Bee venom therapy

[Drifter]

I have a firend with cancer in advanced stages . She now wants to try bee venom therapy and I would like to help her all I can .

My question is how to go about getting bees for her from my hive in winter ? Would an observation hive work best ? Would the colony die off from openning the hive in cold weather ? Iknow they are in cluster now .

Drifter

[BerkeyDavid]

Drifter

Great of you and your bees to help out your friend http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

WHile I have never done it, here is what I would try:

Build a simple box 8" square. On one side cover it with clear plexiglass instead of wood. The other sides can all be made of anything. On a side adjacent to the Plexiglass side (the bottom) cut a hole big enough for her hand to go in.

Then make a door to cover the hole, screw one corner of the door to the bottom so it will pivot to cover the hole.

Then put this, with the door open, over the inner cover and wait for some bees to come up into it. When they do, just slide the door closed and then you can use this box to deliver the venom.

To encourage the bees to come up into the venom box, you might put an empty super above the inner cover with some honey laden or extracted frames with some syrup.

I have a hive with an empty super and am having them clean up some frames i somehow missed and they still are moving up, especially on warmer days, to clean up the frames. The empty super will still give them some protection from the wind and you could leave the venom box there inside the empty super for a day or so, checking it every so often. Might be a better way to do it, I am sure some of the veterans will have some good ideas.

good luck and best wishes to your friend.

david

[BILLY BOB]

I have no idea if you will be able to do this where you are but it worked for me last year.

You will need a Dust Buster and a quart jar.

Put some type of bee feed in the bottom of the quart jar. Queen candy works well or just take some powder sugar and mix it with the honey until it’s no longer sticky. I like to put some type of screen inside the jar to give the bees something to cling too. An old piece of honey comb works even better. Use some type of screen or punch a lot of holes in the top of the jar.

Take the “Dust Buster” and a quart jar, go out to your hive and pop the top. If it’s cold outside and the bees are clustered in the hive just give it a few nocks on the side. This will send a few bees to the top without breaking the cluster up too bad. If you need to take the super off to get closer (but not breaking the cluster) then it’s ok. Suck the bees into the dust buster. When you feel you have enough (about 50 to 100) turn the dust buster off and close the top of the hive back up. Empty the bees into the quart jar and you’re done.

Give the jar to your friend and tell them to take the jar out side and open it about once a week if it’s warm enough (above 50ish) and let the bees fly so they can go to potty. The bees will return to the jar! They have no where else to go. If they let the bees fly like this they will live much longer. OH, don't pu the jar in direct sun light.

BB

[nursebee]

I am in favor of trying to help her in any way possible.

Grief stages are:
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
I think well explained by the late Elizabeth Kubler Ross. As you help with "alternative" therapies consider how you can best serve your friend. Perhaps talk to some cancer experts, folks that deal with hospice.

Personally I would ask for a cigarette....

[Drifter]

I thank the ones that have responed to my question . One way or another my friend and I will beat this disease .

She is one heck of a fighter and still walks 2 miles a day .This person is in stage 8 of breast cancer . She is a professional respitory therapist .

Drifter

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Some can learn by others mistakes , others have to whizz on the electric fence for themslves .

[topbee]

Drifter,

I have a lady who has been coming to the bee yard for a couple of years now to get bees for here daughter. Her daughter has severe M.S. and she said this is her last chance to give her some relief and it's working.

Regarding the bees and accessing the hive, we have just opened the lid and robbed a few bees and closed them back up. Get a cooler and have a hot water bottle inside to keep it warm. When you put the jar of bees in the cooler they become active very quickly.

Good Luck!

Tony

[al coble]

You may want to contact the Bee Lady. She treats her own MS.
http://www.olg.com/beelady/

or check out her forum:
http://beelady.conforums2.com/index.cgi

[Drifter]

Thanks a bunch fro the link to her site .

Drifter

[jjgbee]

I have a feeder hole in center of top cover with rotating tin door. I slide the lid open, run a small stick between the frames to get bees attention if needed. Place a pint canning jar over the hole and scrape it around on the top cover. The agitated bees move up into the jar. Slide cover hole door closed, slide a flat canning lid between cover and jar. Now you have your bees captured. To handle bees for BVT, put jar in refrigerator until bees go still 42 degree F. Dump a few bees out and hold by wings. They will warm up and start flexing stinger. Wala, you are ready to administer BVT. If you are still within 1 mile of your hive, set jar with remaining bees, with lid open in sun to warm and they will fly home if temp is 50 f or above.

[JC]

I thank the ones that have responed to my question . One way or another my friend and I will beat this disease .

She is one heck of a fighter and still walks 2 miles a day .This person is in stage 8 of breast cancer . She is a professional respitory therapist .

Drifter

------------------
Some can learn by others mistakes , others have to whizz on the electric fence for themslves .

http://www.hacres.com/home/home.asp

The most powerful medicine for me has been eating raw food, especially raw vegetables. I am eating 50% raw food now and I will soon be eating 100% raw food. I have reduced my medication by 1/3 and when I eat 100% raw food I am able to completely get off of all medication.

[space bee]

Have you checked out www.apitherapy.org ? They can probably help you with the nuts and bolts of this.
All the best!