# I'm Back 300+ stings



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

so very glad you are alright! thanks for letting us know.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

Hey, I am so glad that you are ok, 300+ stings is something I could not imagine going through.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

I know you worked without a suit. But please explain just how else this happened? I can't see how somebody sticks around long enough to get 300 stings? Unless the bees were africanised & did it in seconds or something?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I'm glad you are doing better. I hope you charged the Dr.s for the education you gave them. It's only right.


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## billybwf (Aug 17, 2012)

Glad to hear your ok. A true beek giving lessons from the hospital bed.


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## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

Yes,please tell us how this happened.I dropped a hive once and received about 25 stings.I cant imagine 300.That's an experience you will never forget.


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## kellymt (Apr 22, 2012)

Wow! Everyone was very worried. Glad you are going to be fine and glad you are back!


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Now that I am in my sixties, I would hate to take that many and a bunch on the head is not good. I always found that one on the bridge between my nostrils was especially special! I remember unloading semi loads the old fashioned way without a forklift and laying in a hot bath and whimpering that night. A veil is always good and splitting doubles the day before yesterday with a thin cotton suit told me I should have had a shirt on under it! It is not a sign of toughness to get stung. It is a sign of thickness between the ears.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Glad you're doing ok now, Riverratbees. My mentor will sometimes do a light inspection in a top box without a veil, but he goes slowly and carefully. Me, if the inner cover comes off then I'm wearing a veil. A little over a week ago we did a cutout and I wore a veil and a t-shirt (it was hot)...took a few stings on the back of the shoulder, lower arms, and hands...after your episode I may re-evaluate my bravado. As I recall from your earlier post there was nothing unusual that happened that set the bees in attack mode, correct? It's like my mentor told me early on....one day you can go into a hive, bang your way through an inspection roughly and all the bees want to do is lick the sweat off your hand...the next day you can slowly and carefully pry the top off and suddenly they explode....no predictability. We do our best to keep calm, gentle bees, but always remember that there's enough venom inside those boxes to kill me.

Thanks for the reinforcement on personal protection, I'm sorry you had to experience this but thanks a bunch for sharing it! And,...may things be calm and peaceful with you and your bees for *many* years to come!

Ed


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## RudyT (Jan 25, 2012)

Thanks for sharing & I too am glad you are doing as well as you are.
I know a guy who kept bees for years and after a 30-50 sting episode developed allergy, so beeware.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Great to have you back! Sorry to hear about your accident; get better soon.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

Recently my cousin and Dad both had a run in with a foul hive, not all that far from Riverratbees (Wise, VA). They were both suited, but my dad didn't have his veil zipper quite closed all the way. He took at least 30 stings to the head. My cousin took over 50 to his ankles (he was wearing a tyvec coveralls under his inspectors jacket). The were going into the hive to pull a frame of brood out to put in another hive. As soon as my cousin touched the frame they went insane (the bees went insane, not my relatives, they went crazy a long time ago!). I asked them why they didn't run. My cousin said what do you mean we didn't run! I can only imagine what would have happened if they didn't have there gear on.


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## ralph3 (Jun 3, 2012)

Oldtimer said:


> I know you worked without a suit. But please explain just how else this happened? I can't see how somebody sticks around long enough to get 300 stings? Unless the bees were africanised & did it in seconds or something?


Indeed. I did a rather sloppy cutout awhile back and if i hadn't have worn a suit i doubt i'd have been hit that many times.

Hopefully the genetics aren't allowed to reproduce. Tazewell is a ways away but i'd hate the thought of a bunch of those drones flyin round here.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Oldtimer said:


> I know you worked without a suit. But please explain just how else this happened? I can't see how somebody sticks around long enough to get 300 stings? Unless the bees were africanised & did it in seconds or something?


OK found the other thread, and seen what happened. The operative word might have been when you smoked them and they "ran down the combs", always a warning of a potentially flighty and aggressive bee, africanised or not.


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

I too am happy you are back and ok. Please tell us you will now wear a veil and suit up in the future...


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## wanderyr (Feb 11, 2012)

Oldtimer said:


> OK found the other thread, and seen what happened. The operative word might have been when you smoked them and they "ran down the combs", always a warning of a potentially flighty and aggressive bee, africanised or not.


