# Are stings supposed to feel good, almost addictive



## nathan4312 (Jun 19, 2014)

I got my first sting today, on my eye lid of all places. Besides the initial pain of the sting the tingle feeling afterwards is kind of relaxing and almost addictive in a way. Is it just me or does anyone else have this experience


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## mathesonequip (Jul 9, 2012)

enjoy the swelling tomorrow.


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## Bees In Miami (Nov 30, 2012)

Wait till tomorrow "Nathan Puffy Eye"  You might want to put some ice on it....sooner rather than later. Then again, you could be fortunate like my husband who barely reacts at all. I turn into the Michelin Woman on day 2. Ice tomorrow is too late. A sting is invigorating in a way...until the swelling and itch kicks in the next day...


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## Bee-52 (Mar 18, 2014)

To answer your question - NO

Nobody says that you are a freak though. Look on the bright side. You would not have to invest into a bee suit - you can do your beekeeping naked and the meaner the bees are the better!


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Are stings supposed to feel good, almost addictive ... :lpf:

Haha, just kidding with that laughing smiley face...

Yes, actually, I find them to be invigorating and euphoric for me. Pretty strange huh?


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## 78-79fordman (Mar 23, 2014)

Sounds you may like getting tattooed . It's pretty much the same as bee stings.


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

After developing an immunity to bee venom (little swelling or itching), I found that more than a dozen stings to the ankle made it feel really good. It's a good, soothing, warmish feeling and feels like the circulation is really stepped up. Feels kinda buzzy! lol But man, we itched like monkeys until the immunity built up.

Bee venom contains the chemicals dopamine and seratonin, etc. These are feel-good chemicals already present in the human body. Bee stings add to that.


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## dkofoed (Feb 25, 2014)

By the time you get this you'll probably be hating life and won't be able to see out of that eye ... and it'll be itching like mad. Perhaps you'll change your outlook on the sting addiction now...


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## imthegrumpyone (Jun 29, 2013)

First year keeping, played with them a couple times with no suiting up, then one of you guys gave some good advice, I took it and now suit up with vail all the time. (all ready can't see, why lose an eye) More power to all you guys in T-shirts and shorts.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I have heard of strange additions before and this ranks right up there with them. lol


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## woodedareas (Sep 10, 2010)

You need help.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

That sounds like a classic endorphin reaction. The body has a natural painkiller, discovered a couple of decades back, called endorphine. Morphine is a mimic of this painkiller, and the name means "internal morphine". It is supposed to be 100x as potent as morphine and just as addictive. Runners are notorious for becoming addicted to it. Lance Armstrong was asked how he dealt with pain while cycling, and replied "I ride FOR the pain."


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Yes. The sting itself is not, but the afterglow is nice.


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## mrobinson (Jan 20, 2012)

I say, _"phooey(!)_ on this 'feels so good, macho stuff."  Bee stings are _supposed_ to hurt, and so your natural reaction should be to prudently avoid them.

For example ... go ahead, spend $20, and _buy_ a bee veil (and a straw-hat to put it on), so that honeybees will never again sting you in the face. Ditto a pair of long-sleeved lightweight leather bee-gloves, both so that you can keep your hands clean and so that they won't sting you in the fingers.

Beyond _that,_ hey, it's entirely up to you. As for _me,_ a lightweight set of painter's coveralls, full of plentious pockets(!), was a mighty great investment.

"Stinging," after all, "is what honeybees _do."_ But that don't mean that you have to put up with it. 

Yeah, yeah. I _have_ worked with my bees in the northwest Georgia (USA) summertime, in shorts and a T-shirt, but the thought _does_ occur to me that maybe the insects thought that I stunk as bad as I probably did. So, mebbe they had mercy on me.  Anyhow, I decided that what I needed was: a sting-free face, clean hands, and plenty o' pockets. Works for me.


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## MAJ_MALFUNCTION (May 30, 2013)

"Hi, my name is Nathan, it's been 18 days since my last sting..."


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## ranger519 (Jun 23, 2014)

LOL ^^^^ That is Funny right there!


