Normal sting reaction

[busybee53]

Got several stings on Sunday but not all reacted the same. Guess because of differing amounts of venom but made me think.

What amount of swelling is regarded as a normal reaction? For example a sting between the knuckles led to swelling up to my wrist.

The other hand had two stings which I did not even notice till the following day. If I had only got those I would have thought that I was at last aquiring immunity. How many stings over what period is needed to do so?

Any one got any experience?

 

[Poly Hive]

It is entirely individual, and the real sting in the tail is the next one, can be totally different, I keep an eye on mine as should everyone.

PH

 

[BeeMoustashe]

personally I find it varies depending on where i get stung.

Back of hand and it swells like a balloon. Fingers, it's localised pain for a day then gone, everywhere else a red itchy patch for 2-3 days.

Also have a feeling stings are worse when bees are more angry... as if the venom has more potency when they're propery riled. Just a casual observation and nothing at all scientific about that I hasten to add

 

[busybee53]

P.H. Yes I know to keep an eye on them. But what am I looking for? What would you think is reasonable (in yourself) and what would make you think of calling the doctor?

 

[E1M]

I took pride in the fact that I had never been stung, by a bee at least, until last week.
Foolishly, I decided to mow the lawn by our hives, without wearing a suit, in fact I just had on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.
Four stings later, nd only after about twenty seconds, I was running around like a dervish.
Flapping, waving, swatting.
Neighbours in the nursing home opposite must have thought they had a new customer!
Anyway, all that happened was that I had four stings, three on one foot ankle and leg and one on the other leg. They all turned angry red and were a little sore.
ADVICE: Always grow Aloe Vera.
I cut a leaf off and squeezed the juices onto my stings and...............hey presto.......... relief.
I would not profess to say it is a cure, it needs to be reapplied.
NOTE: Grow more Aloe Vera!
For me at least, the result was not bad, and my skin is looking good.

 

[MartinL]

.........Foolishly, I decided to mow the lawn by our hives, without wearing a suit, in fact I just had on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt.
Four stings later, nd only after about twenty seconds, I was running around like a dervish.

I've found it's familiarity that breeds contempt.
Just when I think "yea, I'll be ok with this one"... ouch! Bo**@cks, why did I do that?

NB * I try to always chew an antihistamine but then the reaction is still totally varied ;
Arms, neck and legs = stings yes but later, no more than a gnat bite.
Hands & Fingers = swells and itches like mad for at least two days.
Face = Elephant man

I got one on the top of my head, right in the middle, my forehead swelled till I looked like a Klingon!

 

[MandF]

P.H. Yes I know to keep an eye on them. But what am I looking for? What would you think is reasonable (in yourself) and what would make you think of calling the doctor?

If it starts affecting your throat/face/breathing. As Beemoustache said, reactions vary depending on where you are stung, and how much venom gets in.

I have been stung on the finger and it has swollen and I have felt it itching up my arm later on.

Other times I have been stung on the finger and nothing at all.

 

[Chris Luck]

Very little reaction for me other than initially.

In head = sharp needle pain, perhaps 30 mins.

In face = sharp sting, not for long.

Hands, arms, ankles, legs. = sharp burning perhaps 15 mins.

Multiple stings 4 or more in one spot can cause some minor swelling for perhaps 24 hours.

20 stings or so isn't an issue for now and I couldn't even hazard a guess how many I have in a season.

I take no medicines or other treatments, (just like my bees).

So there you have it, it's individual and I guess I'm lucky.

Chris

 

[Poly Hive]

For me?

There was a time I got stung a great deal more than I do now, and I am talking thousands in a season and my reactions now are consistent with that experience or dosage.

On the arms hands and legs, a minor pain and minor irritation.

On the head and ankles a far sharper pain which can last to the next day and a local swelling esp on the forehead.

If I get a stronger reaction than normal I take Benadryl, and use Benadryl cream. About a half dozen times a year if not less I use them.

PH

 

[meidel]

I think it depends on the age of the bee which stings you - a guard bee's sting is most likely to be the one from which you'd get a really bad reaction no matter if you scrape the sting off almost immediately you felt it. A house bee's sting on the other hand (no pun intended) is unlikely to react worse than a bit of an itch.

 

[Chris Luck]

What about foragers in your opinion?

Chris

 

[meidel]

What about foragers in your opinion?

Chris

To hazard a guess, somewhere in between?

 

[busybee53]

Recon I need a bit of gaffer tape over the entrance to keep them guard bees in then.

Thanks for all the info so far. More or less what I hoped but when you are looking at your stung hand etc. with no one else to compare it does make you wonder what is normal and what is not. Glad you are all here for me. It's a nice feeling knowing there are people to ask. Thanks again.

 

[fincaazul]

Got several stings on Sunday but not all reacted the same. Guess because of differing amounts of venom but made me think.

What amount of swelling is regarded as a normal reaction? For example a sting between the knuckles led to swelling up to my wrist.

The other hand had two stings which I did not even notice till the following day. If I had only got those I would have thought that I was at last aquiring immunity. How many stings over what period is needed to do so?

Any one got any experience?

Apiary member who does not like wearing a full bee suit, preferring his veil and BLACK trousers (never had any problem in 20 years) got multiple stings around the crotch area on july 21st, including one to left testicle. He was understandably subdued. At meeting on 28th appeared in full bee suit and now walking normally. good job his family is complete.

 

[Chris Luck]

I can see this is something else that needs a proper study requiring grants of several hundred thousand pounds / euros per annum, possibly more to make 100% certain that we are all different, live in different areas, have different bees , eat different food, take different drugs / treatments or not, receive stings at different times of day / year, all of which will probably determine what is a "normal" reaction to being stung by a honey bee.

Chris

 

[Poly Hive]

The only sting in the tale is who is going to volunteer to be stung hundreds of times a week to ascertain the differences...

Answer on the pin of a needle please to DEFRA.

PH

 

[victor meldrew]

Recon I need a bit of gaffer tape over the entrance to keep them guard bees in then.

Thanks for all the info so far. More or less what I hoped but when you are looking at your stung hand etc. with no one else to compare it does make you wonder what is normal and what is not. Glad you are all here for me. It's a nice feeling knowing there are people to ask. Thanks again.

I was once advised to block entrance when examining bees
Rationale being ' bees to busy trying to gain entrance to be bothering the beekeeper' .
Personally I think all these ploys are strategies to give nervous beekeepers a feeling of being in control (of their anxieties that is )
VM

 

[Elaine]

I was once advised to block entrance when examining bees
Rationale being ' bees to busy trying to gain entrance to be bothering the beekeeper' .
Personally I think all these ploys are strategies to give nervous beekeepers a feeling of being in control (of their anxieties that is )
VM

I would have thought that blocking the entrance would only result in more anxious, and therefore defensive, bees - as the ones trying to get out may feel trapped, and then have to exit through the roof, where the beek is working.

 

[Lindylou]

I would have thought that blocking the entrance would only result in more anxious, and therefore defensive, bees - as the ones trying to get out may feel trapped, and then have to exit through the roof, where the beek is working.

 

[Loolabelle1]

Sting on the finger, pain and localised swelling but on Saturday I got stung on the fleshy part between the thumb and finger and the swelling went right up the arm and down the fingers - everything so swollen I couldn't bend my fingers - ended up taking antibiotics and it came down quickly. My experience is that I always swell like a balloon on the areas that are well padded with fat and not much if it is on a finger