Bee Venom Strength

[BlueBee]

Do you think the potency of a bee's sting varies during the season?  Is it a function of the flowers they visit, time of the season, pollen they consume, age of the bees, one's political leanings, or just my imagination?

I got about a half dozen stings to the legs tonight so I'm just wondering  :-D

[bulldog]

one's political leanings

do you mean the bee or her victim ?  :-D

personally i think the bee's political leanings only influence who they sting and when/why

[rdy-b]

  I always get the worst sting from bees that are working mustard-and when you mash them
they have a very pungent oder -those stings are the worst- RDY-B

[Michael Bush]

I'd have to say it doesn't vary by political leanings, as mine don't vary but the stings do...

[rbinhood]

It's depends on how mad you make her....like it depends on how bad you piss the wife off, and how hard she slaps you.  With a female you never know when and how hard to push her buttons before contact is made and how much pain will be involved!

[yockey5]

I know the bee stings vary from ouch, to darn!

[LoriMNnice]

It's depends on how mad you make her....like it depends on how bad you piss the wife off, and how hard she slaps you.  With a female you never know when and how hard to push her buttons before contact is made and how much pain will be involved!

:fishhit:

[organicfarmer]

I think when they work hot pepper is even worse than mustard field.

[Kathyp]

I'd have to say it doesn't vary by political leanings, as mine don't vary but the stings do

my vote for best answer  :evil:

[hankdog1]

I will second that Kathy

[L Daxon]

Can't say I've ever noticed stings varying by time of year. More by the part of the anatomy that takes the hit and how good the girl got her feet planted before she let me have it. :-P

[cicot]

I'd have to say it doesn't vary by political leanings, as mine don't vary but the stings do...

you have darn right, I agree  :-D

[derekm]

Venom toxicity of snakes is related to temperature that may or may not have a bearing on bees

[AliciaH]

Usually I just get localized swelling.  Late June I got stung in the neck close to the carotid and got a full dose (didn't realize the stinger was still there for a few minutes).  I ended up going to the ER.  Full body beat red, rashy, fingers turning blue from swelling.  Oh, yea, I was having F-U-N!  No shortness of breath, however.

Walked out with a prescription for an epi pen, but when I got stung four times in July (all at once because I was stupid and didn't zip my veil), I didn't even have localized swelling!

The joke in the house is that getting stung is one thing, but "mainlining" bee venom is bad!

[yockey5]

"The joke in the house is that getting stung is one thing, but "mainlining" bee venom is bad!"

Joke or not, this is true. I once knew a beek that got stung in the carotid artery and fell over dead.

[Tommyt]

. I once knew a beek that got stung in the carotid artery and fell over dead.

That is strange and sad
sorry for the loss

Tommyt

[AliciaH]

Ditto.  I feel so bad for your fellow beekeeper!

[BlueBee]

Hmmmm, never thought about getting stung in a vein.  Might be a good reason to keep wearing the gloves!  Apart from the neck, it seems like the veins in the hands might be the most susceptible to a bee sting.  Usually I get it in the fingers when not wearing gloves.

Wikipedia has a little write up about what makes up bee venon.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apitoxin

[Poppi]

The few times I've been stung this year...  maybe 1/2 dozen...  I would go along with where the sting occured.  Some areas are more sensitive than others and some area's cause more of a histimine reponse than others...

and derekm...  don't know where you get your info on venom toxicity in snakes but you are totally wrong.  Toxicity is determined by species, not temperature...  subspecies within the same species can have different venom toxicities but temperature is not a factor...  I worked with venomous snakes 40 years and I must say...  I thought I had heard it all when it came to snakes...

[Stone]

I agree that a sting's intensity varies with the place stung.  Fingers by far are the worst!  Anywhere else to me is not too bad.  Got stung in the eyebrow once. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Eye swelled a little and was okay the next morning.