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## GOHoney (Jun 19, 2013)

I have been stung many times. I find it neither stimulating or horrible. I don't swell at all so no big deal. (At least off Honey Bees.) I feel it for a few minutes and then it's gone. I have been stung on the right side of my eye twice this year. No swelling. I don't particularly enjoy it though, I do wear my bee suite when working with them.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

Phoebee said:


> That sounds like a classic endorphin reaction. The body has a natural painkiller, discovered a couple of decades back, called endorphine. Morphine is a mimic of this painkiller, and the name means "internal morphine". It is supposed to be 100x as potent as morphine and just as addictive. Runners are notorious for becoming addicted to it. Lance Armstrong was asked how he dealt with pain while cycling, and replied "I ride FOR the pain."


Umm, didn't he "ride for the pain" so he could smoke, um I mean use, something more oraganic for the pain?:shhhh:


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

Hi, my name is Colobee, and it's been 24 hours since my last sting lpf (_that_ was really good  )

It still always hurts, as it should. It still usually itches for a day or two, or sometimes four. It sometimes swells like a big jelly bag when the strike is near an artery - like the one where my right arm gauntlet cinches below the inside elbow. Mine should have a big black tattoo there that say's "sting here for best effect" (they seem to have already figured that out). It eventually feels good on my tired old lower back, but I don't get any euphoria and still avoid as many as I can, in every way I can.


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## warmbees (Mar 4, 2014)

MAJ_MALFUNCTION said:


> "Hi, my name is Nathan, it's been 18 days since my last sting..."


...:lpf: Ok, now that I've regained composure, (assuming I ever really had any...) but seriously... I'm not quite sure weather the response should be "Hi Nathan welcome!"... or are we still waiting for your confession?

Is it just me? Or was I reading with my Monty Python glasses again?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I know we are all fans of _Elementary _... Holmes keeps bees in a very nice observation hive. And he is a recovering drug addict in a 12-step program. And we know that is a load of malarkey because keeping bees is clearly addictive. And now we have one more addiction to worry about.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the frames that should not be changed,
Courage to change the frames
which should be changed in a hot hive,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Inspecting one hive at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting my smoker as a tool to peace,
Taking, as Langstroth did,
This world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that the bees will make all things right,
If I surrender to their will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And the bees can be happy in theirs.


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## Bees In Miami (Nov 30, 2012)

Nathan...We are still waiting to hear if you think bee stings are "relaxing in an almost addictive way"!!???


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## Hokie Bee Daddy (Apr 1, 2011)

The stings don't feel good but the effects can. I've had shoulder pain for about 10 years and while I was robbing bees a couple of weeks ago I got stung about a dozen times on the ankle. An hour later I noticed zero shoulder pain. Absolutely none. The next day the pain came back but the effects of those stings really felt good.


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## NewbeeInNH (Jul 10, 2012)

Since we haven't heard back from Nathan, I assume it means his eyes are swelled shut.

Just kidding, I can't talk, year #3 and I've never been stung. Thank you Brushy Mtn. bee suit. I may keel over from heat stroke, but probably not from a sting.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

NewbeeInNH said:


> Since we haven't heard back from Nathan, I assume it means his eyes are swelled shut.
> 
> Just kidding, I can't talk, year #3 and I've never been stung. Thank you Brushy Mtn. bee suit. I may keel over from heat stroke, but probably not from a sting.


See Michael Palmer's YouTube video regarding beekeeping families and allergy rates. His daughter got stung and had an allergic reaction, he seemed to at least in part attribute this to the fact that his family is frequently exposed to "bee stuff", but they are not stung frequently. So their bodies build up and when a sting finally happens it causes a bad problem.

He mentions bee keeping families having much higher rates of bee allergy than the general population. 

It's worth a listen and it certainly made sense to me. I think he said they all get stings weekly now? It's called "Michael Palmer on the importance of being stung" or something like that.

