At 08:05 AM 7/13/98 -0700, you wrote:
>A young man working for me developed hives (an itchy condition covering
>much of his body).  When his doctor found that he was working with bees
>he named this as the cause.  It may well be but I have never heard of
>this happening.  Breathing problems - OK but never hives.
 
>Has anyone else run into this?
 
Yes....don't know how common it is but some people do develop hives when
stung by bees. I never got the hives but I did have itchy skin after
working a season in the bees and getting my share of stings. It was really
bad when I would go in swimming after a hard hot days work and the palms of
my hands and soles of my feed would itch like crazy. This condition lasted
several years but in later years it no longer seems to be a problem, but
then I don't swim as much as I once did.
 
I hope your helper gets over the hives I am sure there are good remedy's
that would help and he should ask his doctor. It is interesting that people
who are sensitive to bees do not have to get stung to have an adverse
reaction as it is said its the proteins of the bee that many are bothered
by. It does work both way as some good relief has been shown by people
suffering with different conditions after only working around the bees. My
dad suffered from the Gout and one winter helped in the honey barn cleaning
up bee equipment and his Gout disappeared and never returned without a bee
sting.
 
Good Luck,
ttul, the OLd Drone
http://beenet.com/bnews.htm
 
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