Please Help with severe allergy

[epipenguy]

Hi. I am new to this site and I hope you can help me. I have a severe allergy to bee-stings, potentially life-threatening. Unfortunately I must avoid flowers and gardens, but I love being outdoors. Can anyone suggest a repellant (home-made or commercial) that would protect me from bees? I would be very grateful!

 

[thenovice]

I am not in the know of repellents but Bees out foraging are extremely unlikely to sting. as long as you wear shoes when out in the fields and tuck your trousers in, you should never get stung by honey bees. avoid disturbing hives or stand in the flight path to the entrance. most bee stings are actually wasp stings. If you want to get stung by a bee away from its hive you would really have to provoke it badly so as long as you avoid aggravating them by running wildly into flowering plants you'd be safe. Just carry an Epi pen at all times 'just in case'.

I can tell you what attracts them: Nasonov pheromone containing geraniol, nerolic acid, citral and geranic acid so avoid any perfumes and washing powders containing these.
apparently banana smell aggravates them...

 

[Erichalfbee]

A beesuit?

 

[TBRNoTB]

Hi. I am new to this site and I hope you can help me. I have a severe allergy to bee-stings, potentially life-threatening. Unfortunately I must avoid flowers and gardens, but I love being outdoors. Can anyone suggest a repellant (home-made or commercial) that would protect me from bees? I would be very grateful!

Can you not have a desentisisation course at your local hospital? I appreciate there maybe cost implications.
Keep well.
Regards
TBRNoTB

 

[Swarm]

Skin so Soft hand cream by Avon. Apparently it's used by the armed forces.

 

[Karsal]

They don't seem to like peppermint.
I've used oil of peppermint on my gloves and they avoided them.

 

[dpearce4]

A quick look at WebMD website has brought up this

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/understanding-bee-sting-allergies-treatment

http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergy-shots

In the USA they call what I have gone through allergy shots. it has taken me 3 years of regular visits to hospital but in December I have my last one and I know now that it has been successful as I now have no reaction at all to a bee sting have a look at the thread at the top of the page about my treatment and it may give you some idea of what you need to talk to your Doctor about.

it must be done by someone who knows what they are doing, in the uk we has specialists who do this treatment.

if its not to expensive go for it it will change your life. It has ment I can continue to keep bees and now have 40 colonies.

 

[sipa]

A beesuit?

Don't be an arse, the guy asked a serious question and that deserves respect.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

There is a sticky on this site about desensitization. At the top of the geneeal beekeeping aection I think.

 

[madasafish]

Skin so Soft hand cream by Avon. Apparently it's used by the armed forces.

Agreed. Our Association President uses it on his bare sleeves.. Works very well and the smell is not obnoxious to humans.(important).


I use Olbas oil on my bare hands. But it stinks...

 

[charlievictorbravo]

We must not forget that the original post came from the USA, where any sort of health care is expensive - they don't have our NHS (free at the point of delivery) - they don't even have Obama-Care. I heard about an American mother who proudly announced at her son's 21st birthday that, the previous week, she had paid off the loan to cover his birth medical expenses.

I think we're looking here for a self-medicated solution, available in the USA, preferably made in a saucepan on a cooker hob!

CVB

 

[For want of a better word]

Avoidance and DEET

CVB has a point... we are so lucky to have an NHS and an opposition who will defend it !!!


Yeghes da

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Avoidance and DEET

CVB has a point... we are so lucky to have an NHS and an opposition who will defend it !!!


Yeghes da

Dad's Army. Did you see Laura Kuenssberg iv him on the 10 o'clock news last night? What a joke.

 

[Finman]

.
If you have so difficult allergies, do not play with destiny.
Forget beekeeping as a hobby.

 

[thenovice]

.
If you have so difficult allergies, do not play with destiny.
Forget beekeeping as a hobby.

irrelevant reply... read post...

 

[sipa]

We keep a fair few bees so getting the odd sting is inevitable. a couple of years ago I got a sting on the chest just wearing a T-shirt at home, within a couple of mins my hands were covered in whelts and I was itching all over.

Didn't have any breathing problems, but did get a bit agitated. Took two Piriton which calmed things down. Went to see the doctor who said I'd had a mild systemic reaction to the sting.

He said I should carry an Epipen when working bees, and if stung take TWO Piriton.

Interestingly he said the Epipen won't save your life, just buys you some time.... about 5 mins !

I asked about de-sensitisation, he said a waste of time, doesn't work in most cases and a lot of people die whilst undertaking the course, even under strict medical supervision.

So, that's my story and experience, obviously been stung since and the Piriton seems to keep things under control.

 

[Amari]

We keep a fair few bees so getting the odd sting is inevitable. a couple of years ago I got a sting on the chest just wearing a T-shirt at home, within a couple of mins my hands were covered in whelts and I was itching all over.
Didn't have any breathing problems, but did get a bit agitated. Took two Piriton which calmed things down. Went to see the doctor who said I'd had a mild systemic reaction to the sting.
He said I should carry an Epipen when working bees, and if stung take TWO Piriton.
Interestingly he said the Epipen won't save your life, just buys you some time.... about 5 mins !
I asked about de-sensitisation, he said a waste of time, doesn't work in most cases and a lot of people die whilst undertaking the course, even under strict medical supervision.
So, that's my story and experience, obviously been stung since and the Piriton seems to keep things under control.

Highly unlikely, did you ask him for evidence for this sweeping statement? More likely he was reluctant to refer you because it would deplete his budget - NHS may provide free health care but ever since the introduction of fund-holding practices in 1990 GPs have financial constraints on the number of referrals to hospital specialists and hospital X-rays etc they can make.

 

[sipa]

More likely he was reluctant to refer you because it would deplete his budget - NHS may provide free health care but ever since the introduction of fund-holding practices in 1990 GPs have financial constraints on the number of referrals to hospital specialists and hospital X-rays etc they can make.

I'm fully aware of all that you say.

I was just relating my experience, in an effort to help the OP, and yes I know he is in the US too !

 

[Bee Bumble]

As others have said, you need to go on an immunotherapy course for bee venom.
Also agree that 'skin so soft' works - it is also the best repellent for midges (no-see-ums).

 

[epipenguy]

Thank you very much. I will look into this.