Discovered relief from the itch of a sting

[Serapax]

Hey all,

It finally happened - one of my girls stung me on the wrist.  Unfortunately I had not been stung for nearly ten years, so within a few hours, my whole arm down to the elbow, and my hand (not fingers thank god), is swollen and itching like mad.  24 hours later, I think it's at it's worst and will get better from now on.  I'm hoping that the reactions will get less severe as the season goes on, but I'm getting my doctors advice tomorrow anyway.  I'm quite prepared to make myself get stung every month or so to build up my immunity, but don't want to risk making the reactions worse and then have to give up the hobby I've just started..

Anyway, I have discovered the best way to stop the itch.  Tiger Balm (the strong one) is working wonders for me - instead of an itch, it's just that hot feeling from the balm.  Quite nice even.  I guess any similar sports rub might work in the same way.

Has anyone else found this useful?

Cheers!

Mike

[biikiipper]

Make sure that you are not allergic, ask your doctor make some tests.

I get stung twice this summer, cause only little itching and pain, after few minutes - nothing. Previous time was when I was just a little boy, way over ten years ago.

Be carefull, don't kill yourself 'couse of hobby...

[Michael Bush]

I had one like that on my ankle this spring.  Couldn't walk for two days.  I've had 20 or 30 stings since and didn't notice them, and probably couldn't find them, five minutes later.

[bassman1977]

I've had 20 or 30 stings since

That's a lot.  Don't you wear any kind of protection?

[Michael Bush]

>That's a lot. Don't you wear any kind of protection?

Sometimes.  I had one very hot hive I had to break up and requeen and I didn't have anything but a bug baffler which is far from sting proof.  And then there are the usual occasional stings.  I work with them a lot rearing queens and I had about a hundred nucs and hives going in the middle of the year.

[Diver]

Put into perspective 20-30 stings manipulating that many hives together with queen rearing is not many at all.  As to the severe stings could it be the site of the sting rather than possible allergic reaction. A sting in the muscle is what we normally get but if it is on a point where the nerve bundle is close to the surface it could be more effective.  Lets hope this is the case as no beekeeper wants to be allergic to bee stings. Let us know whats the doctors opinion and the outcome mike (serapax)

[Michael Bush]

Queen rearing I'm into one hive or another every day.  Some days I'm making up fifty mating nucs or opening those fifty mating nucs to put in queen cells or opening those fifty mating nucs to find the queen and look for eggs.  When I had four hives and was just raising honey I opened them three or four times a year each.

[Shizzell]

(Not trying to advertise) But I found that the Mary Kay soothing stuff that you put around your eyes eases the pain instantly. I put it on, and 2 minutes after, all I have is a little red mark. Next day its gone. I dunno, try it.  

[Serapax]

Hi all,

Thank you so much for your advice and support.  I did lots of reading on various sites, including research at PubMed etc. and felt fairly confident that having a large local reaction didn't mean I was likely to die of anaphylaxis next time I get stung!

The doctor (GP) wasn't so confident - he said it could go either way.  Some people become resistant whereas others become more sensitive.  He was fascinated about the beekeeping in suburbia thing, but said he'd hate to read about me being found dead next to my hive and so referred me to an allergist just to be safe.

Unfortunately, the earliest appointment I can get is end of January - well into the main nectar flow (which I think is December to March or so in Melbourne) so I'm bound to get stung at least a few times before then!  I will start using gloves though, and I won't follow my original plan of making sure I get stung every month.

Wish me luck!

Mike

[Michael Bush]

If you didn't have trouble breathing and there was no reaction in some distant part of the body from the sting, I wouldn't worry about it myself.

Plantain is the best treatment I've found for a sting.  The sooner the better.  But this time of year it's under the snow.  :(

[Jay]

Yes but I believe it's spring now in Melbourne right?
Mike, does plantain grow in Australia? I know it's native to Europe and Aisa, but the way things move around the world today, it could be anywhere and everywhere!! :D

Plantain

[Michael Bush]

I do know it's in Europe.  I don't know about Australia.