Range of reactions to stings

[thorn]

Two stings on the neck yesterday - minimal reaction. It felt no worse than a kiss to the neck followed by a bit of redness. Maybe they were just thanking me for the fondant.
But why didn't one of you experienced beekeepers tell me that the zip on my hood should be fully closed? I'm now looking for someone to sue. Someone other than me must be to blame, and I could have died.

 

[tonybloke]

I'm sure I saw a nice picture on here last year with a sting to the head was it you Monsieur Abeille?

nope it was the good doctor

 

[colin]

stings

I started last year to have quiet bad reactions against bee stings and that is after
forty years of keeping bees.I was very sad to see all the bees and equipment go
but on medical advice it had be.

colin

 

[itma]

I started last year to have quiet bad reactions against bee stings and that is after
forty years of keeping bees.I was very sad to see all the bees and equipment go
but on medical advice it had be.

colin

Colin, that's a great pity.
Did they suggest the possibility of desensitisation therapy?

 

[colin]

stings

Hi, itma,
no other advice only to give the hobby up.I suffer with diabetes which is another
one of lifes things telling you to be careful.Over all the years of keeping bees and showing at honey shows and joy i have had from them i can look back with fondness of the people i have met and friendships made.
colin

 

[Nickod]

Hi Colin, can you mentor some new beekeepers and keep your hand in without getting too close?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MartinL]

What I've found is;

Stings to the fingertips(first two knuckles) :-Itches yes but no great reaction.

Beyond two knuckles or first joint on thumb:- Slightly more swelling, (greater if several stings)and itching for day or two.

Legs, back and neck:- Itching perhaps but no real swelling.

Face or ears:- ELEPHANT MAN!!!

 

[sunhivebee]

Good idea

Yes, great idea. As for me, I get stung about 20x a year, practically no reaction, but one unusual response to a sting in a finger recently: remained numb for about 8 weeks which was a bit disconcerting.

Once suffered about fifty stings in one incident, thanks to a swarm "helper" who sawed off the branch and dropped the lot on my head. Felt very warm for 24 hours, but when the swarm re-grouped I decided to test the theory that bees react to the smell of poison: surprise, surprise they let me handle them with absolutely no response to myself reeking of their very own venom; bees had read a different book, no doubt.
HH

 

[Little John]

Hello - a revived thread ...

Got stung quite a few times earlier in the year during a period of robbing, even when nowhere near the hives. (bl##dy Italians ...)
Several on the face, eyebrows and earlobes mainly - not too much of a reaction, likewise on the neck when a little darling got under the veil - but I still swell up like crazy if I get 'em on the hands/wrists. Usually lasts for about 48 hrs. Don't know why the hands should be any different. Curious.

LJ

 

[Karol]

Hello - a revived thread ...

Got stung quite a few times earlier in the year during a period of robbing, even when nowhere near the hives. (bl##dy Italians ...)
Several on the face, eyebrows and earlobes mainly - not too much of a reaction, likewise on the neck when a little darling got under the veil - but I still swell up like crazy if I get 'em on the hands/wrists. Usually lasts for about 48 hrs. Don't know why the hands should be any different. Curious.

LJ

Probably due to the distribution of mast cells in tissue. There tend to be more mast cells in limbs than other areas of the body (first line of defense after the skin is breached).

 

[garlicpickle]

I've had 3 stings this season, one on the arm (through suit) one on the leg (through trousers) one on the back (bare skin where my smock had come untucked)
Same reaction to all 3 - no immediate reaction but the next day I got an itchy pink lump about an inch across which went down within a day or two.

 

[jdee]

Normally only get stung a couple of times a year – was given a magic potion by one of our members in Ballyhaunis earlier this year and if you can get it applied to the site of the sting within 15 mins then I certainly don’t get a reaction. Normally I swell up quite badly and itch like crazy.

Basically you steep the leaves from a wild mallow plant in meths for a couple of weeks and then bottle the liquid and apply to stings. Don’t know why or how but it stops any sort of reaction providing you can get it on quickly. I was given a wild mallow plant and a copy of the original article that was written by Dr Colman-Porter and published in January 1985 edition of Beecraft.

I don’t know if Beecraft can reprint the article or would give permission to reprint it here but this does work. I was moving bees and got stung 12 times just above my knee, applied the liquid to the stings and had no reaction at all. Normally one sting and I swell up like a Michelin man. Everyone I know how has tried it swears by it.

 

[sunhivebee]

Normally only get stung a couple of times a year – was given a magic potion by one of our members in Ballyhaunis earlier this year and if you can get it applied to the site of the sting within 15 mins then I certainly don’t get a reaction. Normally I swell up quite badly and itch like crazy.

Basically you steep the leaves from a wild mallow plant in meths for a couple of weeks and then bottle the liquid and apply to stings. Don’t know why or how but it stops any sort of reaction providing you can get it on quickly. I was given a wild mallow plant and a copy of the original article that was written by Dr Colman-Porter and published in January 1985 edition of Beecraft.

I don’t know if Beecraft can reprint the article or would give permission to reprint it here but this does work. I was moving bees and got stung 12 times just above my knee, applied the liquid to the stings and had no reaction at all. Normally one sting and I swell up like a Michelin man. Everyone I know how has tried it swears by it.

This is fantastic, many thanks. Just a question: do you pack the leaves into the liquid quite tight, or just a few? How long does it last?

 

[jdee]

your welcome - what it says on the article is "I collected a jam pot full of leaves, filled it up with methylated spirit, let it stand for a couple of weeks"

I made some up myself in a small hand cream jar and just layered a load of leaves in it and then topped the container up with meths.

It does have to be wild mallow - I know nothing about flower gardening etc but by all accounts there are lots of variaties of mallow. In the article there is a drawing of a leaf from the plant.

 

[Luminos]

Would marshmallows work

 

[itma]

Would marshmallows work

Luminos, I think you should take a look at
http://www.joepastry.com/2012/marsh-mallow-marshmallow/

...If you have a stand mixer you can make it easily. Nothing more than a sugar syrup and egg white foam reinforced with gelatin.

That of course is the modern version. The original marshmallow reinforcer was the glue-like root sap of a plant called — what else — the marsh mallow, a kind of hollyhock common to Europe and Asia. The original is still made on the continent, where it’s known as pâté de guimauve. ...

 

[Chris Luck]

Marsh mallow grows around here, (photo), but I assume that common mallow would be the plant to use?

 

[jdee]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nilelife/6240501406/ is what your looking for. I have only known it as wild mallow.

 

[Chris Luck]

Which is Common-mallow Malva-sylvestris (La-grande-mauve).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malva_sylvestris

I'll perhaps try it nest year, not exactly hard to find anyway.

Chris

 

[jdee]

The leaves on that look a bit fatter then the one I have growing in my polytunnel - if I get a chance I will photograph later today. This one also only grows to about 2 feet tall.

It is not a native plant in Ireland and isnt easy come by so if anyone has any seeds.......