>    You might spend some time asking experienced
>beekeepers and research people about the dangers of an anaphylactic reaction
>if a person is exposed to bee venom but never stung.  It appears that
>beekeepers' family members have a higher than average serious reaction to
>bee stings than does the general population.


         This happened in the case of my daughter. If we didn't live 15
minutes from the hospital, we might have lost her. She used to go to bee
yards with me, and ride in my truck to and from school every day. She loved
helping with extracting. She only got stung once or twice. Then, one
evening while doing homework with her, she was stung on the calf. In 5
minutes she was cherry red from head to toe. The doctors saved her with
epineprin and benedryl. She is now in venom therapy...last injection was
equivalent of three stings. This has taken 2 1/2 years of venom injections.
She has had to take zyrtec and prednisone before each treatment. The plan
is to decrease the drugs slowly until she can stand the stings without them.
         If you are going to expose your little daughter to bee venom,
without actually being stung, you are asking for trouble. The allergist
told me that in the general public, allergy rates to bee venom are 1 in 100
- 200. In beekeeping families, that rate goes to 1 in 10.

         I would suggest one of two options:

1. Don't expose her. Wash your bee clothes so she isn't exposed to bee
proteins. Keep her suit and yours clean.

2. If you want her there, exposed to bee proteins as you are, she must
receive regular stings.  At three, I would think this would turn her off to
the joys of beekeeping.

Mike

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