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Author Topic: My reaction to bee stings is changing?  (Read 5286 times)

Offline Bob Wilson

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My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« on: June 05, 2020, 10:25:21 pm »
I got hit today for the 5th time since I started beekeeping spring 2019.
Last week I received my 4th. I pulled my hive tool off my pocket magnet, and there was a bee perched on it. That one was on the palm side of my forefinger. It hurt for a minute, then itched a little that day with a tiny bump.
But today?! I got stung on the top of that same hand, near my pinkie knuckle. That whole side of my hand is swollen, itchy, and is tender sore.
I have never had a reaction like this before. I was beginning to think I was super bee impervious. Not anynore.
What's the deal?

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2020, 12:19:09 am »
Mr. Bob, sometimes I react, sometimes I do not.  There are reactive parts of the body: hands feet and the face that tend to be more reactive than other parts of the body.

I?ve been stung since a kid by most flying or crawling critters and never amounted to much except for a jelly fish.  Why today do I react and not next week has puzzled my doctors.  My physician prescribed  prednisone in case I do react.  I don?t worry about bee stings, the pain is not so bad when I react.

What to watch out for is restricted breathing, then it?s time for the ER visit.  Talk to your doctor and I hope your reaction to bee stings vanished.

In 2017, I got stung 6 times by the same hive same time.  Five stings were no issue, one sting in the ankle when full ballistic: tremendous pain in the ankle, swollen on both sides, I was unable to walk for about 12 hrs.  Why that single sting was so horrific?  The only explanation I can come up with is the stinger hit the bone. Also, I was not able to remove the stinger for 45 minutes.  The bee stung me thur the sock.  Most painful sting I ever experienced except for the jelly fish.  In time, all was well and years later, like I said, I might or might not react.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline JojoBeeBoy

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2020, 12:46:03 am »
Hey Bob, I tend to think there are different dosages, different relative strengths of poison, and like Van said, different body parts. I few weeks ago me and my brother tried to hive a swarm from his gutter. There were not having it and I probably racked up over 2 dozen stings in an hour before walking away. Still, each one was a small bump, and some didn't make good contact.

Last Sunday I was watching some outdoor feeding and I got hit through thick jogging pants on the inside of the leg. I knew it felt different, the pain really persisted for a few minutes. Later it looked like I had been hit by a paint ball.

I don't know if you really build up a tolerance, but eventually most of the nervousness of "am I going to get stung" goes away and you just kinda rake out the stingers with a fingernail and move on. Some people hit the area with smoke, I usually grab some saliva and rub on it. It seems to help diffuse the scent. If not, they can hit the same spot with amazing accuracy.

Hope your hand is better by morning.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2020, 01:38:34 am »
You would do well to check out this topic from 2017 titled:  (Experience bee keeper reacts to bee sting). Started by Mr Van along with comments from several others including >  little john, sawdstmakr, JackM, bwallace23350, Bush_84, Sledin, eltalia, Hops Brewster, tjc1, Acebird, UrbisAgricola, kathyp, and  Dallasbeek. <   I hope I did not miss anyone.
An exceptional group of beekeepers in my opinion.  Special thanks to "van from Arkansas" for creating the topic.
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Offline TheHoneyPump

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My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2020, 03:05:37 am »
I find there is a big difference in the intensity  of the sting between a self defense sting and an intending to do harm sting.
If I accidentally pinch a bee and she cannot move and stings me.  My bad and it hurts a bit with minimal reaction. 
If I really do my thing and tick off a hive, they are out to get me.  Stapling my socks on and laying sewing seams along my fingers.  Those hurt more and may swell a bit.
I can say, at least for me.  The more often you get stung the less you react.  Am at the point that a sting is not much more than a mosquito bite with zero swelling and a little pimple the next day at the sting site .. if anything at all.
I get stung typically at least 10 times a day on busy days.  Casual days I may not get stung at all.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2020, 03:21:00 am »
I find there is a big difference in the intensity  of the sting between a self defense sting and an intending to do harm sting.
If I accidentally pinch a bee and she cannot move and stings me.  My bad and it hurts a bit with minimal reaction. 
If I really do my thing and tick off a hive, they are out to get me.  Stapling my socks on and laying sewing seams along my fingers.  Those hurt more and may swell a bit.
I can say, at least for me.  The more often you get stung the less you react.  Am at the point that a sting is not much more than a mosquito bite with zero swelling and a little pimple the next day at the sting site .. if anything at all.
I get stung typically at least 10 times a day on busy days.  Casual days I may not get stung at all.

You may be right. Thinking about it, I can concur with your thoughts on this. Also stings are no stranger to me either lol.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Bob Wilson

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2020, 08:10:16 am »
Thanks for the input, all. This morning the hand is still swollen tight, hot, and itchy. I will hope that later stings will be go back to being nothing again. I enjoy working the hives barehanded too much to go back to using gloves.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2020, 09:23:40 am »


A reactive bee sting a few years back,
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline amymcg

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2020, 10:20:24 am »
I got zapped this week in the heel of my hand. It hurt, my whole hand and lower forearm was swollen.

I got stung three times during package install due to just accidentally pinching some bees. No reaction at all from those other than a small bump.


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Offline Seeb

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2020, 11:39:22 am »
Years ago an apiary inspector cautioned that itching and breaking out in hives is a sign you could be headed for trouble, especially when the palms of your hands and bottoms of your feet itch.

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2020, 12:55:53 pm »
Thanks for the input, all. This morning the hand is still swollen tight, hot, and itchy. I will hope that later stings will be go back to being nothing again. I enjoy working the hives barehanded too much to go back to using gloves.

