Some people have told me that the venom is cumulative, in other words, you can get zapped many times with no reaction, then the next sting puts you over the line. That is why I was concerned, as a young man, I stepped in a Yellow Jacket nest while wearing swim trunks only. After having the cloud of bees follow me at least 200 yards, while I was swatting and howling, they seemed to lose interest, I got 71 stings and aside from being swollen some, I was fine in a couple days.
The experience stays with you, I can tell you that. The question still remains, is the next sting the one? Is the bee venom completely different from say yellow jackets to honey bees? Is it possible to get epi pens without seeing a doctor or knowing if you are allergic, just in case?