Sting potency and time of year?

[King bee apiary]

Did a cut-out this weekend,largest hive in a wall I've ever seen.Three foot wide by ten foot high, solid bees everywhere..

I know this is the wrong time of the year for removals but this was an emergency ,a tree top had fallen on the power lines to the house and knocked down the pole and meter. The repair contractors would not work around the bees..

Anyway now to the topic:
I was stung twice this day and showed no signs at all, now a day later one sting is red puffy and very itchy. Never have had a reaction before at all.
Could the winter venom be stronger than the normal summer version? Or am I crazy?

[Dale Hodges]

Is it possible you havn't been stung in awhile and you imunity is down, seems like the first ones of the year are the stingingest?

[Dale Hodges]

stingingest???:o

[bleta12]

Did a cut-out this weekend,largest hive in a wall I've ever seen.Three foot wide by ten foot high, solid bees everywhere..

I know this is the wrong time of the year for removals but this was an emergency ,a tree top had fallen on the power lines to the house and knocked down the pole and meter. The repair contractors would not work around the bees..

Anyway now to the topic:
I was stung twice this day and showed no signs at all, now a day later one sting is red puffy and very itchy. Never have had a reaction before at all.
Could the winter venom be stronger than the normal summer version? Or am I crazy?

No, you are not crazy.
I have a preaty open approach to stinging, I dont use gloves, rarely use the veil an I get stung and I think I tolerate bee stinging a lot.

When I get stung in the spring or early winter, I am less tolerant.
I think we get that tolerance by being exposed often to the stings, which does not happen in winter months, so we loose a bit of that tolerance and regain again being exposed more during the active months.
As far as the different potency of the bee venom, I dont have any data either way.

Gilman

[Chef Isaac]

first stings of the year hurt!!!!

[Joseph Clemens]

Since I get stung almost every week, year-round, I've never noticed any particular time of year when stings are especially bothersome.