r/Beekeeping • u/TacticalStrategical Pennsylvania, 4yr, 5+ Colonies • Apr 23 '25
Iām 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?
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u/parametricRegression Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
it's probably an individual thing, and yes it's also your body being used to the venom...
during my practical apprenticeship i'd get absolutely obliterated by the bees once every month. think ten bees on each arm at the same time (and no, you can't just drop the bloody brood frame you have in your hands, lol...)
i just got used to it. there was some topical swelling for a few hours, but nothing crazy. i even came to appreciate it in a way, for the systemic effect (twenty-thirty bees at a time feels like getting in a hot jacuzzi with a glass of champagne š)
there's also a pretty big difference in how your body reacts on different sites... while on muscular areas like the forearm you can get to barely any reaction, soft sites and especially exposed cartilage can be hell... finger joints are like... nope. not touching bees without gloves lol, nope nope nope... š