How many times a year do you get stung?

[oxnatbees]

I rarely open my hives and get about 6 stings a year. Mind you I always wear full protection, including gloves, because I've had a couple of nasty anaphylactic reactions (normally I barely notice them). But I hear stories of other beeks like "my arm begins going numb after 30 stings" so I am curious what the normal experience is? Obviously it will depend on number of hives.

 

[enrico]

As little as possible but it happens!
E

 

[B+.]

I rarely open my hives and get about 6 stings a year. Mind you I always wear full protection, including gloves, because I've had a couple of nasty anaphylactic reactions (normally I barely notice them). But I hear stories of other beeks like "my arm begins going numb after 30 stings" so I am curious what the normal experience is? Obviously it will depend on number of hives.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Anaphylaxis/
Anaphylaxis is a severe condition. NOT something you barely notice!

 

[oxnatbees]

Maybe I worded the question ambiguously - I have been on a desensitisation course. (Outraged to discover half the people who take them DO NOT FINISH, they commit to a 2 or 3 year course then drop out, cost the NHS something like £20k - £30k!) What I'm wondering is how many stings a year do other beeks get?

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Probably get around twenty a year, mostly accidental or stupidity and mostly hands/wrists.
ripped my gloves yesterday and had a few on my fingers, wrist had a couple while I changed offending glove, but we had moved the hives fifty mile and they had been closed up overnight.
Caught one on the temple last week bee flew in through open passenger window like an Exocet and straight onto my head, annoyingly while I was waiting at a set of traffic lights, not even my bee, but we did had a package of caged queens sat on the middle seat.
wobbled me for an hour, next day felt like I had drunk twenty pints the day before. Don't usually swell up or have any side effects but have taken the odd sting for forty years.

 

[madasafish]

Maybe I worded the question ambiguously - I have been on a desensitisation course. (Outraged to discover half the people who take them DO NOT FINISH, they commit to a 2 or 3 year course then drop out, cost the NHS something like £20k - £30k!) What I'm wondering is how many stings a year do other beeks get?

I only wear gloves when I have had 4-5 stings in a row..(Was taught by an old beek who only wore gloves when he has been stung rather more than that.) I do wear gloves with horrible hives.

Currently I am on 65 stings.
Last year total 127.
Worst year 229..or thereabouts.

I know I am a sad person counting my stings but I try to quantify most things in beekeeping... the scientifc method..combined with a mild OCD.

Yes they hurt but my body rarely reacts - except at season start and only mildly then.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Maybe one or two at each inspection, sometimes none.
Yesterday I got chased out of the apiary once i’d taken my suit off and took a glancing sting to the back of the neck.

 

[thedozzer]

Maybe I worded the question ambiguously - I have been on a desensitisation course. (Outraged to discover half the people who take them DO NOT FINISH, they commit to a 2 or 3 year course then drop out, cost the NHS something like £20k - £30k!) What I'm wondering is how many stings a year do other beeks get?

Its a how long is a piece of string answer, most people try and avoid it if they can.
Once or twice if i am rushing or being clumsy during an inspection, but have gone months without.

Did a very clumsy swarm collection last year when i dropped the nuc half way down the ladder, was only wearing jacket and got about 15+ on my legs & ankles plus the 10+ on my hands when the gloves ripped on the branches while removing them, luckily don't normally react very much, first time my hands have ever swelled up! don't intend to repeat in a hurry either

 

[Repwoc]

Only one this year so far. On the tip of my thumb - I think I trapped the bee with my thumb while lifting out the frame.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Three times so far, last year about five.

 

[monarda]

I only wear gloves when I have had 4-5 stings in a row..(Was taught by an old beek who only wore gloves when he has been stung rather more than that.) I do wear gloves with horrible hives.

Currently I am on 65 stings.
Last year total 127.
Worst year 229..or thereabouts.

I know I am a sad person counting my stings but I try to quantify most things in beekeeping... the scientifc method..combined with a mild OCD.

Yes they hurt but my body rarely reacts - except at season start and only mildly then.

Me too- usually gloveless. The only time I've ever collected enough stings to be slightly worried was when I first tried my hand at beekeeping (pre varroa so it was a few years ago ! ). Having had a couple of pints one lunchtime -I went to inspect my hives. Didn't get the chance to put a veil on before -whack !!!! about 20 stings on head and arms. Lesson learnt-beer is for after not before beekeeping activities .

 

[gmonag]

I only feel a sting when it gets through my defences (usually due to an error on my part). I assume you only counts stings when they hurt.

My suit takes a lot more than I do.

 

[StephenT]

I get stung through my marigolds about one in three inspections. When I started beekeeping just over a year ago my hand used to swell quite badly but hardly at all now. Had an uncomfortable experience when I wore some old gardening jeans to do an inspection with a hole in the crotch area. One of the ladies crawled up there and stung me on the inside of my thigh. Lesson learnt.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

So far four this year. I wear two pairs of nitriles and the stings have not been full on and the bees lived to brag about it later. Very little reaction.
First sting was to the back of the head when gardening early Spring - I came out in hives and was wobbly for a while. Not nice and caused a loss of confidence at the next inspections.

 

[pargyle]

Twice this year so far. One on my eyebrow when I was (stupidly) peering a bit too closely at one on the landing board and it came at me. The other one on the wrist when I was changing a nitile glove. The one on my eye was a bit of a beggar but I find that two antihistamine as soon as it has happened and some insect bite ointment on the spot very quickly and the reaction is hardly anything on my hands and arms and is tolerable elsewhere.

I suppose about between about 7 to 10 stings a season. Normally my stupidity or something clumsy I've done.

 

[madasafish]

I only feel a sting when it gets through my defences (usually due to an error on my part). I assume you only counts stings when they hurt.

My suit takes a lot more than I do.

Yes.. only when they hurt.. I tend to lose track of multiple stings.

I assist a number of other beekeepers and some of their hives have tempers I would not tolerate..

When I raise queens, any hive that runs, stings or swarms is requeened - as best as I can...But my queens are open mated so ....

 

[Codford]

About 5 -6 times a year. Usually hands/wrists.

 

[GuyNir]

50+ a year. Always windy and wet here... I think weather plays a big part.

 

[jeff33]

4 I think this year, mostly on the fingers through the glove so doesn't hurt much. One had me on the back of the hand last week after I had removed the gloves which caused a fair bit of swelling for 2 days.

Feisty hives get requeened at the first opportunity, although the only feisty one I have is very productive. I will put up with her til the end of the flow.

Requeening when they seem swarmy? Only if I am confident that it's not due to my poor beekeeping...

 

[Swarm]

Last year twice, brought bees home in the supers. One was under the lug, the other one flew up my shirt.
Not been stung this year …..Obviously, that's going to change now I suppose.