Reactions to stings

[Drew]

As lots of you chaps and chapesses will have lots of experience being stung.
I was wondering if you have noticed any great variation in your reactions to stings depending on where you get stung?

I have picked up a few stings and reactions appear to be as follows:
Hands and wrists - Very little reaction... small swelling, sore but not painful, itches after a couple of days then gone.
Head (ears, neck etc) - Minimal reaction, only Gnat bite type bumps pretty minor (Only happened once when I had an accident with my veiling and several young ladies got in and took exception - I was quite worried initially but turned out to be trivial)
Shins: Pretty severe swelling - lots of heat, very "hard" skin... Pretty painful (not the initial sting but several hours later). Pain and swelling lasts for a few days then lots of itching as swelling etc subsides....

I thought the amount of flesh/muscle etc might be a factor (but obviously not much flesh round head)......

Just out of interest really - I don't plan on getting stung that much!

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Hands and wrists, little to no reaction. Small swelling and itchiness the next day.

Forearms, quite wide swelling but shallow and more itchiness than hands.

Face - lots of swelling all over the place, far and wide!!!

Shins - lots of itchiness, again skin is hard, swollen and red.

 

[skydragon]

I was stung on the upper lip last Friday.

Until Sunday night, I would have been a sure-fire Gold medal contender in the 2012 Olympics in the 'Marathon pouting' contest...

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

When I get stung on the head it hurts but doesn't swell or last too long.

The most painful for me? Being stung in the wallet (an occupational hazard with this pastime!).

 

[margob99]

Whatever you do, don't do what I once did. Got stung in the face - twice, the day before I had to go for passport photos.

Needless to say, no-one ever recognises me from my passport pic; it's a bugger going through Security at Heathrow

 

[fuzzysi]

Got stung on my middle finger a few weeks back and my whole hand swelled up lots and my arm almost up to my elbow was noticibly bigger. Took a good week to go down, and i was pretty quick with the lotions, potions and pills too.

 

[steve1958]

Has anyone noticed the severity of their stings differ between Hives or Apiaries

 

[grizzly]

Yes Steve, I have noticed a very real difference between sting potency, think I made a post on it last year, some I hardly noticed and others really hurt, enough to make me stop what I'm doing and curse repeatedly.

 

[andypigeon]

my hands and around my feet swell right up, my face is fine top of the arm swells abit

 

[SixFooter]

I've only had a problem when stung on my head or face as there was a lot of swelling for about 3 days. So far been stung on chest, hands, arms, feet and ankles with just a slight swelling and itching for 3 days.

One sting on my thumb caused a small blister that lasted a week and itched for ages. This one also hurt more than usual when the bee was in the act of stinging me.

Fascinating that different people react differently.

 

[Nopants]

I've only had a problem when stung on my head or face as there was a lot of swelling for about 3 days. So far been stung on chest, hands, arms, feet and ankles with just a slight swelling and itching for 3 days.

One sting on my thumb caused a small blister that lasted a week and itched for ages. This one also hurt more than usual when the bee was in the act of stinging me.

Fascinating that different people react differently.

Got stung on the Tricep last week, no reaction, Last night stung on the cheek on my face, little swelling. I wonder if it depends on the aggresiveness of the Bees when getting stung? The Bees that stung me recently were swarms we were trying to hive and not my bees.

 

[seymour]

I got stung some years ago, just above my left eye. Whole left side of my face swelled up, looked like the Elephant man ! In the end it required an operation to remove excess skin from my left top eyelid, so that I could see out of that eye. I do usually swell up and the nearest joint locks up solid. Went on a course once and there was a lady beek there who carried an epipen in her beesuit pocket because a sting was likely, in her case, to cause an anaphylactic shock. Why she wanted to learn beekeeping in those circumstances is beyond me.

 

[AMAE]

Is there any evidence of sting potency changing through the season? or is it just down to the strain of bee?

Also, I wonder if reactions have anything to do with sting proximity to either nerve course or lymphatic nodes....anyone?

AMAE

 

[m100]

A sting on the earlobe...like being hit with a sledgehammer.

 

[tonybloke]

A sting on the earlobe...like being hit with a sledgehammer.

 

[Lois]

I got stung for the first time today. On my inner thigh! How they managed that I don't know, it stung for seconds but now seems fine, a tiny swelling, a little bit red but it doesn't itch.

 

[user 382]

I got stung for the first time today. ...it stung for seconds but now seems fine, a tiny swelling, a little bit red but it doesn't itch.

My first sting (back of the ear) was like that. Every sting since has caused the surrounding area to swell up and become hot - no matter where it was. Generally goes down after about 3 days and is usually itchy in the latter stages. I also don't find any difference when in the season it happens or from which colony.

 

[buzz lightyear]

Those of you who have bad reactions, (NOT true anaphylaxsis) might consider taking antihistamine tablet BEFORE an inspection, should reduce the reactions. Those who have full anaphylaxsis, dont take the risk.
Buzz