Another cautionary tale! Always wear your protective gear!

[malawi2854]

Hello all,

I've always been quite good about wearing my protective gear - I never open up my bees without my jacket, veil and gloves on.

I'll be honest, and say I don't really bother with the trousers - I tend to wear jeans, which seem to offer perfectly adequate protection.

I always used to be very good about wearing wellies too. Until recently.

My bees swarmed on Friday - around midday - when I got there, they had already settled in a tree. I put on the jacket (and trousers this time!), but no wellies - up the tree I went, caught the swarm, but got stung on my ankle.

I didn't think too much of it - it bloomin' hurt, but the symptoms went away after 15 minutes or so, as is usual with me.

However, the following evening - a good 24-36hrs later, my ankle began to go red... then purple, then swell.

It continued to swell, and get progressively more painful as the days went by - until I gave in, and went to A+E yesterday morning.
I was kept in overnight and most of today, on a course of IV antibiotics, to clear up what had become cellulitis (pretty much just an infection).
I now have a selection of antibiotics I have to take for the next week - but hey, at least I can walk again... kind of

Not directly related to the sting - but I can assure you, I won't be going near the bees again without my wellies on!

Just thought I would share!

 

[freethorpe bees]

Thanks Steve, glad you are on the mend, a tale worth sharing! I now have three layers, plus wellies. If they can get through that, good luck to them!

 

[Dishmop]

How do you stop them getting into wellies tho?

 

[freethorpe bees]

Wear two pairs of trouser plus your bee suit and there's no room to get in!

 

[Silly Bee]

And they tend to go up, not down.

 

[malawi2854]

And they tend to go up, not down.

Quite agree - I wear my jeans, tucked into my wellies, and have never seen a bee even look remotely interested in walking down there!

If you really felt like it, you could tuck your jeans/trousers into your socks too - that way, the worst they could do would be to get to your feet... but as Silly Bee says, they do tend to walk up!

 

[Ceph]

You might think I'm a bit mad for suggesting this but you may have been bit by a midge at a similar time to a bee sting.

Have you got running water near you?

You can get cellulitis off many things of course but I've had nasty bites off flies that only antibiotics work on, bee stings are usually ok. Saying that they can be a bit lumpy and not nice for a while but don't get infected.

Once went to the docs with a nasty bite and there was a girl training to be a GP, she identified the bite as a river fly or midge as she had studied it as part of biology degree. I've since proven this correct. Now know what little fellas react with me.

Not that I can put insect repellant on much since I wander into the bees!!!

 

[victor meldrew]

Same thing happened to me years ago

I've always thought the infection was caused by the bee stinging my ankle through my socks , I don't know whether to blame the dye or the state of my socks

John Wilkinson

 

[Dishmop]

And they tend to go up, not down.

and what if they fall down there?

 

[Hughesie]

I came home tonight and as I was taking off my wellies I got stung on the instep ......... bloody painfull

 

[Dishmop]

I wear those police type crime scene suits over the top of my bee suit.

Keeps everything out... Elastic cuffs and legs and keeps your suit clean..

CSI Beehive...

 

[malawi2854]

and what if they fall down there?

Panic?

 

[DorsetB]

"And they tend to go up, not down."

Not so, see my post on the Apis Horribilis thread, went down my wellies and got stung dozens of times on the leg.

To all you guys who wear lots of layers - don't you end up sweating like crazy? I get hot enough in my suit with a t shirt and shorts underneath!

 

[malawi2854]

If my recent experience is anything to go by... give me sweaty any day!

The air has turned rather blue around me each morning over the last few days!

 

[Ceph]

Oh another point;

Don't go swimming or dangling your swollen ankles in a pool, the chlorine reacts with the bite (poss sting?) to give you cellulitis.

Nasty!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I dropped a frame onto my husbands leg once and masses of bees went down his welly.....he wasn't best pleased. He still helps me though,bless him.
One of my hives swarmed last week and we managed to hive them without protective gear. Silly girl...I thought they'd fly away immediately
A goodly number flew back to the tree and I scooped quite a few handfuls away with my bare hand. An absolutely wonderful feeling.I was probably very lucky though and I don't think I'll ever do it again.

 

[Dishmop]

and I scooped quite a few handfuls away with my bare hand.

Not aggressive because they have no hive or honey to protect....

 

[victor meldrew]

I have noticed at the point of swarming, some of the milling throng become agitated and will sting !! Whether these stroppy ones are of the swarm, of the parent hive or from other colonies within the apiary fearing invasion?

John Wilkinson

 

[terryme]

My husband does not react badly to stings on his face, neck, leg - anywhere really except the back of his hand. If he gets a sting there - twice now - it swells right up. His hand balloons and then it creeps up his arm and the swelling increases up to his elbow! Really odd, the Dr was bemused and so now he has strong anti-histamines for those stings. Wonder why just there?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not aggressive because they have no hive or honey to protect....

Yes, that's the theory. But you know what they say about bees.............
I must admit it was a lovely feeling, like wearing a buzzy furry glove with all that latent stinging power