Georgia beginner

[TREBOR]

welcome to bees GT,
and welcome to the forum.

[manybees]

It's pollination time in California.  My crew and I worked through 800+ hives again today. We fed HFCS with fumagilin, treated with Tylan, sprayed the bees w/oxalic acid and gave them a pollen substitute in the form of a pattie.  As of today we are 25% of the way through 17,000 hives and guess what...it is still fun!, and yes we all got stung although not often.  My point?  Wheather  bees are your part time hobby or your full time job they provide a pleasure that cannot be duplicated, a prospective that is unique and fulfilling.  Enjoy whatever your bees give you everytime you remove that cover.

[Jack Parr]

I have never had a epipen either, because growing up , I have been stung by every thing that has a stinger, so when I got me some bee's, I never worried about it, I have heard some say they wasn't elergic to sting when they were younger but are now, but I am still not elergic,,,,, (some reason the word elergic doesn't look spelled right) never could spell anyway    

Me, I got a hard time spellin me, too, sooo  I use a dic-shun-ary.

Allergic, to bad spellin'...

You provided da openin' for da correckshun.  

[taw]

I realize I grew up in an era where we didn't wear helmets.  Ever.  For anything.  Never saw a bicycle helmet.  Never saw a riding helmet.  If I'd had one, I would have been laughed out of school.

Maybe we are a bit brighter now. My mother told me how I would jump up and down on the back seat of the car all the time. Yeah... child seats are simply a good idea. Hell, seatbelts are a good idea! No one wore them "back in the day". And those who say they are a hazard are smoking crack. There is one thing I *really* wish I did. I wish I wore earplugs more often when I was in the Army. My hearing will suffer forever for that "but real men don't need them" BS. We all like to chuckle about how over-cautious we are - and I think we are to a degree (jesus, do we have to close schools for an inch of snow!?!) - but taking some simple precautions about many things is just plain good sense.

But, I've never had an epipen.  I've never worried about getting stung.  I've never taken anything for a sting, other than to put a poultice on a few of them when they really hurt, usually Plantain, occasionally tobacco or asprin.

It's more to make me comfortable having people in my yard. I.e., the other guy. Plus, I have heard enough stories at the beekeeping meetings about stupid accidents and whatnot. It is cheap enough insurance that I don't worry so much about the neighbor kid coming into my yard. Again, it is a "just in case". Not to mention, general allergic sensitivity to many things is increasing in the population. Better safe than sorry. Most of the folks with more than a few hives in our club seem to have an epipen around as extra insurance.

*shrug* If you are tight on cash, don't get it. If you can spare the cash, it's probably worth it. It is to me anyway.

[TwT]

I have never had a epipen either, because growing up , I have been stung by every thing that has a stinger, so when I got me some bee's, I never worried about it, I have heard some say they wasn't elergic to sting when they were younger but are now, but I am still not elergic,,,,, (some reason the word elergic doesn't look spelled right) never could spell anyway    

Me, I got a hard time spellin me, too, sooo  I use a dic-shun-ary.

Allergic, to bad spellin'...

You provided da openin' for da correckshun.  

all I can say is IF YOUR GOING TO BE A SPELLING TEACHER IN THESE FORUMS, YOU BETTER TAKE OUT "TYPING INSURANCE" BECAUSE YOU ARE IN FOR SOME CORREK-SHUNNNNS( GOING TO WEAR  THE FINGURES OUT)  

"BEWARE FORUM MEMBERS SPELLING TEACHER ON DA LOOSE"

Jack, dont you know it beez fun chatting dis way ,,,,,, as golf would say
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEM PERFECTIONIST CAN NEVER HIDE  

[Finsky]

all I can say is IF YOUR GOING TO BE A SPELLING TEACHER IN THESE FORUMS, YOU BETTER TAKE OUT "TYPING INSURANCE" BECAUSE YOU ARE IN FOR SOME CORREK-SHUNNNNS( GOING TO WEAR  THE FINGURES OUT)  

"BEWARE FORUM MEMBERS SPELLING TEACHER ON DA LOOSE"

Jack, dont you know it beez fun chatting dis way ,,,,,, as golf would say
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEM PERFECTIONIST CAN NEVER HIDE  

My professor, please check medication or use natural cell. Keep key inside!

