# Normal sting reaction?



## Mosherd1

seems normal to me


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## Merlinspop

Thanks. That's what I was thinking, but my wife got really concerned this morning. 

It was interesting that when I came inside, my dog immediately zeroed in on the spot and gave it a sniff and lick.


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## Daddy'sBees

Looks normal for one of the more worse stings. Sometimes they can leave a blister like a fire ant does. But this usually isn't the case. I think it has to do more with the exact location of the stinger penetration. Some spots don't seem to have anything beyond a minor stinging, where the same bees stinging you somewhere else might say, hit a nerve, or area where any pointed penetraton would be more injurious or sensative. Take a Benadryl.


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## Mosherd1

You will find after another dozen or so stings you will have almost no reaction any more. At least that is whata I have found.


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## Merlinspop

Thanks. Makes my wife feel better. I told her that if it was going to be fatal, it would have been so already. Not sure why she suggested I go inspect them again. 
She had at least 30 seconds to give me her full dose, so this reaction isn't a big surprise. I just hope it goes down quickly.


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## Daddy'sBees

"Not sure why she suggested I go inspect them again." Does she have life insurance n you? LOL


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## Adrian Quiney WI

At the end of my second year beekeeping I had a sting that caused my armpits to and groin to come out in hives. I got an Epipen as insurance, and suited up every time I was even near the hives. Fear takes a lot of pleasure out of beekeeping.
Over the following winter I gave myself shots of 1/100th a sting for a few weeks weekly, and then 1/50 a sting weekly, and then 1/10th sting weekly, and then a sting weekly. What I do now is take a bee and sting myself about twice a week. This seems to have prevented any further scary reactions.


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## Michael Bush

I've had a few worse and a lot that were better...


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## Bee Bliss

What you have is a normal, local reaction. Stingers can pump venom for 15 to 20 minutes, although most of the venom is delivered in the first few minutes.

Adrian, how did you give yourself venom shots and measure it to 1/100 ? Was it from an actual sting or syringe?


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## Adrian Quiney WI

I forced a bee to sting through a vial that was capped with cling film. I added 1 ml. of Normal Saline to the vial. I injected .01 ml. into myself. I knew the venom was active as it hurt immediately.


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## kbenz

Ive had stings with almost no reaction and stings worse than that..........


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## HiveJockey

Adrian Quiney WI said:


> What I do now is take a bee and sting myself about twice a week. This seems to have prevented any further scary reactions.


Where do you 'administer' the voluntary sting? Arm? Leg?


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## HONEYDEW

HiveJockey said:


> Where do you 'administer' the voluntary sting?


 should do it wherever you want some arthritis relief or wherever you have joint pain...


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## Adrian Quiney WI

HiveJockey, HoneyDew makes a good point. However, I don't have joint pain so I administer the sting to my non-dominant hand or arm.


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## NasalSponge

Funny you should mention the dog, I took a sting while checking a swarm in a nuc today and when I went in I told my wife to watch, put my hand out to our dog and she went right to the spot.


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## af_newbie

Merlinspop said:


> Morning all... Yesterday around noon I was tagged on my thumb while working my top bar hive. I was holding a bar at the time and it took a good 30 seconds or more to put the bar back in place, so I got a pretty full load of venom. Finished up, then took a benedryl.
> At first, there was just some localized redness. After a few hours, the nearest joint became sore with some slight swelling and generalized itchiness in the immediate area. By bedtime, the sting spot became a slightly raised reddish bump.
> This morning, the sting site looks more like a blood blister.
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> And the swollen, itchy area has expanded to the base of my thumb on the palm side and most of the back of my hand (enclosed in blue).
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> Also my wrist and elbow seem a little sore.
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> Is this within the range of a normal bee sting reaction, or should I be a bit more concerned?
> 
> Thanks - Bruce


Normal to mild reaction. Just don't get it on your forehead. I got one and the swelling of about 3/4" "traveled" down to my eyes and nose. I looked like a heavyweight boxer after a lost fight. Benadryl, tee bags, burdock leaves helped. Use vinegar if the site is away from your eyes. It should be gone in a week.


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## johnblagg

my first sting this year was on the web between thumb and index finger ...almost identical reaction ...since then and 4 or 5 sttings later almost no reactions anymore...lol got poped right on top my poor bald head today and no signs it ever happend now


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## Sherillynn

Merlin- I had a similar thing happen to me about 2 weeks ago. I've had bees for 10 years and never had a problem with stings. I got stung on Saturday on my left hand. It swelled some. On Sunday, I got zapped three more times on the same hand in a matter of seconds. By Monday, my hand looked like the Michelin Man and I couldn't close my fingers. I went to the ER and got steroids. What he told me for future reference was to take a Benedryl and also a Pepcid or a Tagamet. Those work on tow different types of histamine cells which is what causes the swelling.
He also suggested I see an allergist to get desensitized. Now today, I got stung in the right leg through my jeans and nothing....Who can figure. I do keep an epi pen around also. Just in case. And being a nurse, I've seen plenty of worse case scenarios so I like to be prpared.
I hope your hand feels better.


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## Bee Bliss

Extreme swelling at a sting site is not an allergic reaction. It is the sign of a healthy immune system. Also, if someone is not allergic, getting a few stings here and there will help the body to desensitize. 

Just a reminder that beta blocker medications can interfere with the epi pen. The apitherapist also recommended that we eat something before we sting so that may help beekeepers also. We were also cautioned not to have alcohol in our system 24 hours before or after stinging.


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## Hockey Mom

The very best thing i've found to treat bee stings and other insect bites and stings is Therapik.It's a portable battery operated device that when applied focuses heat to the sting site.Almost all insect venom is thermlabile and is neutralized by heat.I keep it in my pocket so it's always handy


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## beeherder

If heat neutralizes the stings then mine shouldn't swell here in phoenix  but they do.
I'm new to bee keeping and got stung twice in the hand about a week and a half ago when I brought home the first hive, and it swelled good. Got another sting yesterday, in the other hand, and it swelled worse than the picture in this post, stung in the same place almost.

Whats odd about the swelling in my hands is that when I got stung as a kid, stepped on a rotten log way out in the forest while deer hunting, and caught one in my helmet while riding dirt bikes, I didn't swell as bad then, but the last two stings I got from bees that flew in the window of my car while driving down the hiway, didn't hardly have any reaction outside of the slight pain from the sting, and very very little swell, but now I swell like the goodyear blimp, but these last one's are all hand stings.\
Sounds like most stings are hand stings.
I sit out by my hive in just my shorts and t shirt and flip flops, call me crazy, and have no problem while I watch the bees bring in pollen and whatever else, and I've even popped the top without smoke and not had any problems, but yesterday they decided to show me what they can do, and it has made me realize that the other bees were all wimps compared to these stings  but seriously, I guess it's just the location on the hand that causes the big swelling. Hope that time eases the reactions liike I've read. Thanks for the post cause it makes me feel like I'm not such an odd man out, cause I was wondering why so much swell now when they were small the times before, years ago. Enjoy I'll wear gloves now, and my hood.


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