# twenty stings to the neck



## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

I'm embarrassed to tell y'all this because it is so incredibly stupid. I zipped the bee veil around from one side and evidently got distracted and did not zip it the rest of the way. I then went out and took apart a very hot hive.

DIL scraped off twenty stingers mostly from the back and side of my neck. I took Benadryl and I'm only concerned about whether swelling in my neck might cut off my breathing if I go to sleep. Do I dare go to sleep? Is this a silly concern?


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

By now you probably know!

I found that ibuprofin is a very good thing to take after being stung.


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## xbeeman412 (May 10, 2002)

I would moniter the neck area for swelling before I went to bed.

In about 2 hours take another 25 mg benydryl (that's what I would do). Should swelling get worse call 911 ASAP


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

You can set the alarm to wake you when it is time for more benedyl: I used to do that when my kids were sick and needed meds in the night.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Thanks! The back of my neck and the jaw I got stung on are swollen, but it's not terrible. It did not effect my breathing or my appetite.

I took benadryl straight away, and again in the night and this morning.

I'm okay, and I learned a serious lesson.


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## xbeeman412 (May 10, 2002)

Glad You are OK. Thank the Lord all is well.

Where are You located?

I am in Santa Fe (Galveston county)

Trying to build up to 100 hives this year,how many are U running?


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

We are in Bell County, Central Texas. We've just been trying to keep a few hives, and having trouble keeping up with that. 

Do you have the Africanized bees where you are? They are our biggest problem. They will mate with the queen and turn the whole hive hot. A friend of mine who raises bees goes in routinely and kills the queen cells for this reason. I need to learn how to do that. And in the meantime, we really need to requeen again.


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## xbeeman412 (May 10, 2002)

When You get a hot hive U need to order queens or find someone close to You to get cells from.

So far I don't have any known African bees , but do have a couple of hot hives at times. Other times they are not bad.

Stay Safe
God Bless


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

We actually did requeen a year or so ago, but then didn't keep up with it. So they are very hot again.


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## Jan in CO (May 10, 2002)

Wow, Mary. Glad you are ok after that. I'm still thinking on getting bees but I'm such a chicken and know I'll be the only beekeeper!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

After getting that many stings my self I never swell up with a honey bee sting any longer and never use benadril either.
I had gotten used to working my hives in the back yard with nothing in the way of equipment. The 7 colonies we bought from a retireing bee keeper were not the same stuck up Itialians we had at home. They were very friendly and in your face saying HOWDEE every time you opened them.

 Al


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Jan, I think you would enjoy keeping bees if the Africanized ones are not up that way yet. I don't think they are, but you should check. The tamer bees did not bother me at all. It's just these danged Africanized ones. They are very, very hot and full of attitude. 

It's been a couple of days, we've had a cold spell and light rain since then, and I still had one trying to sting me coming in with groceries this evening. I was not even near the hive. I went back out there with wasp spray and when it came at me again, I sprayed it dead, since it had a death wish.


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## marytx (Dec 4, 2002)

Al,

do you know what breed the bees you have now are? And when you say they are saying howdy, are they doing it without stinging?

We are looking at ordering new queens.

We have had Russian and Italian and liked both. The problem is keeping them from breeding with the africanized.

mary


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