Newbees sting

[Drinkstone]

The question was asked should a newbee endeavout to get stung before keeping bee's some time back! This gave rise to some debate. Just for the record I got my first sting today and although previous stings by wasps have blown me up like a ballon the bee sting has cracked me between the eyes and caused very little effect apart from the feeling you get when the dentists anaesthetic starts to wear off sort of heavy and swollen.
So this confirms (so far) what folks have said that a wasp and bee sting can create very different reactions.

 

[ashleybee]

i had about a dozen wasp stings in one hit all on the same arm last year and it was agony but with bees i get no reaction at all.

 

[Juststarting]

Drinkstone - dont mean to worry you, but I don't get any reaction for stings until 5-12 hr after when they swell up horribly, hopefully tis wont happen to you but just be aware in case any swelling limits your vision

 

[peteinwilts]

bee stings and wasp stings and like chjalk and cheese.

wasp stings are alkaline, bee stings are acid.

obviously there will be varying degrees of toxin injected during a sting which is why you rub a bee sting and not pull it out to avoid squeezing more toxin into the skin.

I have had nearly thirty stings in one go... another chap had one and ended up in hospital.
Another factor is WHERE you are injected. Apart from a lump, stings on the head have not affected me much, whilst a sting on the armpit irritated for days.

 

[drstitson]

sting on back of ear last night - swelled up a bit immediately but mostly goen by morning BUT swelling had by then tracked across to face resulting in partially closed eye.

 

[Drinkstone]

Great comments and interesting I would expect people interested in beekeeping look for just this sort of conversation, six hours have passed and all ok which means no change still there but not concerning me. Have been in the apiary with a lawmower since then and bees didnt bother much, which may mean they get really annoyed when inspected! I know I would if someone was pulling my house apart.

 

[SixFooter]

Actually, if this is the first sting, you should keep worrying until after your SECOND one.
See what happens then.

 

[MAZ]

I had my fourth sting last week and it took 19 hrs to take affect. I was stung on the eye lid and the next day it was sealed shut. Previous stings had little affect.

 

[Drinkstone]

Thanks Maz....something for me to look forward to!!!

 

[avatrol]

After my first summer with my bees I had my share of stings but found that my reaction become progressively worse with two small stings to my arm through my suit late in the summer leading to my whole arm swelling for a week and itching like mad. Spoke to the doc who told me to stop keeping bees. Nope.


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[milkermel]

personally i swear by the homeopathic rubbish ! Having had a sting swell badly and none of the antihistamins working I guessed nothing ventured. What i find it does is stops me wanting to ich the site and in turn that seems to stop it spreading. and being a big swelling. same as everyone else though it seems to take 12 -24 hours before it becomes an issue.

 

[Silly Bee]

Stings in different parts affect me very differently.

Hands, almost no effect, ear, ouch. back of the neck, minor itching.