Your reactions sounds exactly the same as mine.  I got one in the arm this past Wednesday doing a swarm cutout.  This is how my body typically reacts.  Decent swelling and itchy redness.  From my perspective, this is a perfectly normal reaction by many.

A doctor I spoke with casually a while back said in his opinion, the only "allergic" reactions are those that require medical attention.  To him all other stings are normal reactions that vary from person to person.  He said many people think they're allergic because of the swelling and redness and tenderness from a sting they received previously...but that's just not true; That was just a natural reaction of the body to him.

My 11 year old daughter received her first sting Wednesday.  She's helped me with several inspections and not had a hit until now...It was to the side of her foot on Wednesday night from a lost girl that was on my equipment and found her way to the ground.  In the days since, while my arm has been red, swollen, itchy and tender, her's looks nothing more than a mosquito bite and she says it's a little itchy, but doesn't hurt.  Ah, I have found my apprentice...  ;)

Offline The15thMember

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2020, 02:53:29 pm »
Your reactions sounds exactly the same as mine.  I got one in the arm this past Wednesday doing a swarm cutout.  This is how my body typically reacts.  Decent swelling and itchy redness.  From my perspective, this is a perfectly normal reaction by many.

A doctor I spoke with casually a while back said in his opinion, the only "allergic" reactions are those that require medical attention.  To him all other stings are normal reactions that vary from person to person.  He said many people think they're allergic because of the swelling and redness and tenderness from a sting they received previously...but that's just not true; That was just a natural reaction of the body to him.

My 11 year old daughter received her first sting Wednesday.  She's helped me with several inspections and not had a hit until now...It was to the side of her foot on Wednesday night from a lost girl that was on my equipment and found her way to the ground.  In the days since, while my arm has been red, swollen, itchy and tender, her's looks nothing more than a mosquito bite and she says it's a little itchy, but doesn't hurt.  Ah, I have found my apprentice...  ;)
I have the same situation in my family.  I, the beekeeper, get horrible swelling every time I get stung.  Everyone else, barely any swelling, a little itchy.  *shakes head and sighs*  Typical.  :cheesy:
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Offline CoolBees

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2020, 10:08:52 pm »
Bob - the more I get stung, the less reaction I have to stings. I try to get stung at least a couple times a month. Usually I can't find the sting site within 2 hrs now.

I've heard that - if you get stung only twice a year (or so), your reactions will get worse over time, to the point of being dangerous. (Allergy increase).
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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2020, 06:57:41 am »
5 stings in a year, your body hasn't had enough to desensitise.
Everyone is right, stings of varying intensity, different reactions. The back of the hand seems to want to swell easy.
5 stings in a day is a good day at the office. if you open 100 hives for the day you have got to upset some one. Stings are mainly on the fingers, I don't wear gloves, though the other day one stung me on the neck, got under my vail, really hurt and I got a small swelling that I could find the little lump 3 days later.
Stings under or beside the finger nail tend to hurt a bit.

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #14 on: June 07, 2020, 08:31:35 am »
Bob,
Five stings in a year, you?re killing me. 😄
Bee sure to pu Hydrocortisone and Benadryl cream on the sting. It helps your body to not react to stings. The thread that Ben mentioned talks about this.
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Offline Acebird

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #15 on: June 07, 2020, 10:21:44 am »
I got stung two days ago on the inside of the left arm pulling weeds near the hive.  I wasn't sure I got stung (no pain).  But I found the stinger and removed it.  In five to ten minutes I felt some pain and it began to swell.  In an hour it just itched and by night fall it was gone.  I use to weed in front of the hives up north and never had an issue.  So yesterday I took a peek in the hive to see if something looked wrong.  They were as calm as a cucumber.  However one single bee was hell bent to get me.  You know when it is happening.  I could not see the bee but I could certainly hear it.  Usually I go in a dark garage and they fly towards the light of an open door.   I could not get the bee off me mainly because I could not see it. but eventually it took off.  I am telling you all this because this is unusual for me.  It is my experience that if a bee is out to get you it has to die because it won't give up until it stings. 
Reactions to bee stings vary from next to nothing to anaphylactic shock.  Typically the reaction diminishes the more you get stung but there is always a chance that a reaction becomes severe on the next sting.  It is your immune system that causes the reaction.  Your chemistry is always changing.
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Offline TheHoneyPump

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My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #16 on: June 07, 2020, 12:35:48 pm »
A tip to be rid of that odd insanely mad bee.  Walk away from the hive area, 10-15 yards.  Do not swat. Start to clap you hands with fingers wide and flat about 8 inch in front of your face.  1 seconds or so between claps.  That bee will soon be flying in and around your clapping hands.  Keep clapping, and now that you can see her it will not take long for you to mash her with a clap.  The clapping is too quick for her to take hold of, your hands will not be stung. 
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2020, 12:51:14 pm »
A tip to be rid of that odd insanely mad bee.  Walk away from the hive area, 10-15 yards.  Do not swat. Start to clap you hands with fingers wide and flat about 8 inch in front of your face.  1 seconds or so between claps.  That bee will soon be flying in and around your clapping hands.  Keep clapping, and now that you can see her it will not take long for you to mash her with a clap.  The clapping is too quick for her to take hold of, your hands will not be stung.

It seems that early spring is when I noticed this one pesky bee y'all are talking about. It seems once the flow is on that disappears, or it has for me, in all three of my small apiaries.  I appreciate the tip Mr HP, another good one. 
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline JurassicApiary

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2020, 01:27:37 pm »
Indeed, there?s always that one bee that takes it personal and is on a vendetta for something I must have done during the last inspection!  ;)


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Offline AR Beekeeper

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Re: My reaction to bee stings is changing?
« Reply #19 on: June 07, 2020, 01:41:45 pm »
I tell my granddaughters it is because they are thinking evil thoughts.

 

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