Hello Bee-L'ers,
    As you no doubt have guessed from other messages I have placed on the list I
have a keen interest in bee venom.  I attended my first apitherapy conference
last year and can't seem to read enough about it.  Perhaps I'm just trying to
convince myself each time I'm stung that it's good for me.  I found an article
in "Canadian Beekeeping",vol.18. No.6, Page 140 that may interest the
people who have shown an interest in bee venom over the last several months.
It is written by Michael Simics .
 
   Forty years ago in Slovak, Markovic and Molnar developed a bee venom
collector device that collected bee stings by an electrical shock method.  This
first generation collector device used high voltage and frequency to obtain the
bee stings and forced the bees to sting into a thick rubber membrane.  As a
result the bees died after this process.  Further purification methods were
needed to separate the venom from the stings. Since that time the techniques of
bee venom collection have significantly changed without changing the actual
theory. At present, this kind of collecting method is not economical, however,
by using the electrical shock method it is possible to collect pure whole dried
bee venom without killing the bees.
   The quality of the bee venom is a very important factor and closely depends
on the technical parameters of the collector device, collecting method, honey
flow, weather conditions and the chronological age of the bees in the hive
during the "milking" process. The quality of bee venom is determined by the
number of its inner components and its purity.
   The bee venom collecting method I presently use is quite simple.  I place one
collector frame in an upside down position on top of the frames of each hive in
a bee yard.  There can be 20 to 40 collector frames in a bee yard depending on
the number of hives in it.  Each collector frame is connected to the next one
and then to the collector device.  The collector device gives electrical
impulses to the wire grids of the collector frames.  The output voltage,current,
frquency, wave form and time intervals are regulated by the device and supply
the most effective impulses to the wire grid. The collectng time is 30 minutes.
During this time the bees will receive mild electrical impulses and sting into
the surface of the collector sheet.  The collector sheet is made from glass and
its surface is covered by a special space age material.  This material allows
the bees to withdraw their stingers and protects the venom from any
contamination. The venom is deposited between the protective material and the
glass sheet. After the collection time has expired,the collector frames are
placed at the entrances of the hives so that the bees can return to their own
colony.  This process is repeated in other bee yards allowing bee venom
collection from 100 colonies within an eight hour day.
   Bee venom dries quickly on the collector sheet and after removing the
protective material it is scraped off the glass sheet and stored in a dark, cool
place.  The venom collected by this method is snow white in color and free from
any contamination or foreign material.  Its purity is much higher than the
venoms that were tested two decades ago that the scientific community is still
using for a reference (Franklin, R., 1975).  Bee venom collected by the new
method was tested in 1992 and 1994. The results showed similar inner components
of the venom compared to the results of the recently published scientific paper
(Schumacher et al., 1992).  This seems to prove it is possible to collect a
standard quality of venom for medical purposes.
   According to observation and scientific literature this kind of collecting
method has no side effcts on the bee colonies.  The venom collection increases
the activities of the bees.  Some observers stated that the effects of the
vaporized,volatile fraction of the venom had a repellent effect on the Varroa
jacobsoni and significantly decreased its population in the colonies which were
used for venom collection.
   Based on the exact technical parameteres of the third generation collector
devices used in my work and the applied space age material,during the 30 minute
collecting time,from 20 bee colonies an average of 6.8 bees died per colony.
This observation was done by an independent expert from the U.S. in early
September, 1994 when she visted me in order to study my bee venom collecting
methods (Rose, A.,1994).
   In general, it is important that bee venom be standardized within certain
parameters and as a consequence, it is also necessary to set a standard for the
technical parameters of the bee venom collector devices.  In order to reach this
goal, Apitronic Services is presently developing a fourth generation
microprocessor controlled collector device.  With this collector device it will
be possible to control,evaluate and correct several important parameters during
the collecting time which is not possible with the presently used collector
devices.  This gives an opportunity to serve the highest standard requirements
for bee venom and expand its uses by drug manufacturers in manufacturing creams,
liniments, ointments or injections.
   Presently there is a growing interest in buying bee venom from Apitronic
Services for the purpose of treating multiple sclerosis, arthritis, joint
inflammations, psoriasis, lumbago, etc.  Pure whole dried bee venom is available
from Apitronic Services.  CAUTION:  Bee venom that is collected by Apitronic
Services is only available to researchers, drug manufacturers, physicians,
pharmacists, and therapists.
   Michael Simics started bee venom collecting in Hungary, in 1986.  Presently
he is continuing this activity and research in Canada at Apitronic Services.
Bee venom collector devices are available for 1, 10, 20, and 40 hives (Limited
time offer, until May, 1995).  Further information can be obtained from;
Apitronic Services, #204, 1331 - 15th Ave, S.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T3C
0X8, Ph/Fax(403) 541-1877
   References:
   Franklin, R., M.D. and H Baer, M.D. (1975) Comparison of Honey bee Venoms and
Their Components From Various Sources, The Jrnl and Allergy (sic) and Clinical
Immunology, Vol.55,No.5, pp 285-298
   Rose, A., (1994) The Future of Bee Venom Collection, Bee Informed, Vol.
1,No.5
   Schumacher, M.,et al. (1992) Biochemical Variability of Venoms From
Individual European and Africanized Honeybees,J Allergy Clin Immunol.,90:59-65.