Truthfully, it isn't all that bad, I've been stung a handful of times. The swelling and itching are a pain, but they seem to have dropped off quite a bit even with the few I've taken this year. It seems like you can be playing with fire a little bit not knowing how you react to them, best to get a few and realize you react badly than to skip joyfully through thinking "I'll never get stung!" only to forget a zipper or something once and get nailed a dozen times to find out you have trouble breathing.

We have a couple of EpiPens just in case.


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## mdax (Apr 29, 2013)

Hi, my name is Michael and it's been a week since my last sting.

I definitely feel good after the sting, you are not alone.


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Actually according to a study you need to get over 200 stings a year to avoid allergic reactions.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

camero7 said:


> Actually according to a study you need to get over 200 stings a year to avoid allergic reactions.


Do you have a link to that, Camero? I'm semi-fascinated by the way the body reacts to this kind of stuff.


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## Kidbeeyoz (May 8, 2013)

Nothing like a bit of BV in your blood to give you a lift. I seem to feel better after a few stings.


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## Gord (Feb 8, 2011)

I find them helpful for the arthritis in my neck.
Sometimes I feel a bit of a rush for a couple of minutes after the sting.
Not scary, but strong.
Histamines ?


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

My wrinkles disappear when I get stung in the face.


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## IAmTheWaterbug (Jun 4, 2014)

Bee Bliss said:


> After developing an immunity to bee venom (little swelling or itching), I found that more than a dozen stings to the ankle made it feel really good. It's a good, soothing, warmish feeling and feels like the circulation is really stepped up. Feels kinda buzzy! lol But man, we itched like monkeys until the immunity built up.


I know it varies highly from person to person, but how long did it take you (y'all) to get desensitized to stings?


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

jwcarlson said:


> Do you have a link to that, Camero? I'm semi-fascinated by the way the body reacts to this kind of stuff.


The degree of sensitization of BKs against HBV is
strongly related to the annual number of stings. When
BKs are stung often, they appeared to be protected,
whereas when BKs receive few stings, they often present
allergic symptoms (Figs. 1 and 2). According to
the present data, 50 stings a year appear to be a minimal
number for protection. When BKs were stung by
more than 200 HBs a year, the allergic risk was absent

The annual
number of stings is critical because when BKs receive
less than 25 stings a year, the sensitization is maximal,
and when BKs receive more than 200 stings a
year, the desensitization is optimal.

Bousquet, J., Ménardo, J. L., Aznar, R., Robinet-Lévy, M., & Michel, F. B. (1984). Clinical and immunologic survey in beekeepers in relation to their sensitization. Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 73(3), 332-340.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

If you like that you should consider a career as a beekeeper, it would be very rewarding.


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## Bees In Miami (Nov 30, 2012)

Charlie B said:


> My wrinkles disappear when I get stung in the face.


:lpf:
Mine, too!!! Or any wrinkles anywhere I get stung for that matter!!

Wish Nathan would report back... :lookout:


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## Rob73 (Apr 19, 2009)

Of all the stings that I have got, I did not recognize any of the feel-good chemicals. They hurt me from the time of the sting, until its gone......


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## Bee Bliss (Jun 9, 2010)

Ok, just to be clear, we did not have any allergy to bee venom and we tested with a short sting before we began the very first time. We started apitherapy and stung 3x a week and started slow, adding a few more stings each time. Apitherapist said it would take about 2 weeks to develop immunity, but we took 4 weeks as we didn't have the stings to a high enough level.


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## Redbug (Feb 8, 2014)

jwcarlson said:


> See Michael Palmer's YouTube video regarding beekeeping families and allergy rates. His daughter got stung and had an allergic reaction, he seemed to at least in part attribute this to the fact that his family is frequently exposed to "bee stuff", but they are not stung frequently. So their bodies build up and when a sting finally happens it causes a bad problem.
> 
> He mentions bee keeping families having much higher rates of bee allergy than the general population.
> 
> ...



Here's Michael's Utube...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0QB96RrGdM


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

Hi, my name is Colobee. it's been trrhee daze sinz my laz strimng, an im not missin it much. 

