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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
"Robert J. Bassett" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 16 Jul 2000 00:37:36 EDT
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In a message dated 7/14/00 11:45:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< This person proclaims that the effects of chronic exposure to bee venom (as
 would be the case with a beekeeper) is cumulative.  The end result of this
 (according to our friend) is that each person has an individual and unique to
 themselves setpoint at which they have had their lifetime quota of venom.  At
 this point, the person goes into anaphylactoid shock and either survives or
 doesn't according to treatment. >>

<>
==========================
Hello Wendy and Friends,
I have come back into beekeeping strictly for the benefit of apitherapy.  I
can't eat the honey, I am a diabetic.  I would ask your friend to prove HIS
theory.  You didn't tell us if he had any supporting documentation for his
theory.  How many human subjects has he observed to make such a conclusion?
Where are his facts?  Has he written a paper on this?  What is the range of
lethal numbers of bee stings in the human population?  Does he have min/max,
averages, real data? The burden of proof really is on him, after all, he is
propounding the theory.  There is really too much evidence to the contrary in
the beekeeping community.  We surely would have heard of this 'lifetime
quota' of bee stings by now.  We have plenty of archived information and it
really doesn't seem worthwhile to hunt for support against his theory,
because it is just plain silly.

My beekeeping partner and I have taken thousands of beestings in apitherapy
treatments and I have had some very large daily doses of beestings when I
first started keeping bees back in the 60's.  I remember once as a kid being
stung so many times that I lost the feeling in my legs.

We were taking the honey off of  50 hives during a particularly heavy citrus
flow.  The bees were driven from the hives by benzeldahyde and the ground was
alive with them.  We were working very fast and I didn't have as much
protection as I probably should have.  We were just waiding through a sea of
bees.  I received over 150 stings that day.  That is the kind of stupid thing
a kid will do.  I didn't have any ill effects from that experience and I
haven't had any ill effects from high daily doses of beestings to date (37
year later).  I have used bee stings (on purpose) to take a mole off of my
face and to treat the nodules of arthritis which appear on my finger joints
at times, with great success.  My partner has Multiple Sclerosis and he has
hopes of regaining some lost functionality.  We have other folks involved in
our apitherapy sessions and all of them are seeing benefits.  I can't speak
for everyone, but my personal experience leads me to believe that your friend
is speaking his opinion as fact.  I'll bet he is not a beekeeper himself, or
he wouldn't be spouting such bunk! (but that is the kind of stupid thing a
kid will do)

You said it was "hog wash," I say it is bunk!........I believe we are both
right!  Whew, I feel better now :o).

Bob Bassett

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