Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Spear on June 08, 2013, 03:17:55 am

Title: Bee stings
Post by: Spear on June 08, 2013, 03:17:55 am
Hi,
Just thought I would share this with you all. My son and I are attending a beekeepers club here in Germany and will be getting our 1st hive soon.
We attended a beginners course and were supposed to have a look into a hive last week, the weather was a little on the cold side but the instructor decided to attempt to open the hive anyway. Needless to say the bees were happy and started 'buzzing' us right away. The top cover was removed, then as he was smoking the bees one of them flew out and stung him right on the end of his nose! I was not shocked that he got stung but his reaction really surprised me - He started swatting about madly at any bee that came near him for a few seconds  :shock:, this reaction then caused others in our group to swat at the bees that landed on them (I stayed calm, even brushing a bee from someones hair buy giving her a gentle push with my finger, my son followed my example of staying calm and the bees ignored us). Luckily noone else was stung but the hive was closed up right away.
I really did not expect such a stupid reaction from an experienced beekeeper.
Title: Re: Bee stings
Post by: squidink on June 08, 2013, 09:38:51 am
That would have been quite amusing! It would be fair to say the instructor is not fond of getting stung!

Ben