I got stung!!

[kazmcc]

Well it's right on the soft bit where it bends, and I have a purple vein that's come up. There is no dot, and no swelling, but it tingles a bit. All that fuss for all those years lol. I knew I could come here and have people actually recognise I've ACTUALLY been stung, because everyone here thinks I'm nuts for all the excitement! I always had that worry that the pain might not be for me and I'd have to quit. So it's celebration time! Over a sting? Yup

 

[chalkie]

Well it's right on the soft bit where it bends, and I have a purple vein that's come up. There is no dot, and no swelling, but it tingles a bit. All that fuss for all those years lol. I knew I could come here and have people actually recognise I've ACTUALLY been stung, because everyone here thinks I'm nuts for all the excitement! I always had that worry that the pain might not be for me and I'd have to quit. So it's celebration time! Over a sting? Yup

Stings to different parts of the body have different reactions, yesterday got stung on the wrist after a bee managed to get trapped under my marigolds, couldn't move the joint last night, not to bad today but still badly swollen, also received a sting under my armpit through the thin suit i had on, hurt like hell but no reaction/swelling just a tiny red mark.
Think you've been lucky

 

[keithgrimes]

My reaction to stings varies enormously (as will most people's I suspect). Sometimes nothing more than a nettle burn, sometimes really painful, sometimes itching for three dyas, sometimes no after effect at all. It depends on where I have been stung (the face can be really painful), how hard I've been stung (it can vary quite a bit, from a slight prick to a real hard jab, like when a bee gets trapped in a glove etc.) and how long the barb is in before I realise and brush it out. All par for the course which we all accept. Except of course those of us prone to anaphalaxys. Completely different story.

 

[keithgrimes]

One thing that most stings have in common. 99% of the time its my fault!

 

[drstitson]

"it's right on the soft bit where it bends, and I have a purple vein that's come up."

are we still talking stings?

 

[keithgrimes]

"it's right on the soft bit where it bends, and I have a purple vein that's come up."

are we still talking stings?

tsk tsk

 

[Firefly]

It's 34 years today since The King died.

Shortly after that, in Africa, I got my last-but-one bee-sting, from an enraged top-bar hive who knew very well that I hadn't a clue what I was doing, crawled down my wellie and pumped my ankle full of venom. I spent several days with my leg elevated and plasma weeping through the skin

That put me off until last year!

My first colony of my own stung me on the day I moved them from the nuc to the hive this spring - my clumsiness I'm sure. But good for me to discover that not every sting needs to be quite as dramatic! Since then they have been mortified with shame and behaved like angels (or they're biding their time )

 

[madasafish]

Whilst I sympathise with those who have just received their first sting , I find stings in my second year of beekeeping hurt just as much - or as little depending where the sting is- as my first year.

Piriton,hydrocortisone, pills , ointment seem to make no difference. My fingers are OK, my legs,stomach, neck, ears, and ankles don't really mind... but the back of my hands or my arms just swell up - usually the next day..

Even after 70plus# stings in 18 months, I react the same... (4 on Saturday at Association apiary... a difficult hive - all on fingers so OK..)

# I have given up counting...

 

[Phil280]

Congrats to first sting!

I think the nose has to be the most painful. Fore head, stomach, arms, legs, arm pits, kidney area were not as bad. Arm pit and stomach only came up as small bumps even though they were full on stings - they crawled up under my shirt. It took a while for me to get the sting out as I had to move away from the hives to get my shirt off

I wouldn't take medication just for the random chance of being stung. If you make sure you have a bottle of water with you and the tabs you can take them there and then...if you do get stung.

Greets Phil

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Phil, I'm pretty sure the medical advice is to take the anti-histamines at least 30 mins before you start an inspection if you suspect you may have a bad reaction to stings.
For me it's all academic as I am on ant-hists everyday for hayfever at this time of year.

 

[Headnavigator]

Just in passing, had two mossie bites this w/e with after-effects worse than bee stings!

 

[Phil280]

Hi there..

Generally you are right...but why would someone that has never been stung suspect such a bad reaction that would justify antihistamines to be taken b4 every inspection? There is no indication.

A swelling or an itch will go away or not turn out as bad even if you take the tablets after the sting.
Anti-Histamines reduce some of the allergic symptoms (swelling - esp. in the resp. tract, rash and itch) and/or some of the normal symptoms of a normal reaction.
My opinion: If you are allergic - take them.
If not, it's like taking antibiotics every time before going to a restaurant just in case the food is highly contaminated with salmonella, or taking paracetamol just for the actual possibility of getting a head ache - although you have never had one before.
I am allergic to bee venom. For the past year I have taken part in a desensitising programme and it seems to be going well.
I never take any medication before seeing my girls. At the beginning, every time I got stung I took an antihistamine tablet straight away. Only in one case ..multiple stings..did I add a cortisone tablet when the rash came up a good 10 minutes after the sting.
I have now stoped taking tablets even after being stung (because the desensitising seems to be working)...but only if I have someone with me that can help should I drop.

In the end it's everybody's personal choice I suppose...just makes no sense to me and may be something to think about.

Greets Phil

 

[kazmcc]

The thing is I am a wimp. I don't normally take any antis before inspecting, just when this certain person is with the group as he can be very clumsy. I understand it probably wasn't in for long, and the antis worked and it wasn't in a painful place, but as someone who has had a phobic fear of stinging insects most of their life, I am happy that I had a taste of how it feels and it wasn't that bad at all. I'm sure I'll get stings that swell and itch in the future, but at least I won't be worried about them now. I love beekeeping, and did worry that the pain would be so bad I'd be too scared to continue. That would have been horrible, but I am a big drama queen, and as I've already explained, a wimp so the thought was lurking at the back of my mind after every inspection. So this is a big deal. I now know it doesn't hurt half as much as I'd built it up to and can happily go about my bees without a care.

 

[Phil280]

Talking of stinging insects.
Another great thing about bee keeping - for me anyhow - I see my-pre-beek-self in other people. I used to hate wasps - they would freak me out.
Now I am cool about them. They can be annoying at times but they are part of the game and I have stopped frantically waving my arms about to get rid of them whilst looking like a total wally.

Greets
Phil

 

[beeatshellards]

until I got 2 wasp stings yesterday, really annoyed

 

[eric]

until I got 2 wasp stings yesterday, really annoyed

Well I slotted 400 wasps up to now since Sunday what I do is a wet super in the shed with the door open a wee tad then I just go in every half a hour I know its sad but it has been raining here lol

 

[drstitson]

"I understand it probably wasn't in for long"

are we still talking about stings?







i'll get my coat.

 

[Drew]

"I understand it probably wasn't in for long"

are we still talking about stings?

You always bring it down with smut and innuendo.......

Well done! Keep it up! (Fnaar Fnaar)

 

[PuckUk]

vinegar !!

 

[aberreef]

Anti histamines before ach visit for me from now on I think. I got clobbered on my forearm on monday and suffering quite badly still, it's by far the worst sting I've had (actualy found 4 sting holes but only saw 1 bee)

My arm has swollen reallybadly from my elbow to wrist and has pitting oedema (fluid build up that leaves a dent when you press the skin) which is driving me nuts