My allergist, who did some of the pioneering work on family members of  
beekeepers, told me that skin tests are a POOR predictor of anaphylactic  
reactions.  I had a student who became severely reactive to be  stings after 
receiving no more than 3 bee stings over 2-3 years.  She  loved working with 
bees, so she underwent the desensitizing series, and she went  on to graduate 
work with bumble bees.  The allergist said she was one of  the most sensitive 
people he had encountered, yet the desensitizing shots  worked.  Also, she 
did not show a reaction via a skin test.
 
None of this is surprising to me.  As I've said before, I'm not  allergic 
to bee stings, but I've a long history of allergies to pollen, took  shots 
for 5 years, which helped, but didn't cure.  I can't eat raw pollen,  and I 
have to taste test a SMALL amount of any honey from a new region.  My  tongue 
begins to tingle, lips start to puff, from some pollens in honey.   Its a 
dose thing with me - so I can start small, work up.  
 
Jerry
 
 


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