Riverratbees- I'm relieved you're OK 

Oldtimer- I'm not sure I get the distinction, but I certainly want to watch out for it! I haven't been attacked yet; just a few stings here and there...

When I smoke them, they buzz and run down into the hive, between the frames. How is this different from what you mean?

Thanks,
wanderyr


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Oldtimer, I don't know if that was it or not. 

Here's the full quote in context... _"I found my queen and as far as I was concerned inspection was over. So they were building up and gave them a little smoke and they ran down in the frames like always. I put the last frame in and all of the sudden went from a hum to a buzz."_

I'm reading that as a good many bees had come up on the top bars and sides of the box. He was simply smoking them back down so he could replace the supers that he had removed without smashing a bunch of bees. The two words that tell me the bees running down in the frames was nothing really unusual are the two words "...like always." It seems the bees reacted like he was accustomed to seeing them react...nothing out of the ordinary.

It seems the trigger point/time was when he replaced the last frame. I wonder when smoked if the bees that had gathered on top of the frames had clumped up in the void where the frame had been and had not spread out on the comb yet. When the frame was replaced it may have possibly mashed some bees which may have prompted the attack. We'll probably never know for sure.

I guess it goes back to "Bees will be bees and do as they please". In this situation there was a bunch of them that thought they were reincarnated Japanese Zeros! 

If the inner cover comes off...my veil is on.

Ed


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

is it possible that a bee or two accidentally got squished when that last frame went in? 

also, i notice that if i'm not fast enough with the inspection, there are more robbers getting into the open hive. for awhile, the hive being inspected is quiet and mellow, but the buzzing seems to get gradually louder as more time progresses. i attributed this to more robbers getting in and more alert phermone being released. 

plus, after the first sting, there is that strong phermone at the sting site. one sting leads to a couple of more and it snowballs. wearing protection can prevent that first sting.

i really got a hive riled up the other day, when after closing it up after a complete inspection, i realized that i forgot to replace the beetle trap in the brood box. they were extra mad when i opened them back up and removed the super for the second time. i am going to try real hard not to forget that again, but if i do, i'll probably come back and do it a day or two later.


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## Oldtimer (Jul 4, 2010)

Yes you guys are right, reading it again I don't think I quite got the right interpretation first time around.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Oldtimer, I think I know what you were talking about, though. I've got one hive, my strongest and the one that made honey for me this past year, that the bees tend to seem nervous on the comb. They will indeed "run" the comb a bit and if you mess with them too much they will begin to have an attitude. I think that is a colony that won't put up with a lot of foolishness. I'm trying to go all 8-frame mediums but when I purchased this colony it came in a 10-frame deep...I'm not really looking forward to finding the queen and isolating her above a queen excluder so I can go back later and remove that 10-frame box...I don't think they're going to like that.inch:

Ed


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## mrqb (Jul 17, 2011)

Good News RR glad your o.k.


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## Riverratbees (Feb 10, 2010)

Intheswamp I think you might be on to something about when I put the last frame in. It was full of bees and maybe the last frame did squash bees in the bottom. I have racked my brain ever since this happened to me and that is the only thing I can think of. Gonna get back in them tomorrow with suit on. Doing goood swelling just about completely gone. Later


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

I'm glad to hear you're doing better! How long has it been now...2 weeks? And the swelling is just now about gone? Oooooh... 

Take it slow and easy tomorrow. 

Best wishes,
Ed


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

I was thinking about you after your prior post, glad you are doing OK and you came back to let us know you are alright. Did the doc give you anything for itching?
No Pictures? I cannot even imagine getting it more than about 10. I have been working them with my veil and nitrile exam gloves and before I went hunting it was getting dark and I wanted to put some Fumigilian on them. By the time it was cool and I had to put it on (shelf life). I put on heavy gear (gloves, gauntlets and jacket) after reading on the forum they do not like to be disturbed late in the evening. The first hive I popped open I had 5 bees hanging from their stingers in about 3 seconds. Never seen a reaction like that before, could not imagine how it even happened that fast.


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