Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: Luckyparrot on June 04, 2009, 01:00:39 am
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Yesterday I removed this hive from the top of a chimney about 30ft high. There wasn't many bees in that hive, but I got stung twice. I had been stung many times before, however my body seemed to be abled to absorb all that venom. But this time my body can't take that two stings so I was having a terrible headache, running nose, difficult beathing, ringing ears, and ichy the whole body. Could it be that those bee were poison bees? Or that my body suddenly has a reaction to bee sting? I hope you can see the color of the comb that I'm posting. Is it normal for the newly made comb to have a gray color, instead of white?
http://picasaweb.google.com/Luckyparrot2009/Bee2?authkey=Gv1sRgCKGGoMrCofCA2AE#5343312480922699362
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Luckyparrot. Sounds like you had a pretty bad reaction to the bee stings. I couldn't imagine that it would be "poison bees". People can have different reactions with bee stings. About the grey comb, I would love to hear some answers from people that may know the answer to this. Wait.....we will be knowing what it is all about soon, smiling. Be careful about with the next stings, the reaction could get worse. You will hear more good comments that will make things seem a little more clear. Have that great day, to love and live, health. Cindi
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Bees are highly sensitive to toxins, so rule out the idea that poison may have been transferred from the bees to you.
Those comb sections are new looking and should be a pristine white color, can't explain why they are smoky colored.
...JP
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I was wondering if the home owner had built a fire in the fireplace, were the bees inside the chimney? I have never seen gray looking comb before either, it almost looks like a wasp nest.
Hope you get to feeling better.
G3
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I imagine the combs are gray from the bees landing and walking along the soot-covered surfaces of the chimney, transferring some of the ash to the fairly sticky wax.
As far as your reaction, those symptoms are pretty good indications of a systemic allergic reaction. Get an epi-pen from your doc and a referral to an allergist to have that checked out. Your reaction may get better or worse with more exposure, but you probably don't want to determine which by field testing.
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the gray comb looks like it is covered in soot. Maybe from long exposure to the fire.
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Luckyparrot I hope you feel better soon
Johnny
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Thanks, guys ! I think you guys are right about the fire and ash surface. The owner did tell me that he tried to light the fire to chase them away, but because they were inside the brick wall so the fire only killed some. Anyway, I had wasted about five hours of hard work and that torturing reaction for nothing, because those bees had flown away. This is the second time I have lost bees becuase they didn't like the box that I built, and I only had the total of three cut out.
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. . . This is the second time I have lost bees because they didn't like the box that I built, and I only had the total of three cut out.
Three thing come to mind.
A) What type of box are you using, is it to big, to small or :?
B) Have you tried blocking the entrance the first night.
C) Are you giving them the brood from the cutout which should encourage them to stay.
I can recognize with your frustration when to work so hard on a cutout and loose them.
Good luck on your next one.
cundald
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Well that sucks working that hard on a cut out only to have them leave.
All I can say is better luck next time.
Hope that you are not allergic to the stings, and as said before might want to check into an epi pen for sure.
Good luck on the next one and keep us posted.
G3
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I feel kinda sad because if I really have allergic then I can't fool with bees any more. G3, I still don't know what is the epi pen yet. Cundalt, I built the box myself and it about 13x13x24.
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I feel kinda sad because if I really have allergic then I can't fool with bees any more. G3, I still don't know what is the epi pen yet. Cundalt, I built the box myself and it about 13x13x24.
Hive size
You may want to check out some of the standard size hives that are available in kit form also here is a site with plans if you want to make them.
In 1853, Rev. Langstroth studied the honeybee and beekeeping and published a book called "The Hive and the Honey Bee" (updated Versions are available from dadant.com and other beekeeping suppliers).
Bees can be very choose about were they will setup house. There are some thing, out there to help to encourage the bees to use the hive but it has to meet their requirements. Check out the forum's bee removal site for more info.
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=402
Epi-pen
Check out the following web site about the epi-pen
http://www.epipen.com/
cundald
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cundald, Thanks for the links.
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Cundald, I didn't know that people could die from bees reaction. Thanks for the link. From now on I will wear long pants, just to make sure.
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May I also subject double sock to protects the ankles and rubber bands to keep the bees from going up the pants legs.
cundald
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Want to add something about the fireplace killing bees. In most fireplaces you have outer bricks, a space, and then the hearth, which is generally ceramic, so that it can withstand heat from the fireplace.
Bees almost always are in between the outer bricks and the hearth, the smoke and heat are within the hearth, so firing up the fireplace mostly does nothing to the colony of bees living there.
...JP
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Many more people die from most everything else than die from beestings, however you have had a systemic reaction (meaning it affected your whole body and not just the general area around the sting) and that is a bad sign for being allergic. Your next reaction may be less or it may be worse. If it's worse then you could have trouble breathing or go into shock. If it gets better you may have no reaction at all. I would be careful. Make sure there is someone there to run you to the hospital when you are working the bees. Don't be there by your self. It might be worth going to an allergist WHO KNOWS HOW TO TREAT BEE STING ALLERGIES (apparently most don't and will just tell you to stop keeping bees) and get treated. Once you've gotten desensitized I'd be sure to get stung on a regular basis.
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Mike, You are such a masochist :-D
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Will do that Cundald. JP, you are right about the design of that fire place, but, instead of ceramics, this hearth was cast iron cylinders, stacking on top one another. They used cement to grout the gaps, but somehow the gap at the second cylinder from the top down has no grout, and that was how the bees got in. I guees when they lighted the fire, all the bees that hanging inside the hearth were killed.
Michael, when you said" desensitized" , do you actually mean that the body will adapt just as vacination?
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Even if you are not highly allergic to bee stings. The longer the stinger&venom sack stays in, the more venom will go into your system. The more venom you get in the more trouble it will cause, swelling, aches & lingering.
I would try to find out if you are allergic to the venom, if not then you will automatically become desensitized as the amount of stings mount. Once you find out you are not highly allergic you can deliberately get stung each time you work the bees to help with the desensitization process.
I try to make it a point to get stung several times early each spring then I am good to go for the rest of the season.
When I don't use my bee suit, "I wear high top boots" all the time anyhow.
My thick denim pants. I will double shirt if not wearing a bee suit.
Always the veil, "ALWAYS". gloves 50% of the time. :)doak
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Doak, when you said " Even if you are not highly allergic to bee stings. The longer the stinger&venom sack stays in, the more venom will go into your system. The more venom you get in the more trouble it will cause, swelling, aches & lingering", I suddenly realized that I had two sacks of venom that was never pulled out because my hands were full of wet cement, trying to patch up the chimney...
Wow ! Even though I like bees but I'd never thought about deliberately let them sting me. I don't know about you guys, but it really hurted Every time.