> what is the LD50 for bee stings?

Bee stings themselves have never killed anyone.

What kills people is their own allergic reaction.

The key question to be asked is about each individual's
immune system, rather than about the venom.

If a certain amount of bee venom were a reliable way
to kill any animal, it would have been picked up long
ago by primitive peoples as an arrow-tip toxin for
hunting or warfare.  It is not hard to figure out how
to collect bee venom once you look at a bee sting
imbedded in your arm.

When I was a child, bee stings were a regular event
among the group with which I played.  We were often
barefoot, and it was only a matter of time until
someone stepped on a foraging bee.  Bee stings were
not a major event, and the only actual medication
administered was a cookie. Most victims were back
in the softball lineup before their turn at bat
came up.

The lack of bees over the past few decades means that
a bee sting is a much more rare event, one that prompts
both children and parents to over-react.  The hilarious
thing is the number of people who, when discovering that
I am a beekeeper, solemnly inform me that they are "allergic"
to bee stings.

I sometimes try to explain that there is no such thing
as a "Kamikazbee", that EVERYONE is slightly "allergic"
to bee stings, that bee venom would not be an effective
defense if it did not cause some localized swelling and
discomfort, and that people who are truly allergic must
be rushed to a hospital emergency room after a single
sting, but I don't think this helps much.  The bottom
line is that encounters with bees have become too rare,
and bees have been somehow become categorized with
poisonous snakes as "deadly" in the mind of the public.

Sometimes I think that we will not stop until every
animal except cats and dogs are exterminated, and
every outdoor space has the uniform appearance of
a putting green.

I've watched lots of animals all over the planet, and
for pure viciousness, you can't beat the hummingbird.

We had a large group this year, as many as 9 at the
feeders at once.  The mid-air scuffles were frequent
enough that we moved the feeders further away from
each other in a feeble attempt to "keep the peace".
It made no difference - they still fought for
advantage at the feeders so much, one was forced to
wonder if feeders were a valid food source, or a net
loss, something that prompted the hummingbirds to
"go to afterburners" more often in offensive and
defensive aerial acrobatic maneuvering.

        jim

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