Stings?? Honey Bee vs Yellow Jacket

[Georgia Boy]

Honestly don't remember if I've been stung by a Honey Bee or not but I do know I've been stung by a couple of Yellow Jackets last year.

I didn't have a bad reaction to the stings other than they hurt like hell.

Is it safe to assume that I will also survive Honey Bee stings or are they that different?

Need to know since this is the first year I'll be keeping bees.

Thanks

David

PS.  Please don't tell me to just get stung and see. 

[AllenF]

No 2 stings are the same.   But sting for sting, I think the yellow jacket hurts worse.   Maybe it is because that he hits you over and over while he can.  Maybe it is all just in my head. 

[kathyp]

just get stung and....oh...

never assume that you won't react to a sting.  you can be stung 100 times with no problem and then have an allergic reaction to the 100 and 1st. 

http://allergycases.blogspot.com/2005/06/venom-allergy-short-review.html

true allergic reactions are pretty rare, but large reactions like mine are common.  having been stung by both, i'll take the  honeybee anytime if only because they don't keep after you and if you run, they (usually) leave you alone in a short distance.

i keep liquid benadryl all over the place.  it's in my barn, truck, car, house....i highly recommend having it and it's cheap. 

[Michael Bush]

Honey bees and yellow jackets have different venom.  You can be allergic to one and not the other.  Odds are you're not allergic to either.

[Georgia Boy]

Thanks guys,

Wasn't really overly concerned about it.

I've been hit by hornets, yellow jackets, sweat bees, and probably a honey bee in my life.  Haven't died yet, but you never know.

Thanks for the feed back. Glad to know I have y'all to fall back on.

I know I will need much more advice soon.

David 

[Intheswamp]

This thread got me to wondering how a bumble bee sting rates in regards to honey bee and yellow jacket stings.

I got a spinal tap from a bumble bee several years ago.  I was driving a delivery truck in west Alabama on highly congested  AL #10.  The old truck's a/c wasn't working (summer) and I had the window vents turned all the way out pulling the wind in.  Well, I heard a loud POP!!! but didn't see anything and I kept cruising down #10.  A half mile down the road I suddenly had a hot dagger in between my shoulder blades.  A bumble bee had hit the vent window, came inside the cab, and ended up between my back and the seat!!!!  Thankfully I managed to stop the truck ok, but MAN!!!!!....what a surprise!!!!

Ed

[fshrgy99]

When I was young (er) I drove a Norton Commando (motorcycle) for a time. Arrived home one day with what appeard to be bumble parts on my cheek and a bruise under my eye! Luckily I didn't get stung but it felt like a rock! Glad I made it home

[BlueBee]

I’ve never been stung by a bumble bee yet, but I have read people on here report a bumble bee string is much worse than a honey bee.  I duuno.   I’ve been stung a lots by wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and of course honey bees.  I find the bald faced hornets the most painful of the bunch, but I usually get more swelling from the honeybees. 

[sawdstmakr]

When I was in Bermuda back in the 70's I was driving my little honda 90, on the road next to the runway, and was hit by a bumble bee in the chest. He stung me on the bounce, fast and hard. Don't know how they can sting that fast.
I would rather bee stung by 10 honey bees than one bumble bee.
Jim

[Intheswamp]

Ya know, I don't remember any swelling or itching from the bumble bee back stabbing, though.  That's kinda odd.

Speaking of bees and motorcycles.  I was coming back from SEFF (radio control airplane show) over in south central Georgia a few years ago (before I started keeping bees).  I was just northeast of Georgetown, GA coming back to Alabama when I went down into a bottom where a small bridge was (two hills on either side naturally).  I was on a jeep and as I neared the bridge I saw a cloud of "something" covering the entire road over the bridge.  When I hit the bridge honey bees splattered all over the jeep....a swarm!  Well, I started up the hill when a guy on a motorcycle (yelp  ) topped the hill headed towards the bridge.  I hung my arm out trying to waving him down and flashed my lights at him...he kept going.  I slowed down enough to see him approach the bridge, see his brake lights come on, and see him continue on up the opposite hill.   I don't know if he got stung or not (good chance he did) but he maintained the bike in the proper orientation (shiny side up).  My jeep was plastered  with goo so I stopped in Eufaula and washed the honey and bee parts off...I can only imagine how that motorcyclist was coated!!!

Ed

[Georgia Boy]

Have to admit never been stung by a bumble bee even though as a kid we did trap many of one in Rose of Sharon flowers.

For the most part I think they are like honey bees very focused on their job and you almost have to touch, step, sit or lay on them for them to sting you.

Unlike one Hornet I once ran into. While cutting grass one day went through one part of man yard and zing, felt a sharp stabbing/burning pain shoot through my calf. Looked around and didn't see anything.  Came around two more times and two more zings.  Finally saw the biggest hornet I had every seen go back into a hole in the ground. Needless to say he never got to come out again. darn thing hurt like hell but nothing but a little red bump where he stung me. No reaction thank god.  Was home alone and it was a time before cell phones.

Don't like hornets.  

David

[Georgia Boy]

Nothing like bugs for breakfast.

Hard to get them parts from between your teeth. 

[KD4MOJ]

 Yellow Jackets I hate... ran over a nest with my lawn mower and got about 20 stings on my legs. PAINFUL!

honey bees don't hurt much or swell on me... but I'm deathly allergic to Guinea wasps... those critters that like to hide in boxwood plants... After several trips to the Docs office, she prescribed an Epi pen to me.

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[iddee]

In my opinion, on a scale of 1 to 10, a honeybee is a 2, a doctor's needle a 3, a yellow jacket a 7, bumblebee an 8, and a hornet an 11.