.

[TwT]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! @  MY OLD BUDDIE FINMAN   ,,,,,, OK iM MUCH BETTER NOW  

[JP]

You guys are too funny & some of you perhaps a little tipsy...
anyway, I think chink hit it right, if you truly enjoy fooling around with the bees, getting stung is just something that comes with the territory.

[buzzbeejr]

My dog likes to "snap" at the bees when she's down by the hives with me.  She got nailed on the tounge.  The antics that followed were amusing.  (Sneezing and some head shaking).

Our dog does that to shes got stung a few times

[Kev]

You guys are too funny & some of you perhaps a little tipsy...

LOL: They've got me to wonderin' what's in those smokers

Does anyone know if the venom in bee stings is similar enough to wasp or hornet venom that allergic reaction is the same? IE, ever heard of someone who's allergic to bee venom but not other stings?

kev

[IndianaBrown]

Does anyone know if the venom in bee stings is similar enough to wasp or hornet venom that allergic reaction is the same? IE, ever heard of someone who's allergic to bee venom but not other stings?

How about the opposite? I have a bit of a reaction to wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, etc.  Faintness, dizziness, minor palpitations... But with honeybee stings all I get is some temporary pain and swelling.  My wife thought I was crazy to take up beekeeping 

[TwT]

Does anyone know if the venom in bee stings is similar enough to wasp or hornet venom that allergic reaction is the same? IE, ever heard of someone who's allergic to bee venom but not other stings?

How about the opposite? I have a bit of a reaction to wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, etc.  Faintness, dizziness, minor palpitations... But with honeybee stings all I get is some temporary pain and swelling.  My wife thought I was crazy to take up beekeeping 

that's interesting, I have never thought about it, I always assumed if you were allergic to one you must have been allergic to all, guest there could be a difference, I just never thought about it...... good post!!!

[brydie]

Hi and welcome to the forum, I've only been on here for a few months and I've found everyone to be helpful and friendly.

Beekeeping = stings.

I am only very new to it all and make sure I kit up each time for my own peace of mind....still get stung though every now and then.  I am a lucky beekeeper in that I hardly get any reaction.  The other day I pulled a frame out to have a look, so my hands were nice and full and my veil brushed up against my chin...whamo - bee sting on chin, my husband thought it was quite funny to see me trying to wipe the sting away with my shoulder all the while holding a frame full of brood and bees at arms length...oh well, you learn.

My husband and I caught a swarm last night, I have had my bees for about 2 months and he has never even opened a hive, we are 2 very excited novice beekeepers right now.  I got stung twice, but no reaction so all good.

Bees know if you're nervous, and that upsets them a bit.  So just try and relax and be part of the colony, don't bump things or move too quick, if they get upset just stop and let them calm down (and they will) and then start again.

From one new-bee to another - good luck!  Brydie - Australia

[Finsky]

.
 So you will se what will happens to your tolerance. It may grow or it may go to side of overreacting.

Take care that big accidents will not happen.

I am very tolerant to bee stings but wasp sting makes me swell normally. It means that they have different kind of poison.

[Kev]

I am very tolerant to bee stings but wasp sting makes me swell normally. It means that they have different kind of poison.

The scientist in Finsky may find this interesting:

I did a little on-line hunting on bee and wasp venom. Alas I am a newbee and can't post URLs here or I would.

Apparently scientists think bee venom has more proteins in it than wasp venom, which makes it more likely to spark an allergic reaction. (Other sites said that the main components appear to be similar but possible in differing proportions.)

you can read more at insectstings.co.uk

You'll have to add the www etc in front of it, though.

Kev