My reaction to bee stings is changing?

[Bob Wilson]

HoneyPump. I am amused by your "Clap on! Clap off!" pesky bee procedure. I actually WILL try it next time one starts hounding me.
Jim. I laughed at your amazement about my 5 little stings. I am sure that you experienced beeks are rolling your eyes at me. Of course maybe it is just a testament to my super beekeeping skills.... or not.
Two days later, the swelling is almost completely gone. However, bee venom doesn't seem to effect my arthritus at all.
So what is the verdict? Is it better to be stung sometimes to build up resistance or not? I am adding a poll for my own curiosity.

[BeeMaster2]

Bob,
When I don?t get stung for long periods, usually during the winter, I often get a reaction. As long as I get stung regularly, I don?t have any reaction.
If your spouse does your laundry and your gloves or suit has bee sting on it, they can develop severe reactions later on. They breathe in the bee venom dust.
If they get stung directly on a regular basis, this will stop them from developing a severe reaction.
Jim Altmiller

[Oldbeavo]

Bob, I agree with the no effect on arthritis, number of stings I get I should be arthritis free.
May be I have low dose bees.

[TheHoneyPump]

Get stung lots.  Daily.  It is the only rightful manly man beekeeper thing to do.
In the ear ear canal, the middle of a closed eye lid, or the membrane layer over the cartilage one half knuckle deep into the nose are my personal favourite places to man-up from time to time.

[Ben Framed]

Get stung lots.  Daily.  It is the only rightful manly man beekeeper thing to do.
In the ear ear canal, the middle of a closed eye lid, or the inner membrane layer over the cartilage on the tip of the nose are my personal favourite places to man-up.

I haven't had the experience of the ear canal yet. I don't look forward either lol. My only real concern is the eyeball itself as you told us of that situation a while back.  Woo Wee

[CoolBees]

Get stung lots.  Daily.  It is the only rightful manly man beekeeper thing to do.
In the ear ear canal, the middle of a closed eye lid, or the membrane layer over the cartilage one half knuckle deep into the nose are my personal favourite places to man-up from time to time.

YIKES! If that's the price of entry, I'm not sure I want to be a man that bad! 

(Your a better man than me HP). 

[JurassicApiary]

I really like this simple head veil. It has elastic bands that go under your arms to keep it more firmly pressed to the body and help prevent intrusion.  I don?t mind stings to my arms and most of my body, but I prefer not on my head or neck!
As the rest of me is uninhibited with a jacket or anything I have full mobility and stay much cooler.  I use this regularly for my inspections.




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[Ben Framed]

I really like this simple head veil. It has elastic bands that go under your arms to keep it more firmly pressed to the body and help prevent intrusion.  I don?t mind stings to my arms and most of my body, but I prefer not on my head or neck!
As the rest of me is uninhibited with a jacket or anything I have full mobility and stay much cooler.  I use this regularly for my inspections.




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I have a veil similar to that Jurassic. I paid $45.00 for it, thinking I would be getting a better quality veil, wrong. There is a design flaw in that the back of the neck is to short. Even when strapped down and looking down it exposes the bottom of the neck. If not for that flaw, I would have loved it. Yours looks more like Kamon Reynolds than mine. Mine has the divider or jointer of the screen in only one place, the back of the veil which I like.

[van from Arkansas]

Some facts about bee stings.  Our bodies possess a special white blood cell called a memory cell or M cell.  As you probably already figured from the name, this M cell has a single function: to memorize and create an anecdote to a single issue such as the toxin of a honeybee. The M cell also remembers different types of flu and bacteria also, but lets stick to bees.  A given M cell only recognizes its specific target such a bee venom.  These M cells live for about 10 years and circulate throughout the blood system: looking, waiting for venom to show up in which the M cell quickly administers the antibody that neutralize the venom.

Each time a person gets stung, more M cells are created.  Eventually, with beeks that get stung enough as ID or Jim, myself, to name a few, a bee sting is if little concern as there may be thousands of M cells through the body that will quickly neutralize the venom.

So what can go wrong, sounds like the more stings, the better.  Well, here is where it gets tricky.  Bee venom causes the production of histamines at the sting site.  Histamines cause redness and swelling, any allergy sufferer can explain in detail.  However the histamines attract white blood cells, a chemical iPhone call of 911, calling all white blood cells.  Quickly white blood cells are attracted to the venom area, both M cells and other white blood cells that are just plain destroyers of everything in the immediate area.  These cells are called compliment cells because they help white blood cells overcome terrors such as virus, loads of bacteria, whatever.  Complement is deadly!!!  Complement destroys everything, I mean everything: human cells, virus, bacteria, mold, yeast...   I see complement as artillery that is called in on its own location as a last ditch defense as if we are about to be overrun by the enemy.  Complement cell is like a tiny microscopic machine gun firing in all directions, killing everything close by.  Actually is quite fascinating.

