That's why God made bee suits and gloves! ;) I have kept bees in three states and only been stung once-- and I asked for it that time. I was standing behind the hive watching them come and go and got the bright idea to lift the lid and peek in. (I wasn't wearing any protective clothing.) I thought I'd gotten away with it, but as I stood up to go, I got nailed just below the eyebrow. She didn't warn me with an angry buzz or anything. I think she flew in butt-first! I got out the stinger immediately and treated it with meat tenderizer, took a dose of Benadryl and put on and ice pack. I still swelled like the national debt and looked like Godzilla for 3-4 days. It was still swollen and tender for a the better part of a week after that. I hear you can develop a tolerance over time. My experience with yellow jacket stings, however, doesn't bear that out. After several stings with only the usual effect, I got stung and went into anaphalactic shock. I broke out in hives (no pun intended) and swelled all over--including my throat. I would have probably suffocated had I not gotten emergency help. The doctor explained that this was like the straw that broke the camel's back. He described it like a cup that each successive sting fills it until it "overflows" causing the severe reaction that I experienced. I wouldn't tempt fate by trying to develop an immunity. You could die instead.