Bee Stings ??

[Insy]

Hello

I went back to check on the baited hive outside the wall cavity a swarm went into yesterday and all i can say is complete and utter nightmare, there was now a bunch of bees next to the bait hive which i now have boxed but couldnt see the queen and im pretty good at seeing queens usually find mine every inspection.

But theres also many of them going in and out of the wall cavity to many to be nothing in there, i cannot get them out and owner doesnt want to pull it apart. So it looks like hes going to poison them but i told him ideally he needs the old comb out from last year and fill the cavity.

ANYWAY back on subject

During this nightmare of a process my suit got balled many times, never had this done to me and in process they tried stinging me many times thankfully only 1 managed to penetrate my gloves and sting me.

Really tiny amount of swelling not really noticable, stung like a right ..... and its a little sore when i touch it.

Is there anything i should now take into consideration as this is my first sting since i started, i heard people have taken bad turns after a second sting in a close peroid of time and that.

Thanks
Regards
Ben

 

[aberreef]

You can expect the sting site to swell and itch like crazy for a few days

Severe alergic reactions usually occur following the second dose of an allergen. The immune system remembers it was bad first time round and goes into overdrive on subsiquent exposure. This is rare but still possible so if you start to notice difficulty in breathing seek medical help asap.

 

[jackbee]

take some anti-histamine tablets, own brand are fairly cheap.

Sainsburys were doing 2-4-1 offers at the weekend if you prefer branded but own-brand were still cheaper.

Might be worth taking before you venture out if you do get a bad reaction

 

[Insy]

Ok i will go stock up on some of them tablets now , i usually have someone with me so if i do take a bad reaction least ill have someone to assist me.

My bees are never aggresive like this swarm my hat was covered in the little blights.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
Regards
Ben

 

[aberreef]

Ok i will go stock up on some of them tablets now , i usually have someone with me so if i do take a bad reaction least ill have someone to assist me.

My bees are never aggresive like this swarm my hat was covered in the little blights.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
Regards
Ben

You can never trust the little sods 100%. One of my queens failed last year and the colony turned from gentle to totally evil in a week

 

[AnotherNewBee]

Ok i will go stock up on some of them tablets now , i usually have someone with me so if i do take a bad reaction least ill have someone to assist me.

My bees are never aggresive like this swarm my hat was covered in the little blights.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
Regards
Ben

Read up on the signs, symptoms and treatment for severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Carry a mobile - make sure there's a signal near your apiary - and make sure you can use it with your gloves on! If you start feeling a severe reaction close the hive up, move away from it and - if you think it's more than 'just' a severe reaction don't hesitate to dial 999.

Remember that anaphylaxis is not common (about 1 in 1300 people) so be prepared to take action if you need to, but don't worry too much about it.

The buddy system is a very good idea. If it works for divers it'll work for beeks too.

 

[Insy]

Well my buddy is my old man he's always interested whats inside and like to look and such, so we getting him a suit also and hes gunna start reading what books i have.

Most my books ive been given are australian and new zealand i believe looool, but i bought the guide to honey and a coupel other ones so he has a collection.

I can use my phone with gloves on cause i took a video of the swarm as i couldnt see up the box without sticking head in so i used it to record and watch how the bees had formed .

I remember getting stung years ago when i was up a family members house in spalding as he had hundreds of hives and his garden was like bee paradise couldnt step out door without suit on. Didnt react bad then either but i suppose if you take a couple of hits at once could be worse .

Ill make sure ill take a printout on symptons with me aswell and give them to the land owners where bees are also so they know the ins and outs incase the bees do see red.

thanks
ben

 

[Headnavigator]

Suggest you get the 4-6 hour anti-histamines, and take one just before you go to the bees. Seems to pre-empt most unpleasant reactions to stings, faint pink mark is about the max.
However it won't stop a reaction if you're truly allergic.
Good luck

 

[Arfermo]

Sounds like you are fairly new to beekeeping. Assuming you get over this sting, you will find that quite soon stings become almost bearable. You feel the initial ping for certain but within minutes it wears off. The worst place to get stung, even though I am immune in normal circs, is on my ankle. One sod got inside my boot and did me a good 'un last week which swelled up for 3 days.