[Konrad]

My theory is, get yourself stung ones in a while, it's good, so you can get your resistance up!
I like to work without gloves, and Veil at times, so they can nail me ones in a while.
Konrad

 

[Pugs]

Everything I've read says that Benadryl (sp?) helps.

While I was hiving the swarm, one of my dogs got stung yesterday on the paw. She was limiping and holding the paw up. I gave her half a Benadryl and an hour later she was fine, and is fine today as well.

Pugs

 

[artic]

Chef Isaac just wondering, but how many times have you been stung before recently and yet still have such a reaction?

Pugs, My dog has been having a bit of seasonal allergies, which brought my vet to the subject of bee stings (she does not know I keep bees), she said I could give my 54 pound mutt up to two pills at a time. I’m glad to know it is actually effective.

 

[KyBee]

My vet told me that most dogs tolerate Benadryl really well. I did have one dog (a 100-lb rottie) that did not. It was not an allergy exactly, but it made him kinda mean. He was not a mean dog. Was a big pussycat. So much so that the vet himself suggested breeding this dog because of his temperament. But he was growling and a bit agitated when given Benadryl. Vet said that's very unusual and it works really well for dogs for flea allergies and such. Calms the itching.

A word of caution as a disclaimer though: this is not true of all human meds, such as ibuprofen and tylenol. Bad for dogs unless the vet says so.

 

[Chef Isaac]

Artic: This is the first time that I have had such a reaction. All other times, I have got the stingers out quick but I think this time all the venom was injected.

 

[Neubee]

Take some benadryl. It makes all the difference. I got stung on the nose once and took some of it and it worked great. I got the stinger out pretty quick though.

APK

 

[Whitey]

It is the difference between leaving the stinger in and taking it out. Find a plantain plant and chew the leaves and put it on the sting as a poultice.

 

[Joel]

Chef, the 1st thing you should do is clean the area thorougly with ketchup. Ok I'll stop kidding you about that, it just struck me as FUNNY. Localized reactions to stings are common in the beginning. I had areas that swelled up like ballons and itched for days. Your hands,face and certain private areas are the worst and may never become "immune".! It is kind of important to get your stings on a regular basis. People who get stung occaisionally tend to become more reactive. Your reaction should get better over time until you have almost no reaction at all. (the stings still hurt like the dickens though) I've watched several beekeepers go through this. My dad actually had remote reaction(hives, breating difficulties and such) when he 1st. started which is of very high concern. Luckily his reactions went the right direction and he know has no reactions. Anyone can have a serious reaction at any time though and you should be prepared. I always carry benedryl which probably saved my father the 1st time he got stung 12 times because he forgot to zip his veil. My experiance is that once you get into the sting regimen you either get noticbly less reactive or clearly more reactive. It is not a bad idea to have and epi-pen in the early stages (or at any time) although few people are actually "allergic" to stings. If you're not gasping for air your off to a good start. I read of large scale beekeepers who actually invenomate new employees slowly over a period of a couple of weeks to build up resistance. Keep in mind the "Magic Sting" which could come at any time after resitance is achieved and cause an anaphylatic reaction and possbily death. At any rate don't be too concerned but don't take any remote reaction(any systemic reaction away from the site of the sting) lightly. I dated a girl in high school who had anahpylatic reactions and she got stung once and I did not recognize her by the time we got to hospital 10-15 minutes later minutes later!

 

[Malcolm McNabb]

Hello
When I first started i would get alot of stings on the hands and fingers, accidently pinching a lady or just being rough/clumsy. Those would bother me the thicker skin the venom couldnt come out and they would have a tiny blister that would be sensitive.
After a few years now it hurts to get stung but now little if no reaction occurs. I got stung on the arm last weekend around 11 and by 3 I couldnt even see where I got stung I had to really look to see where it happened, red dot.

My wife was in the back yard and got a sting on the back through the shirt,she had a golf ball size welt there. She has only been stung twice she doesnt help with the bees.

I do keep a Epipen here and it stays in my bucket of bee tools , You never know what could happen.
The most times I ever got stung was around 50. I popped the top on one the hives in the backyard, that had become queenless . I did have a veil on but no gloves and just a t shirt . When I got to the brood chamber and started pulling frames they came at me and got me pretty good. I went in and suited up and put them back together. After that i told my neighbor just in case the wife wasnt home . I went in took a benadryl and waited on any reaction . All I got was some localized swelling and alot of itching.
The worst part was the wife coming home and the lecture I got for messing with the bees by myself.
Personally I think after a few years you become more immune to the stings, in my humble opinion.

Malcolm

 

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I have been getting between one and ten stings per week. I've only been using a bug baffler reciently and stingers will go through the net and into bare skin underneith. I don't usually try to pull the stingers out.

My reactions have been minimal, a ittle swelling about half an inch, no redness and gone in about three hours. Until yesterday.

I went to inspect a house that I was to do a cut out in today. While prying out a couple of boards I got nailed twice on the arm and got a 3 x 4 inch swollen patch that turned red and swollen and is still sore today.

I got nailed once while doing the cut out this evening and the same reaction is occuring. I am of the opinion that this strain of bees has a more potent venom. I knew they were going to be particularly nasty to work with, and they were.

I was wondering if anyone else has that same opinion?

 

[Morris]

Isaac,

Also consider HOW the offending bee got access to your thigh in the first place. Check the pocket area. It may be open. If so, sew it up to prevent the same problem in the future.

 

[beedeetee]

At least once a year, I get a bee or two that walks up between my clothes and suit and eventually gets into my zipped on veil with me.

It is kind of funny, because I have never been stung by one of these bees. It seems like by the time they get into the veil, they can't remember what they were upset about and only want to get out.

 

[citybee]

Has anyone tried the homeopathic remedy Apis for stings? Did it work? I plan to keep it on hand to try once my package arrives. The one time I have been stung so far I only had a good reaction. I was very stuffy with allergies and was stung on the nose. I have not been stuffy since then......thanks bee.

 

[Louise]

I have a sting kit that includes benedryl and epipens (child and adult) and Apis homeopathic. I have it in a 200C potency and a 30C. If I get multiple stings or a sting in a nasty place, I take the 200C a couple times within the first hour and then move to the 30C. If it is a mild sting I just do the 30C. It definitely helps keep the reaction minimal and gives me less of that poisoned feeling I get on the second/third day if I've been nailed good.

 

[jack D]

when I get stung threw my gloves my hand or fingers will swell and eitch a little for a day or two but if the bee gets under my vale or in my close I swell up pretty bad and it's 3 or 4 days befor the swalling goes away and benedryl doesn't help Did anyone else react like this and with more stings the reaction get less

 

[Deano]

hi all, I bought some of that denver sting stopper & it works well .put it on and no pain

 

[Michael Bush]

I have the same experience with plantain and it's free and grows in my yard.