So I found this intriguing and went off to Google.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...TfVogec&sig=ziJcfNV9r7JT36omvVFe6zAkfA4&hl=en
This explains why inhalation of venom can be so effective.
The following talks extensively about bee venom. Section 7.11 talks about protective masks etc to avoid inhalation of bee venom as this could be very negative.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e18.htm
7.11
Caution
Collecting bee venom requires careful work with the highest degree of cleanliness,
since the venom will be injected directly without further processing or sterilization.
Protection of the collector against the disturbed bees and highly irritative dry venom is
very important, too. Since people up to several hundred meters away might get stung by the
highly irritated bees, further precautions at the time of collection in the apiary must be
considered.
When handling dry venom, laboratory gowns, gloves and face masks should be worn to
avoid getting venom dust into the eyes and lungs. All equipment should be carefully washed
afterwards. Contact between other people and contaminated material should be avoided
People who do not regularly handle bees, who only get stung occasionally or are exposed
occasionally to venom dust, run the risk of developing allergies.
Using bee stings for self-treatment of various diseases can be risky, because allcrgies
to bee venom can be developed quickly even after long periods of use. An emergency kit
(see section 7.7) or quick access to an emergency service should always be available. No
other side-effects have been reported, but regular supervision, check-ups and controls
should be continued with competent doctors trained in apitherapy.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2222.2000.00885.x/full
This actually mentions the risk with bee suits and beekeeper's families (but cannot get the specific section without payment so you'll just have to trust me on this one 8) )
And finally an easy explanation:
http://theweekendbeekeeper.com/tag/bee-venom/
So there does seem to be a lot of detailed and interesting research in this area.
All the best,
Sam
