Are you saying it's more dangerous to be stung a
> handful of times per year (as far as venom allergies go) than being stung
> many, many times?

 I think so.

However most people never have a problem and only get a few stings a year.

All stings are not equal and placement of the sting can effect the reaction. 
I will share a dangerous sting area. A sting directly on a large vein which 
actually pumps venom into the bloodstream. I have had a few of these and the 
symptoms can include light headed and passing out even for the commercial 
beek.

 So a commercial beek, who is stung all the time is less at
> risk of developing an allergy than a hobbyist, who is stung occasionally?

there are no exact rules as each person is different but generally speaking 
I would agree. Those which only read of the full immunity to stings are 
skeptical until the get enough stings to see the effect.

Today is a rainy day and the bees are not in a good mood. I spoke by cell to 
a beekeeper crew putting on supers in light rain in Lone Jack, Missouri. The 
answer to my call was "we are getting the hell stung out of us but about 
ready to head for home".

However tonight when the day is over those beekeepers could hardly find a 
sting spot to show you. No redness or swelling. At times you can find a red 
dot where the stinger went in.

Commercial beeks tease each other about stings! My partner and I used to 
play ( still do! ) a game we called pass the honey bee. When riding in a cab 
full of bees we catch a bee like you would a queen and pass the bee to the 
next guy. The beek which does not pick the bee up correctly gets the sting. 
Takes focus as she is hell bent on stinging you.

Usually new help quits after the first day when the bees are not in a good 
mood. We are getting rain every couple days and so we are having to work 
even in poor weather. I think having to work bees in bad weather is the 
biggest difference between the hobby or sideline and the commercial beek.

I took quite a few stings this morning checking yards to super and yards to 
install comb honey supers. Usually the rain washes the nectar from the 
clover and the bees do not visit for a day or two after a big rain. This 
week the bees are flying as soon as the rain stops and as I said in my 
articles the Australian bees I use fly in light rain.

We usually pull a trailer with a swinger to super bees using  pallets of 
supers. This season all work has been done the old fashioned way by hand. 
Double work but too wet to get into yards pulling a trailer and a 5000 pound 
forklift.  I have cut some deep ruts in certain areas getting in and out 
with a ton and a half four wheel drive flatbed.

bob 

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