Poorly chicken

[Olly]

With hindsight, this seems obvious but it didn't occur to me at the time ... yesterday I was getting ready to go out, and decided to paint my nails, a rare event. Inevitably within a few minutes I'd smudged one, and as I was running out of time I gave up on the plan and cleaned the whole lot off with polish remover.

 

Around five hours later, I returned home and as the sun was shining I thought it was a good opportunity to inspect my bees. All was well till I got about halfway through the first hive, when I got stung on the hand. I was ok with that - it happens. Almost immediately I got another, and another and at Sting #4 I decided to give up and close up quickly! The second hive did not get inspected.

 

I'd washed my hands at least twice since cleaning off the nail polish, but I'm sure that they still had traces of acetone and that's what upset the bees - they are normally a calm hive and I wasn't being clumsy or rough with them. I work without gloves for that reason, so that I can handle frames gently.

 

Today I have hands like those foam things you wave at football matches! Lesson learned, I won't be painting my nails again till it's winter.

[Daphne]

 

Glad you are OK Olly!

[Old Speckled Hen]

I anointed a bait hive with lemongrass oil on the way to the apiary before one inspection. I was sure I got none on my fingers. I obviously did as the bees picked it up even through gloves;no stings but festoons of bees on one hand.

I always carry apis mel with me .

I don't know if it helps but stings don't bother me much now....unless I've taken ibuprofen beforehand !!

Hope you're better soon

[Lesley]

Ouch!! - I hope your hands are soon better!

 

It may not have been the acetone - OH tried to put a clearer board on our busiest hive this morning, they're lovely calm bees and he didn't use the smoker as they don't usually need it.......they had him running! He had two attempts and then gave up for the day. He was covered in bees and was also stung on the hand through thick gloves. Perhaps it's the weather.....or weather/acetone combined?

[Mrs Webmuppet]

Now you are scaring me ......LMW and I are off to see a bee keeper and his bees tomorrow. I don't respond we'll to being stung ( swell up like a balloon) I've already been taking anti histamine as a precautionary measure( and to make sure my hay fever is well under control, can't imagine it's a good idea to go sneezing in the vicinity of a hive).

[Olly]

I was wondering if you'd been on your visit yet! Don't worry, you'll be fine - your beekeeper will have chosen a nice calm hive to inspect, and you'll probably be wearing disposable gloves as well. I don't usually get stung doing inspections, well not that often, yesterday was just unusual. I hope you enjoy it, do let us know how it goes.

 

You could be right Lesley - I'd left it quite late in the day, have to fit it in with when I am free/ the neighbours' children aren't out in the garden, and perhaps the bees were a bit edgy anyway, but they really seemed to go for my hands. I am hoping eventually to achieve the nirvana of not reacting to stings any more - there's been a huge improvement since I started keeping bees, my reactions now last only 24 hours instead of 3 days, but I reckon I need a good few more stings before I get there!

[Mrs Webmuppet]

The bee keepers normally calm bees were a little livelier than normal, he said it was the weather.

[Olly]

A couple of people have said their bees were edgy this weekend, so it could have been the weather, I'm still going to stay away from acetone before handling in future though!

[AJuff]

Thank you for the warning! My bees have been a tad tetchy recently too. The weather is an interesting theory.

 

I had a terrible experience last week with one hive. I went in late in the evening to swap a frame and put in a queen cell. The minute I opened the hive they flew in my face, stung me on the legs, hands etc. quickly swapped frames and walked away. Unfortunately lots of following bees who continued to sting. It took me ages to get rid of them! One or two managed to get in my suit! Ouch!

 

When I got in I realised my back was itchy, it was rather late so I went to bed. Within minutes I was covered with a hives rash head to foot! Googled bee stings and realised I was having an allergic reaction. Woke DH, my heart racing, felt dizzy and sick. Passed out! OH very worried rang emergency services. However laying out on the cold tiles cooled my rash. As I had no breathing difficulties I went to bed rather than the hospital as I had work the next day. Woke up to an incredibly swollen face the next morning from the histamines. I'd been stung about 8-10 times. Ended up having a day off work. Haven't been stung since but I'm off to the drs tomorrow. I'd like to know what will happen next time!

[Olly]

Ow! Everyone's bees seem to be bad-tempered, although it's sunny I am guessing that the lack of rain means nectar flow is probably low.

 

I would guess that a reaction such as you describe is probably normal for receiving so many stings in one go - even though you've been stung before, to get nine or ten (and it may have been more than you realised) at once is quite a big dose of venom. You may also have left some stings in a bit longer, due to having to get on with the job in hand. It sounds a really nasty experience.