Hi bee liners! In a recent message Dave D. Cawley reported some serious swelling, and some bees chasing him. If I am stung in my hand, my arm will swell double size up to the elbow or more within 24 hours. Of course this worries me. But other beekeepers that have kept bees for many years experiences the same reactions and with time (and stings) they say the swelling fades quicker. "The hive and Honeybee" resent version has a very good chapter on venomous incects and reactions to stings. As I remember it, they divede reactions to stings in different groups: Small local reactions, large local reactions, allergic reactions etc. As I understood it, there is no connexion between large local reactions and allergy - can any body correct me on this? I am not a medical person. Bees chasing you: I have a hive in my garden, it is placed by the hedge with a fence in front to force the bees up (180 cm). Next to this fence I grow vegetabels. Twice this summer I have been stung working silently picking berries or digging potatoes. In both instances the bee went directly for me, and it was more than a week after I had worked these bees. I think they know the "bad" smell of me, since neigther my wife or children have been stung. 2 instances is not much, but if you have upset a colony working it (wearing full gear), do not go near (10 m in the fligth direction) that colony without veil for the rest of the day or they will go for you. FWIW Morten ([log in to unmask])