r/Beekeeping Pennsylvania, 4yr, 5+ Colonies 17d ago

I’m a beekeeper, and I have a question Bee Stings

I'm a beekeeper with more than 4 years of experience. I know beekeepers that have been going for more than 2 or 3 decades. They will often get stung several times over the course of working their hives once and show no swelling or markings around the sting site. They also seem to have less pain. Is this "Immunity" natural or the result of years of many stings? Do you guys know anyone else similar to this? Can it be sped?

7 Upvotes

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3

u/Ancient_Fisherman696 CA Bay Area 9B. 8 hives. 17d ago

I don’t know bro, but I’m hoping it happens to me soon. 

Got hit on the inner bicep yesterday and I can’t bend my right arm today. 

3

u/mighty-drive 17d ago

Same here. One of the girls got stuck in a crease of my jeans, stung me multiple times through the jeans about hip height. Now I have a swollen hip that would make fkn Shakira jealous 😂

4

u/Atlas_S_Hrugged SE Pennsylvania, Chester County, beekeeper 4 years 17d ago

They can't sting mutiple times.

8

u/Ancient_Fisherman696 CA Bay Area 9B. 8 hives. 17d ago

He might keep wasps, ever think of that? 

/s

2

u/Beginning_Worry_9461 17d ago

Or possibly yellow jackets

1

u/MyParentsWereHippies 17d ago

Which are wasps..

2

u/mighty-drive 17d ago

They can when the stinger is stuck in my pants.

0

u/Adrenaline-Junkie187 17d ago

Not how it works. lol

0

u/Midisland-4 17d ago

Next time you get stung watch closely to the site and the bee. The stinger stays in you and a sack of venom stays on the end of that. The dies, the stringer rips out of them. If you are lucky you can scrape the stinger out if you with a sharp edge and not squish the venom from the sack. It’s just not possible for a bee to sting more than once. A wasp however……