Hello Bill and All, Bill wrote: > It would be interesting to see where honey, being stung, and the > lifestyle of beekeepers fit into the the anecdotal evidence that > beekeepers live longer than the general populace. Most of the talk of beekeepers living a longer and healthier life comes from a National Geographic article about the oldest living people in the USSR years ago. Further *anecdotal* evidence can be seen by observing the age of the old bee masters. Dr. C.C. Miller lived to be 90 years old when the average life span for a male in the U.S. was years younger (one example). Mr. Mcburney of Quinter, Kansas which gave a presentation at the Kansas Honey producers meeting a couple years ago still keeps bees and sells honey and turned 100 a year ago. I would have guessed his age at around 75 by the way he *walked* and talked. Many will say other factors are involved which I cannot argue with but as a general rule beekeepers live longer and are healthier in their old age. It seems the beekeeper needs to be at least a sideliner or larger. The reason is because many hobby beekeepers may only receive a few stings per year and might spend the rest of the year in a UNHEALTHY office environment. Most of the longer lived beekeepers I have read about or met were larger than hobby and lived in rural settings. As for the stings. My whole family has arthritis problems as rheumatoid arthritis runs in the family *all except me*. My Doctor has tried to pin arthritis on a couple of ailments (aches and pains) of mine. To prove him wrong we made a bet and I had the blood work done for arthritis. The tests came back negative. The arthritis pills he *was* giving me were causing headaches. After I watched the movie *Ulee's Gold* I figured out what was causing my aches and pains which seemed to go away when the bee season was over and start when the bee season started. Although only a large sideline beekeeper compared to my friends I start receiving bee stings from around March when the bees start flying till October when the bees stop flying. I only wear enough protection as I feel necessary. At times I figure wrong and pay the price. When you carry the full immunity like I do and others using bee sting therapy will agree to. Once the hurt of the sting is passed at the end of the day I can not tell you how many stings I have received or even their location. I DISLIKE chigger bites and tick bites over bee stings as bee stings keep my immunity up and *I believe* helps keep *Arthur* (arthritis) away. Bee stings go away but chigger and tick bites can annoy for weeks. Is it possible that all the chigger bites and tick bites beekeepers receive adds to their longevity? Kidding! I keep weeds down, use *skin so soft* and at times spray myself with deet but still am embarrassed to expose my legs in public at times in shorts this time of year. If a disease was killing all the chiggers and ticks in the world I would not lift a finger to save the chiggers and ticks! Ticks are so bad this year I can sit in the bee truck and pull 10 or so off my bee suit after working certain yards. Sincerely, Bob Harrison