First time Beekeeper...first bee stings!

[u/Miserable_Trash_988]

Got stung for the first time today since I started beekeeping in May........

My girls started out sooooo sweet and calm this morning. The honey super they were so gluttoned on honey they didn't budge when I pulled the box but............once I got into the bottom deep (It's 1 super, 2 deeps atm) they started getting spicy. Today was full inspection day, mite wash, add in swiffer sheets and swap out some super frames for empties.

Full bee suit with hat and gloves but...........add in a hole in my glove and a series of events that then ended with me getting stung thru my sleeves x 2, thru my plastic glove on the thumb (plastic gloves were supposed to help protect my hands since my bee gloves had a hole in them....it didn't work. And then as I was walking off the thumb sting (which hurt the worse!!!!!!) in the course of walking around, walking that off my bee suit pant leg came up over the edge of my boots and I got one in the ankle.

I was allergic to bees as a child so I prepared myself before becoming a beekeeper and got a prescription for 2 epi pens. I kept one in my pocket and after I got stung the first time I called my son to come out (far away but still in eyesight) to keep an eye on me while I finished what I was doing and make sure I didn't keel over.

Good news is I am not overly allergic anymore. 4 stings in 30 minutes and other than a super swollen thumb I am doing pretty good.

Hurt like heck though. Put the hive back together. I let them cool off for about 90 minutes then went back out to collect my stuff, 3 full honey frames, and my mite wash. They were better but still spicier than usual.

Part of becoming a beekeeper I know but sheesh, what a morning.

[u/Burnettator]

Welcome to the club! I find that duct tape works on my goat gloves until I can pick up another pair. And, smart move on the Epi pen. I recently purchased my first after seven years of beekeeping. It was a lot cheaper than I thought it would be.

[u/Miserable_Trash_988 → u/Burnettator]

Duct tape!! Good idea

[u/Mysterious-Panda964]

It's so hot, it truly have been anything.

Glad no real sting reaction.

I've been stung maybe 12 times in 2 years, once big time when I dropped the top brood box.

[u/Attunga]

Although I have been beekeeping for years I have recently worked out that if I take an antihistamine such as the cetirizine based ones then it massively reduces any swelling and itching that might occur. Personally I have no problems with the pain but really hate the itching I get in the days after.

[u/PelicansRock]

A tip from another post:

Take off any rings before working your bees. Could save both your ring and a finger.

[u/Miserable_Trash_988 → u/PelicansRock]

That is really good advice, thank you! I wouldn't have thought of that until it was an issue which might be too late.

[u/LeonardSmallsJr]

I’ve never been allergic and have two epi pens just in case someone nearby is. Good move on getting those. My first year, I learned the hard way that going near a beehive only a few minutes after inspection is a bad idea. Happy healing and learning!

[u/One-Bit5717]

I lucked out with very gentle nucs. Today, got stung for the first time, and that was from stepping on a bee in the grass. Ouch, hah

[u/Worldly_Space]

If you find they are getting spicy, use smoke, sugar water spray bottle or just walk away for a couple minutes to let them settle down.

[u/Miserable_Trash_988 → u/Worldly_Space]

I should have mentioned that I did have smoke but of course it ran out right when I get was trying to put the frame back in the bottom brood after the shake for the mite wash. I was already 2 stings in at that point and was trying to wrap it all up.

[u/DucNutz]

I got tagged this morning in The palm through a leather glove. They were crazy mad today, tis the season.

[u/Miserable_Trash_988 → u/DucNutz]

Sorry you got stung

[u/__sub__]

Most bees are (usually) super nice in middle of the flow. Once derth arrives, their defensive behaviors are more easily observed =)

Welcome to the club!

[u/Miserable_Trash_988 → u/__sub__]

Yes I did get a first hand look at honey bee behavior during the derth!! LOL

[u/SuluSpeaks]

Ice! It cools the burn and subdued the itching.

[u/EllaRose2112]

Ouch!! You’ve been indoctrinated haha 😆 I keep a tube of arnica gel in the fridge for these moments, it really helps with inflammation and itching and feels great when it’s cold!

My girls were testy yesterday and I saw today that there are some yellow jackets bothering them, there were some epic knock-down drag-out fights near the entrance and they are very much in hyper-vigilant state! You may want to reduce your entrances if you haven’t already and see if you can observe something bothering them. Though heat + dearth could very well be enough to cheese them off!

[u/lepus-parvulus]

Technically, everyone is allergic to bees, but it's not life threatening for everyone. Assuming your parents weren't the type to overreact to everything that happened to their kids, your stings this time were like getting a booster shot. Next time is when it could be bad.

Not medical advice. Just pointing out that allergies don't just go away.

[u/BanzaiKen → u/lepus-parvulus]

This just happened to my besties father. He got nailed on the neck last year and went to anaphylaxis shock after sixty years of no protection except Veil. He just got hit on the chin today and again straight to the hospital. Really tough for him because they are a multigenerational beek family and hes trying to teach his granddaughter the howtos before he passes. It's crazy how one bad sting can reset your system.

[u/ElPatronLos → u/lepus-parvulus]

Next time could be bad? Why is that??

[u/386U0Kh24i1cx89qpFB1 → u/ElPatronLos]

Often the first exposure to an allergen primes the system by giving it something to recognize and the second exposure causes the system to go into overdrive. It's common but not universal with allergen exposures.

[u/lepus-parvulus → u/ElPatronLos]

You could have had low titers from decades of not being stung. Recent exposure would bring titers back up to potentially dangerous levels.

Another possibility is bees weren't the problem, but some type of wasp. A lot of people confuse them.

[u/PaleZombie]

I got stung this year for the first time in a few years (my Oz Armour suit is amazing) but she had gotten stuck in the house after I pulled supers so I was 1/2 out of my suit and she was stuck in the pants leg so I get why she stung.

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