My back hurtz as ushual. 'Scuz me I think im gonna go moon my beez


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## NewbeeInNH (Jul 10, 2012)

Bee stings as botox? LOL.

I have heard beeks should get stung in order to prevent allergic issues, but I have a really hard time sticking my hand in there and allowing it to get stung. Kind of like getting blood drawn - bleh. Older beekeepers have advised that if you have never gotten stung, to take a few bees in a baggie and drive to the emergency room parking lot. Get stung, then quickly walk in the door, just in case you do have a reaction. I have never been stung by a honeybee that I know of, so it is a little risky not doing this.

50-200 stings a year? I don't know whether I'd do that, regardless.


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## Erik (May 1, 2012)

IAmTheWaterbug said:


> I know it varies highly from person to person, but how long did it take you (y'all) to get desensitized to stings?


Well remember a "normal" reaction is localized redness, inflammation, swelling, itchiness. That's what most people would experience with a bee sting. Working with swarms and wild bees here in west, central TX I come across some downright ornery bees at times and some days get a dozen stings then can go weeks (or months in the winter) with no stings. I've noticed overall my body reacts less than it used to. I now have minimal swelling or redness. I tend to feel itchy and have a little more pinkish area around the sting site but usually the next day the sting site is back to normal. I rarely take Benadryl or anything and if I do it's for sinus congestion and allergies not bee stings. I figure my body can and should process the bee venom and it does. If I get a facial sting I might ice it for 20 minutes until I get bored. This does seem to prevent/minimize inflammation and swelling but that's as far as I go in terms of treating a bee sting (or multiple stings even). I once got an Epi Pen for safety but it's 2 years expired. I carry it still just in case some bystander is facing death from a sting if they're watching a swarm collection or something. 

Erik, near Abilene, TX


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## Robbin (May 26, 2013)

The FIRST step, is to admit you have a problem...:lpf:


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## nathan4312 (Jun 19, 2014)

Soo it's been 3 days since my last bee sting.... lol , the swelling wasn't too bad it just looked like I was turning Japanese....  but the itching was relentless and really annoying I will still proceed to let the bees fly around me during their training flights, I find it kind of majestic in a way if I get stung or not


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## Santa Caras (Aug 14, 2013)

I find it exhillirating in the retelling of the stings. When it's actually happening..no..it hurts! Nor do I find it addictive. I'll go into my hives gloveless but by the 3rd or 4th sting, I'm putting my gloves on and to heck with the machoism! Maybe one day I'll feel diffrent. Read a excerpt from a Dadant story about how growing up.....he avoided his dads hives cuz he didnt like getting stung. Wonder how he felt about it later in life? Probably no diffrent!!!


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## doddy beek (Jun 25, 2014)

hehe funny but I'm with you nathan, there is something invigorating after the initial whack it makes me feel invigorated and kinda healthy in an odd way ,,, gawd am i weird lol


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## Rob64 (May 25, 2014)

talk about timing, I went to take a look at my 2 - 1st year hives an hour ago and while looking at a drone on the ground in front of the hives, one of the ladies stung me on the outer edge of my ear. its only the 4th sting of my short first season as a keep, but definitely the most memorable so far. as far as feeling good and almost addictive.....I vote no.


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## RudyT (Jan 25, 2012)

The positive attitude is a good thing, for those without dangerous allergies. Maybe it is only the placebo effect, but thinking "that one will be good for my arthritis" helps take the sting out.


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## mattheritage (Apr 17, 2014)

Maybe I'm a weenie, but I suit up everytime no matter what I'm doing. Yes I wear gloves too. Honestly I'm not sure why somone would take the chance of getting stung if they don't have to. I don't like pain. It hurts (wierd right?). I have yet to be stung. I'm sure it will happen, but the fewer the experiences the better. And the idea of sticking my hand into the hive to get stung on purpose? No offense but I find that just plain silly.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I'm with the "maybe that one will be good for my arthritis" camp. I don't go in there asking for a sting, but I've got this curious hobby of keeping stinging insects, and I know I'll get stung from time to time. If this bothered me, I'd never have started.

