I haven’t been stung that many times, but every time I was, I was doing something stupid. Something the bee books tell you not to do. Ever.
Bee handling season is upon us, and I’d like to share with you a few lessons I’ve learned from painful experience.
1. Always check your clothing for stray bees after you inspect the hive.
Sounds simple, right? The first time I was stung I wasn’t wearing a beekeeper’s suit. I fed my bees sugar syrup and got sticky in the process. After I finished, I went inside and took off my pants to wash them. When I picked up my pants, I grabbed a bee! Ouch!
I started wearing a beekeeper’s suit after that. Easier to see the bees. And I always check for hitchhiking bees before I go inside.
2. Bees don’t like dark colors, body odor or vibrations near the hive.
I found this out while dressed all in black, needing a shower and banging two bricks together while gardening right next to my hive. Amazingly, I only got stung once.
My bees probably thought I was a very dim-witted little bear.
3. It’s a good idea to wear wellies while inspecting the hives instead of black socks and black clogs.
See Number 2 above. Bees can sting through socks like nobody’s business! It was my worst experience with bee stings. My ankle was swollen for a week.
4. Inspect the hive between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm, when a lot of the bees aren’t home.
Inspecting the hive at 7 am isn’t a good idea. Especially when wearing black socks and black clogs.
Now when I inspect my hives, I smell as sweet as a rose in my white bee suit and wellies. I also look like I’m going out to handle Plutonium…
There is a silver lining to my experience with bee stings. I used to have some pain in my hands from typing a lot. Now it’s gone. Bee stings really do work for that!!
Related articles
- How To Deal With Bee Stings (superdoodadsblog.wordpress.com)
I learn something new every time I read your blog. Can the bees sting through your beekeepers suit?
Glad to hear the stings gave you some relief in your hands.
I’m glad I’m able to provide new information. I’m always concerned that I’m rehashing old material. 🙂
I’ve never been stung through my beekeeper’s suit. But then I usually wear a shirt, pants and gloves as well. That way I feel protected and at ease, and the bees don’t have to smell my fear. 🙂
The time I was stung through my socks was unusually bad. It was very early in the morning, and I slipped handling one of the deeps. We were all upset!
But wearing wellies is a good idea. They protect you all the way to your knees.
Also, my bees are Buckfast hybrids, and are considered “hot” or very defensive. Gentler strains, such as Italians, are a bit easier to handle.
But really, I’ve only been stung six or seven times in six years. That’s not bad, in my opinion.
Thanks for posting this. It gives me courage!
I can’t remember being stung by a honey bee, But being allergic to bee stings, my memories are solidly intact. I no longer rush to the doctor for a shot anymore. Instead, I slice open a clove of fresh garlic and hold it in place until it pulls all the poison out. This works great for spider bites too. Time tested by yours truly. I always carry fresh garlic in the car in the summer time.
Please note that I am highly allergic, but not deathly allergic to bee stings, and I wouldn’t encourage those in the latter camp to rely solely on garlic, but for me, it has meant hours of pain instead of days in delirious agony.
I’ve never heard about garlic being good for bee stings! I use Benadryl and whine a lot…
Thanks for the information!!
[…] Avoiding The Dreaded Sting (romancingthebee.com) […]
[…] Avoiding The Dreaded Sting (romancingthebee.com) […]