they start stinging they mark you with the "sting pheromone" which tells the other girls to GO GET HIM!!!

beek4018 · May 29, 2010, 05:01:04 PM

Sarafina,

I think you answered your own question there.

I suspect I had a small gap around the neck part of my veil. One got in and stung me. And the rest reacted to the pheromone. I doubtless swatted at the sting which probably loosened my clothing/veil a bit more and allowed more bees to get in.

Once one gets in and gets you I think it's probably easier for the rest.

jgaito · June 01, 2010, 09:40:35 AM

trying to do the Rodney King thing i chose to allow a hornet's nest to continue it's development. these critters don't play the live and let live game very well and walking past the hive at about ten feet away i got tagged twice on the hand. things looked good and felt fine for the rest of the night but the next morning it looked like i had an arm transplant from the elbow down. that was friday night and i was just starting to recognize my knuckles yesterday morning. the nest is now history.

luvin honey · June 01, 2010, 02:30:33 PM

My itching is also delayed, and the swelling.

Mamichi · June 01, 2010, 09:52:45 PM

I just got my first sting last Friday and at first I thought "whew! This isn't so bad." But the next morning was a different story. Severe itchiness with mild swelling, and the following morning was even worse b/c it was painful as well as swollen and itchy. :(

So, immunity is something that rarely occurs? Or takes forever to build up? That stinks!

Oh, btw- I find that keeping ice on the affected area helps a lot.

gundalf · June 01, 2010, 10:29:13 PM

Started with two hives about 5 weeks ago and have been stung about 7 times now, due to laziness on my part... First time it stung for an hour and went away for two days then turned red and itch/burned for 3 days, then gone... Second was about the same deal, but less severe... both of these were to the hand/wrist area of each hand... Next two were at the same time. Two got into my veil and one got me in the neck and another cleared the veil but was inside the shirt and got me in the stomach... Both stung for about 10 minutes and only mildly itched the next day... The last three were facial and days apart, the last one being this afternoon... The sting was there but not distracting for maybe 15 to 20 minutes and just went away... No more discomfort... Not sure on today's yet, she got me about 1/8 inch under the eye... Nothing yet... Maybe I'll be one of the lucky ones...

luvin honey · June 03, 2010, 04:58:21 PM

Quote from: Mamichi on June 01, 2010, 09:52:45 PM
I just got my first sting last Friday and at first I thought "whew! This isn't so bad." But the next morning was a different story. Severe itchiness with mild swelling, and the following morning was even worse b/c it was painful as well as swollen and itchy. :(

So, immunity is something that rarely occurs? Or takes forever to build up? That stinks!

Oh, btw- I find that keeping ice on the affected area helps a lot.

I don't know about that immunity part.... So far, it seems more like WHERE the sting occurs is the decider. All the facial stings in my family are ridiculously overreactive. Other parts not so bad. I've taken more than 20 to my hands, and while it was not fun, there was minimal swelling. Maybe I had built up some immunity....

joker1656 · June 03, 2010, 10:34:17 PM

I seem to have varied reactions. I have actually watched a bee sting me on my finger and feel nothing. She left a stinger, but it must have been such a shallow jab that it caused no pain. Other times it feels like a red hot nail was driven through my hand, or wherever.

Sometimes there is absolutely no swelling, other times a feverish, painful, itchy swelling that drives me nuts. I have noticed that if I am stung several times (5ish +) that the next morning I am a little achy. Most of the time that coincides with 5+hours on or climbing a ladder for a removal. Not sure where the achy feeling comes from :-D

bull · June 03, 2010, 10:48:20 PM

well i tryed moving around the girls last night and this time , i got tor up bad there getting stornger.
1 to the nose, 1 to the tempal, a few to the arms, 1 to the ear ,left leg a few , left hand took 6 hits,but the right leg must have realy got hit i have a 6 in hot spot 24 hours latter. took 2 benidril just in case and 1 would have been plenty i was fussy all day. its diffrent ever time.

AllenF · June 03, 2010, 10:58:12 PM

Dude, are yall using any smoke?

bull · June 03, 2010, 11:10:40 PM

no i was being heman and just doing a little moving. just didnt get away with it this time.

dennis2021 · August 19, 2010, 12:42:42 PM

Same here, thought I was already resistant yesterday, woke up last night around 3am itching like crazy and swollen up like elephant man. Today itching like crazy still swollen a bit. After counting all the itching spots, I got hit alot more than I thought.

BTW, I got poison oak a while back and learned that heat will make anything stop itching!!!!!! 1st I used hot water, then I started using a blow dryer (for hair). The key is to take it as hot as you can for a minute or two, then you will have 3-4 hours of relief. Also, when you apply the heat it feels GREAT!!! Like a thousand needles scratching all at once!!!AAAHHHHHHH lol
Really, it works, try it. Remember the hotter the better.

Tell me what you think.

VolunteerK9 · August 19, 2010, 01:41:39 PM

Ya'll can make fun of me all you want to, but anytime I'm going to the hives to do anything which involves a potentially hacked off bee, I suit up. If you have a veil, its not doing you any good back at the house. Put that sucker on for cripes sakes and smoke the stew out of them.

scoobee · August 19, 2010, 03:30:30 PM

I don't understand this myself, and I suppose it matters where you get stung but I took 8 stings on my arms 1 day last week. I took 1 on the tip of my finger, not one hurt. It felt like a pinstab of intense heat. What really gets me is the intense itching, I'd rather have the pain. I use benydrl and my wife got me chiggerex plus, its a cream that you put on the site. Seems to help with the itch. Bob

Kathyp · August 19, 2010, 05:45:09 PM

your tolerance to stings can go both ways. you can develop a greater tolerance or you can develop a sensitivity or even allergy to the stings. or, you can pretty much stay the same. i have noticed that i get a different reaction from different stings. some may have to do with where they are. i have gotten several on the palm of my hand and had little swelling. got some on the back of my hand and the swelling was impressive. the ones i get though clothing or gloves don't seem to do much.

maybe bees are like snakes. sometimes it's a dry strike :-D