I have protective gear and I wear it when I think I'm doing something that bothers the bees. That means, every time I visit my mentor's bees (they got attitude!), and every time I open our own hives. However, I can check the top feeders on our hives, or stand near them and watch, with no problem at all, so far. How will I know when this is no longer a good idea? By the sting.


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## wengeasley (Jun 25, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> Yes. The sting itself is not, but the afterglow is nice.


 Umm yeah I agree...its hurts so good! I haven't had a steroid shot in my knees in 1& 1/2 years since I started bee keeping.


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## doddy beek (Jun 25, 2014)

Phoebee said:


> I'm with the "maybe that one will be good for my arthritis" camp. I don't go in there asking for a sting, but I've got this curious hobby of keeping stinging insects, and I know I'll get stung from time to time. If this bothered me, I'd never have started.
> 
> I have protective gear and I wear it when I think I'm doing something that bothers the bees. That means, every time I visit my mentor's bees (they got attitude!), and every time I open our own hives. However, I can check the top feeders on our hives, or stand near them and watch, with no problem at all, so far. How will I know when this is no longer a good idea? By the sting.


you will know this is no longer a good idea when out of the blue a handful of bees will come at you like kamikazes and they won't take shoo or arm waving as a deterrent and if the numbers grow attacking you as mine did early season methinks its time to requeen


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## Matthew16 (May 3, 2021)

nathan4312 said:


> I got my first sting today, on my eye lid of all places. Besides the initial pain of the sting the tingle feeling afterwards is kind of relaxing and almost addictive in a way. Is it just me or does anyone else have this experience


yes, I have felt this too. only from certain kinds of bees/hornets, and only after multiple stings. never after just one sting. I feel a slight euphoria, semi hullucegenic feeling. ( im a recovering addict, im well aware of drugs and the feelings they bring) and its comparable to some bee sting experiences.


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## Robbin (May 26, 2013)

I've never found that it felt good, but I have noticed that after getting a couple stings early in the season the rest don't seem nearly as bad, almost like building up a resistance to the sting. I always use a veil, can't stand the thought of getting stung around my eyes. But suiting up (top only) is pretty easy so I do so more often then not. Right now my hives run the gambit from VERY MEAN, waiting for the new queen to make a difference to very calm. The mean ones make you wonder why you ever started bee keeping then you work some nice ones and remember why.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Hi, my name is Ray, and I just came in from the beeyard where I purposefully got 2 stings in my right jaw bone area to help reduce pressure in my jaw and ear. It works pretty good for me. Do the stings hurt? Yes, kind of, but nothing like the nerve and muscle pains I live with daily from back spine injuries. A beesting pain is a walk in the park with an ice cream cone in comparison. But it's not the pain of the sting, it's the reduced tiredness and more wakefullness I feel when I get a sting. That's what I mean when it feels good to get stung, not the sting itself, but the change in attitude and well being it brings that is the positive. Along with the greatly reduced pains and pressures from past injuries. Heck, with these 2 stings, I might just skip my afternoon nap today!


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## Tumbleweed (Mar 17, 2021)

mathesonequip said:


> enjoy the swelling tomorrow.


and itching the next 7 days.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

Cant say i enjoy stings one bit and i have probably overreacted in the past in terms of running around like a pork chop when i got stung because whilst the anticipation of the sting isnt great lets be honest its just NOT THAT PAINFUL. Sure it burns a little but for me that last literally minutes. I get no redness, no swelling, no itching ...nothing. I think i can attribute that to my pitiful beekeeping skills the first year or two where getting a dozen stings in an hour or two in the yard was quite normal. I often take stings when im taking my bee suit off but again apart from a brief "sting" feeling there is no other reaction to it. Wasnt like that year one...i would swell up and itch for bloody days.


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## Tarheeler (Jan 27, 2021)

Negative ghost rider


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## twinoaks (Sep 1, 2018)

Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over honeybees—that our lives had become unmanageable.

Good grief. That sounds pretty accurate.


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