First sting!

[redpola]

All my fault - stood too near the flight path, being nosey as to what was happening at the front of the hive (see other post) and sudden sharp pain on my hand. Looked down to see one of the girls attached to me for a moment and then fly off.

Mixed feelings - sad that it was my fault that a bee died, but happy that I've finally been stung and now know what to expect.

For what it's worth (maybe another new keeper is as uptight as I was about being stung for the first time in years), I removed the sting within a minute, it literally stung for another minute, and about ten minutes later I couldn't notice any pain any more. Very little swelling and now, six hours later, but for an ache in my joint (the sting was just on my wrist), I wouldn't know I had been stung.

I'm now much closer to having the confidence to go glove-free and therefore be less likely to drop frames, squash bees and generally be ham-fisted. Hooray!

Neil.

 

[Flatters]

Hi Neil
The first sting certainly sharpens the mind.
The stings I get vary so much; I was stung today on the thumb pad collecting a swarm and now I have hardly any sign. A month ago, on the arm, and my arm swelled up quite large but no pain. A few months previous stung by my eye and I looked like elephant man.

No help at all as to whether you are immune to stings, see how it goes.

 

[Illo]

Not as bad as you think, is it? I took one on the lip after hiving a swarm then going back too early to be nosey. First an last sting so far. Serves me right really. Who needs collagen implants?!

 

[beeatshellards]

ooh it was bound to happen sooner or later, stings on the hand dont affect me but moving some bees from a shed this week I got stung on the back of my neck , came up like a ball, really painful...

 

[redpola]

Hah, the chap I bought my nuc from said that 2 days before I went to pick them up he was stung under the eye and it came up like a billiard ball. And he's 30 years of experience over mine.

The main thing for me is that I'm now not in the least bit wary of being stung. I know I'll get worse or better ones but at least I've a ballpark experience and (probably importantly) know that I'm not allergic in any way (though that was unlikely - I'm quite boring in that respect).

I actually was stung whilst trying to spot what was happening as a couple of wasps were killing my bees in front of the hive. Little buggers.

I suppose it's all part and parcel of "the job".

Neil.

 

[redpola]

Maybe this could be another sideline for beekeepers? Natural temporary swellings for the terminally vain?

 

[onriver]

might be worth thinking about taking off any rings you have on your fingers before inspecting though - any localised swelling and thats your wedding ring needing a cut off.....
not happened to me so far but I've come close!
I agree with previous postings in that some stings produce nowt but a bit of itching but a sting in the wrong place can make you an embarrassment at parties

 

[666bees]

Bugger that idea of no gloves, you will soon change your mind went you encounter some nasty bees, and then the next time you inspect they are fine. Thought about that at first until inspected one of my hives on a lovely day and got 50+ stings on my gloves. The next time they were fine.

 

[redpola]

Maybe so! I think I should give it a try though. At the moment the gloves are really annoying me.

 

[madasafish]

I keep without gloves normally. But when housing swarms, I don't. Two swarms ago, I counted over 30 stings on marigolds. Was at Association apaiary yesterday and the big peril of no gloves was evident: propolis all over hands..

I started keeping last year and counted stings. This year I don't bother.. I thought I was gaining some immunity but after being stung once on soft part of finger, swollen this am..

Never mind, it's kharma..

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Maybe so! I think I should give it a try though. At the moment the gloves are really annoying me.

Before you go gloveless, just remember that one sting may cause no reaction but 20 could be very serious.
I don't normally have bad reactions at all, but I once got 4 stings on my ankle and couldn't walk for 2 days afterwards.

 

[MrB]

Maybe so! I think I should give it a try though. At the moment the gloves are really annoying me.

perhaps the wrong gloves, i wear gloves, i have never dropped a frame and they don't cause me to squash bee's. it did however take several types of glove for me to find the ones i like.

 

[enrico]

Please don't be too quick to take off your gloves. You need more than one sting to make you that brave. If you have two handfulls of frames and you get stung once on a bare hand the other bees will attack that area and before you know it you will be throwing the frames and running. You need loads more experience of stings before you do something stupid.
Please think carefully and if you insist on going gloveless have a helper who can put the hive back together if you have to withdraw!!!! And that#s with thirty years experience of keeping bees.

 

[region2]

I think 'surgical' gloves are the way forward - all the feel but none of the mess.
With thicker gloves available for when bees go 'bad'!
Also, if you're doing it right then you'll be rinsing off your tools between hives and washing soda isn't good for your skin!!!

R2

 

[Cazza]

For what it's worth (maybe another new keeper is as uptight as I was about being stung for the first time in years), I removed the sting within a minute, it literally stung for another minute, and about ten minutes later I couldn't notice any pain any more. Very little swelling and now, six hours later, but for an ache in my joint (the sting was just on my wrist), I wouldn't know I had been stung.


Neil.

That would be the normal pattern for me. It's the next day that I swell up balloonlike and itch to pieces. How about you one day on?
Cazza

 

[pandtpoultry]

wow glove free? I got a horse fly bite 2 days ago and still have a very bad leg, i dress up like the mitchelin man, yes hot but love my bees. If i did not kit up fully then i am 100% sure beekeeping would not be something for me.
I plan to keep bees for 30 years (only in 2nd year) but I plan to do this sting free

 

[Tom_Pearce]

My mentor who has several years experience of beekeeping was due to come over last week, and phoned to say that he had been stung, had a reaction, and was in hospital; it is quite possible to develop an allergy to bee stings after a time with no problems (just as it seems possible to become 'immune' to them). It also seems that, as other members have commented, where you get stung makes a great difference, and some stings are much worse than others, perhaps because the venom gets into an area of the body with a better blood supply or because the area is more prone to swelling (like the face). I still think that caution is in order although, like you, I was delighted that my first sting caused little more than a little discomfort for a short time. Enjoy the bees, and best wishes,

Tom

 

[Swarm]

Well I think it's very much a lottery, some stings are a minor inconvenience (often the first) and others can be very painful.

Removing a super last week, I was stung on the top of my head (must remember a hat after a haircut) which caused a bit of swelling and a bit hot. I was also stung on the inside of my upper arm, about 3" above my elbow, which again was a bit sore and hot. On day two my arm began to swell and a deep throbbing pain kicked in and was enough to keep waking me through the night. The swelling reached half way down my forearm, was tight and itchy and has finally gone after six days. The pain in the crook of my arm is still there like a really bad bruise and bending my arm is still painful.

So it's a bit like Forest Gump said about life and chocolates ..."You never know what you're gonna get."

 

[MartinL]

Sticky Fingers?

Was at Association apaiary yesterday and the big peril of no gloves was evident: propolis all over hands..

Baby powder stops propolis from sticking to your fingers, and they also seem to like it!

 

[Dilligaf]

Had my first sting last Saturday, Cutting the lawn & felt something in my hair, went to brush whatever it was away & felt the sting in the back of my head. (Really should concentrate when mowing the lawn instead of singing along to Pink Floyd). It's amazing how little hair a bee can get tangled in. Sting removed by a laughing SWHBO, didn't hurt after 10 mins , but took a week for the swelling to go down.
Yesterday, I was having a look in the hive & felt a sharp pain in the finger, One of the little beggars had taken a dislike to me. Scraped the sting out & forgot about it (Through marigolds too). Breakfast time this morning, there is a white dot on the pad of my middle finger, surrounded by red swelling & the finger is too tender to type with. (No, I'm not typing at the breakfast table, this is later, before the Grand Prix.)
You never can tell.