Overcoming Bee Sting Phobia

Perhaps the best-known part of the bee's anatomy is its stinger. Quite often, that is the biggest apprehension that people face about taking up beekeeping. You may never have been stung by a honey bee, but you probably do know the wrath of yellow jackets and hornets. Experienced beekeepers will all reassure you time and again that honey bees bred for beekeeping are docile and seldom inclined to sting, but until you have first-hand experience it's natural to be nervous.

All the same, the beekeepers are100 percent correct. Honey bees are docile and gentle creatures. One typical beekeeper can proudly (and not uncommonly) attest to making it through his entire first season without receiving a single sting. In the nearly 20 years that he's been keeping bees, not a single member of his family, not a single visitor to his home, and not a single neighbor has ever been stung by one of his prized honey bees.

By the way, bees sting — they don't bite. Honey bees use their stinger only as a last resort to defend the colony. After all, they die after stinging. Away from the hive (while they're collecting nectar and pollen) defending the colony is no longer a priority, so they're as gentle as lambs.

Will you ever get stung if you keep bees? Probably. But usually not more than three or four times a year. In every case, the stings are a result of carelessness. You're rushing, taking short cuts, or are inattentive to their mood — all things that can be avoided. The secret to avoiding stings is your technique and demeanor.

Here are some helpful tips for avoiding stings:

• Always wear a veil and use your smoker when visiting your hive.

• Inspect your bees during pleasant daytime weather. Try to use the hours between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. That's when most of the bees are out working, and fewer bees are at home. Don't open up the hive at night, during bad weather, or if a thunderstorm is brewing.

• Don't rush. Take your time and move calmly. Sudden movements are a no-no.

• Get a good grip on frames. If you drop a frame of bees, you'll have a memorable story to tell.

• Never swat at bees. Become accustomed to them crawling on your hands and clothing. They're just exploring. Bees can be gently pushed aside if necessary.

• When woodenware is stuck together with propolis (the sticky substance that bees collect from trees to repair their hives), don't snap it apart with a loud "crack." The bees go on full alert when they feel sudden vibrations.

• Never leave sugar syrup or honey in open containers near the hive. Doing so can excite bees into a frenzy, and you may find yourself in the middle of it. It can also set off robbing — an unwelcome situation in which bees from other colonies attack your bees, robbing them of their honey.

• Keep yourself and bee clothing laundered. Bees don't like bad body odor. If you like to eat garlic, avoid indulging right before visiting your bees.

• Wear light-colored clothing. Bees don't seem to like dark colors.

Knowing what to do if you're stung

Be prepared to answer the following question from everyone who learns you're a beekeeper: "Do you ever get stung?" You'll hear this one a hundred times. An occasional sting is a fact of life for a beekeeper. Following the rules of the road, however, keeps stings to a minimum, or perhaps you'll get none at all. Yet, if a bee stings you or your clothing, calmly remove the stinger and smoke the area to mask the chemical alarm scent left behind. (This alarm pheromone can stimulate other bees to sting.) To remove the stinger, use your fingernail to scrape it off your skin. Notice, in Figure 1, how the barbed stinger (and some of the bee's innards) remains with the victim as the bee moves away. This bee's a goner.

Don't try to pinch the stinger off. That only squeezes the venom sack left behind by the bee and injects more venom.

Apply a cold compress and take an antihistamine tablet (such as Benadryl). Antihistamine creams also are available. Using this technique alleviates the swelling, itching, and discomfort.

Watching for allergic reactions

All bee stings hurt a bit, but not for long. Experiencing redness, swelling, and itching is completely natural. These are normal (not allergic) reactions. For a small percentage of individuals, more severe allergic or even toxic reactions can occur, including severe swelling beyond the immediate area of the sting, and shortness of breath. In the worst cases, reaction to bee stings can result in loss of consciousness or even death. The most severe reactions occur in less than 1 percent of the population. To put that in perspective, more people are killed by lightning each year than die from bee stings.

As a precaution against a guest having a severe reaction, you might want to keep an EpiPen (see Figure 2) on hand. These emergency sting kits are available from your doctor by prescription. The kit automatically injects a dosage of epinephrine (adrenaline). But be careful. Liability issues can arise when injecting another person, so check with your doctor beforehand.

Building up a tolerance

Now this may sound strange, but many beekeepers look forward to getting a few stings early in the season. No, they're not masochistic. The more stings you get, the less the swelling and itching. For many, occasional stings actually build up a kind of tolerance. It still smarts, but the side effects disappear.

One school of thought states that bee venom can actually be good for some health conditions that you may suffer from. This is what bee-sting therapy — known as apitherapy — is all about. More information on apitherapy is available from the American Apicultural Society.