Hello All,
"The members of the craft of beekeeping will always be held in check by the
pesky sting of the honey bee."( Richard Taylor)
Myself and other beekeepers I have talked to get no reaction from a sting at
all but a small hole where the stinger went in but many I have talked to
swell from a mosquito bite.  We have got three part time employees which do
work for us on the farm.  Not beekeeping work.  Joel was mowing next to the
four way queen nucs this morning and received a sting.  He showed me after
he finnished his work and only the hole where the stinger went in. No
swelling. He hadn't been stung all year.  Always amazed at some people only
get a tiny hole and some the whole arm swells up.  My last sting of 2000 was
from a load of bees taken to Texas.  Almost exactly two months later I
started feeding bees in Missouri and receiving stings.  The imunity was till
working. No swelling.  In my opinion there is still quite a bit to be
learned about bee sting reactions. Many doctors have told me most serious
reactions are caused by the proteins in the sting and not the venom itself.
All I know is the sting I got a couple hours ago felt like the first sting I
ever received.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri
Ps. Dan Rather said tonight on the news  the first case of West Nile Virus
has been found in Florida.  I expect a step up in spraying. Beekeepers were
never paid for hives killed by spraying around Miami for sleeping sickness.
Most spraying now is mostly around the big cities.