> I used to find that the first stings of the year caused me to spend 2
> days swelling up and another 2 going down, but by this time of year, 5
> minutes after being stung I would have forgotten on which hand it
> was. Nowadays I deliberately get a few stings during the winter to
> keep my immunity up. It works for me.
>
We've experienced similar when technicians move up to more supervisory
roles and are not keeping bees or getting the daily venom exposure by
doing field work. At some point, One sting will send them to the ED for
observation after systemic symptoms arise. I've not worked in the field
or kept bees for over a year now, so I will have my 2 epipens and
sublingual benadryl handy when I do. Although I wonder if all the
anti-seizure and other meds I'm now on will react negatively to
Hymenoptera venom. We keep Epi-pens &other items on every service truck
and have saved lives of clients with them.
Also I have found it rather alarming that many of the beekeepers here in
Florida are cavalier about the sting risks associated with handling
feral bees. Some have been openly hostile to me after I give talks
showing our experiences, which do include case studies of fatalities,
near deaths, & rescues associated with Hymenopteran removal & simple
proximity exposure to aggravated colonies.
I believe these folks will never accept the real risks , and will
continue to harvest & keep feral honey bees. And that is what really
concerns me. Florida enacted great beekeeping rule that supersedes local
anti-beekeeping codes(Good,...Great even!) And then passed dumb rules
that now encourages feral bee harvesting, and by default, keeping ferals
, as many will not replace queens. (The state pest control chief
actually stated this rule will help restore pollinator populations-
dumb, dumb, dumb). Injury and death will occur to non beekeeping,
sensitized individuals, neighbors, etc., and the ensuing fallout against
beekeeping will injure All beekeeping, not just the hobbyists.
Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
Richard Martyniak,
Still an Entomologist-Curmudgeon
"I blame my brain tumor, What's your excuse?"
ALLFloridaBeeRemoval.com
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