Immunology is complicated, just understand our body can resist just about every invading organism on the planet.  Occasionally our immune system overreacts.  Autoimmune diseases: our immune system attacking our own cells, are terrible, unpredictable, pure horror it is.

Hope I made this clear, I avoided all the latin, medical terms.

[JurassicApiary]

[quote author=van from Arkansas>

 the histamines attract white blood cells, a chemical iPhone call of 911, calling all white blood cells.  Quickly white blood cells are attracted to the venom area, both M cells and other white blood cells that are just plain destroyers of everything in the immediate area.

[/quote]

Thanks for such a detailed explanation to the mechanics of our immune response to a sting, Van.  Given the section on histamines being a driving force of the body?s reaction as mentioned above, is it therefore better to take an antihistamine such as Benadryl to try to deter our body from sending in the full onslaught of white cells and the like?  Would this have any affect if done repeatedly in ?training? our immune system not to overreact?  Or is it moot and just for comfort and our body is going to do what it?s going to do anyway?


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[JurassicApiary]

BF, I have not had issues with this particular veil exposing the back of my neck, thankfully!  That said, I can see how the elastic ring around the neck could ride up under certain circumstances, however the bands that go under your arms do a pretty good job securing it in place where you set it. The inside of the hat also has a draw string to secure under your chin, if desired.

The front half is fine screen and at the white seams it switches to an even more breathable mesh.  I have no complaints so far. It?s never presses against my nose/face due to the wide brim.

Here?s a few pics from the back and side profile for inspection.






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[JurassicApiary]

Does anyone experience mild tenderness in their thyroid glands (similar to when you?re sick)?  My last two stings this month both resulted in this. I don?t recall it occurring before. It doesn?t surprise me too much after reading Van?s explanation about immune response since the thyroid is a critical component, I?m just curious if anyone else has experienced this?


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[Ben Framed]

Thanks Matthew, Your veil is good design, I will send a picture of mine tomorrow and you will see what my gripe is with it.  (My only gripe may I add). But a well justified gripe. lol   





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[Bob Wilson]

Jurassic. Where did you buy that veil in your pictures. I have a round veil that pulls down the front with wrap around string, but it exposes the back of the neck when wearing a tshirt, ie with out a collar on the shirt.

[Ben Framed]

Jurassic. Where did you buy that veil in your pictures. I have a round veil that pulls down the front with wrap around string, but it exposes the back of the neck when wearing a tshirt, ie with out a collar on the shirt.

You just described my veil in my reply 27 Bob. Where did you get yours?

[Ben Framed]

JurassicApiary (Mathew), this is the veil that I was telling you about yesterday. I would love it if it had been properly constructed. In my opinion it is not. Here you will see the front view as the bill is held level just as it would be in use. I forgot to add, it also has an adjustable sizer that does not work. I had to use my wife?s sewing kit to make it fit snugly  Lol.  I will send a picture of the side view shortly.

Phillip

[The15thMember]

Great post as always, Van. 

Jurassic, that shirt is hilarious! 

[Ben Framed]

Here you will see the side view. Again the bill is level just as it is and should be in use.  No wonder the Lower neck is exposed when looking down, even when the string is properly secured as instructed. As I said earlier, had it not been for this flaw, I would have loved it. Bummer lol

[Ben Framed]

Looking closely, it would seem the design is a good one, I think the problem is the lack of quality control there in the factory where assembled. It seems the face screen is sewn in upside down, flip flopped if you will?  If so, no telling how many was improperly constructed, assembled and distributed all over the world. This is just my opinion. I do not have facts to back this up as I have not seen the patent blueprints.

[JurassicApiary]

Great post as always, Van. 

Jurassic, that shirt is hilarious! 

Haha, thanks 15th.

Here you will see the side view. Again the bill is level just as it is and should be in use.  No wonder the Lower neck is exposed when looking down, even when the string is properly secured as instructed. As I said earlier, had it not been for this flaw, I would have loved it. Bummer lol

Indeed, BF, wow, you can definitely see that the neck ring is not even all the way around.  No wonder you're neck is exposed!

Jurrassic, Where did you buy that veil in your pictures. I have a round veil that pulls down the front with wrap around string, but it exposes the back of the neck when wearing a tshirt, ie with out a collar on the shirt.

Bob, it was an Amazon find here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NDWFZJK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(The "Made in China" is not on the hat...it was for their picture only.)  Instead, the band actually says "Hunter Bee" and is stitched to the hat, but I'm sure it could be removed.

However, this one below looks to be exactly the same style and would be cheaper for most of you.  I bought the other one above because it shipped free to me here in Hawaii as it is prime.  This one below ships free to the lower 48 but they wanted almost $25 S&H to Hawaii so it was cheaper for me to buy the one above for $29 and get a bonus pair of gloves (which are a bit thin btw).

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Beekeeping-Bee-Maintenance-Goodland/dp/B01ERPFP5I/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=sunflower+beekeeper+hat&qid=1591717387&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-5