Bee sting allergy
 

On our allotment site one gardener wanted to start keeping bees. Our Council
who rent out the plots wrote to everyone and asked if they minded the
keeping of bees on the site. Needless to say all the "old " gardeners said
yes, with some enthusiasm, we could see a significant increase in crops due
to better pollination. Let alone the availability of local honey.
Unfortunately one of the "new" plot holders has objected saying he is
allergic to bee stings. Our Council have therefore refused permission for
bees to be kept on our site. (no democracy there!)

My understanding is that when a child he was stung by a bee on the hand and
eventually, after a couple of days or so, he got a dark line running up his
arm and had to have medical treatment.

I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

So, is what he experienced an allergy to stings or blood poisoning?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bee sting allergy
 

On 11 Jul, 18:08, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
On our allotment site one gardener wanted to start keeping bees. Our Council
who rent out the plots wrote to everyone and asked if they minded the
keeping of bees on the site. Needless to say all the "old " gardeners said
yes, with some enthusiasm, we could see a significant increase in crops due
to better pollination. Let alone the availability of local honey.
Unfortunately one of the "new" plot holders has objected saying he is
allergic to bee stings. Our Council have therefore refused permission for
bees to be kept on our site. (no democracy there!)

My understanding is that when a child he was stung by a bee on the hand and
eventually, after a couple of days or so, he got a dark line running up his
arm and had to have medical treatment.

I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

So, is what he experienced an allergy to stings or blood poisoning?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Sounds more like blood poisoning to me - the symptoms just don't match
up. In any case, the allergy is very rare though the number of people
claiming to be allergic is quite high. A painful inflamed swollen area
around the sting - even quite a large swelling is in the spectrum of
normal symptoms, it is not an allergic reaction.
The allergy is extremely serious and sufferers will know about it. As
I understand it the first episode is not usually fatal but subsequent
ones can be.

Bee sting allergy
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
On our allotment site one gardener wanted to start keeping bees. Our
Council who rent out the plots wrote to everyone and asked if they minded
the keeping of bees on the site. Needless to say all the "old " gardeners
said yes, with some enthusiasm, we could see a significant increase in
crops due to better pollination. Let alone the availability of local
honey.
Unfortunately one of the "new" plot holders has objected saying he is
allergic to bee stings. Our Council have therefore refused permission for
bees to be kept on our site. (no democracy there!)

My understanding is that when a child he was stung by a bee on the hand
and eventually, after a couple of days or so, he got a dark line running
up his arm and had to have medical treatment.

That's not an allergy, it's an infection causing cellulitis.

I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

Some do. I never did. I rarely had an allergic reaction, just a 'local'
reaction, which is painful swelling and hives.

So, is what he experienced an allergy to stings or blood poisoning?

Neither. Cellulitis :-)

I have to be careful of that now if I damage my right arm, becuse I have no
lymph nodes in that axilla, to help fight infections. If cellulitis develops
it needs treatment with antibiotics. Allergic responses need a different
treatment, usually with adrenalin.

Mary

Bee sting allergy
 

"Rod" wrote in message
...
[...]

Sounds more like blood poisoning to me - the symptoms just don't match
up. In any case, the allergy is very rare though the number of people
claiming to be allergic is quite high. A painful inflamed swollen area
around the sting - even quite a large swelling is in the spectrum of
normal symptoms, it is not an allergic reaction.
The allergy is extremely serious and sufferers will know about it. As
I understand it the first episode is not usually fatal but subsequent
ones can be.

This is true. Lots of people claim an allergy when they don't have one but
bee stings can be very unpleasant and quite dangerous for anybody. Also in
the vicinity of a hive you are far far more likely to receive multiple
stings because they have something of a mob mentality. Bees these days are
very much more liable to be bad tempered too, so old gardeners who have
memories of docile bees should not be relied upon. Beekeepers have more or
less totally mongrelised or destroyed native wild bees so that bees now show
all kinds of odd behaviours, the most obvious of which is aggression, often
made worse by the stress caused by the large numbers of parasites that have
been introduced.

IOW say a clear no to hives on the allotments. Beware of anything a
beekeeper tells you.

Tim w

Bee sting allergy
 

"Tim W" wrote in message
om...

This is true. Lots of people claim an allergy when they don't have one but
bee stings can be very unpleasant and quite dangerous for anybody. Also in
the vicinity of a hive you are far far more likely to receive multiple
stings because they have something of a mob mentality.

No they don't. When they sting or are damaged an alarm pheromone is released
which can - CAN - cause others to go to the spot and sting.

Bees these days are very much more liable to be bad tempered too, so old
gardeners who have memories of docile bees should not be relied upon.
Beekeepers have more or less totally mongrelised or destroyed native wild
bees so that bees now show all kinds of odd behaviours, the most obvious
of which is aggression,

That's not true.

often made worse by the stress caused by the large numbers of parasites
that have been introduced.

It's true that stress can affect the behaviour of bees - or any animal. That
stres can be caused by human behaviour.

IOW say a clear no to hives on the allotments. Beware of anything a
beekeeper tells you.

It's not sensible to have hives on allotments for various reasons -
including that of vandalism and theft.

Mary

Bee sting allergy
 

Mary Fisher wrote:
"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
On our allotment site one gardener wanted to start keeping bees. Our
Council who rent out the plots wrote to everyone and asked if they minded
the keeping of bees on the site. Needless to say all the "old " gardeners
said yes, with some enthusiasm, we could see a significant increase in
crops due to better pollination. Let alone the availability of local
honey.
Unfortunately one of the "new" plot holders has objected saying he is
allergic to bee stings. Our Council have therefore refused permission for
bees to be kept on our site. (no democracy there!)

My understanding is that when a child he was stung by a bee on the hand
and eventually, after a couple of days or so, he got a dark line running
up his arm and had to have medical treatment.

That's not an allergy, it's an infection causing cellulitis.
I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

Some do. I never did. I rarely had an allergic reaction, just a 'local'
reaction, which is painful swelling and hives.
So, is what he experienced an allergy to stings or blood poisoning?

Neither. Cellulitis :-)

I have to be careful of that now if I damage my right arm, becuse I have no
lymph nodes in that axilla, to help fight infections. If cellulitis develops
it needs treatment with antibiotics. Allergic responses need a different
treatment, usually with adrenalin.

Mary


I am allergic to wasp stings, don't know about bees, but much the same I
guess. Instead of the usual small swelling ans irritation the area
around the stings swells like a balloon, very unpleasant, luckily it was
the back of my hand, though the swelling reached up past my elbow, just
glad it was not my face!

Bee sting allergy
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

If he has a allergy to bee stings he will carry an EpiPen. As someone who
has a severe allergy (not to bee stings) and has experienced two admissions
to intensive care I am paranoid about carrying 2 EpiPens let alone 1. If he
has an allery he will have one - ask him. If he doesn't then all he is
allergic to is the pain of a bee sting!

Bee sting allergy
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
On our allotment site one gardener wanted to start keeping bees. Our
Council who rent out the plots wrote to everyone and asked if they minded
the keeping of bees on the site. Needless to say all the "old " gardeners
said yes, with some enthusiasm, we could see a significant increase in
crops due to better pollination. Let alone the availability of local
honey.
Unfortunately one of the "new" plot holders has objected saying he is
allergic to bee stings. Our Council have therefore refused permission for
bees to be kept on our site. (no democracy there!)

My understanding is that when a child he was stung by a bee on the hand
and eventually, after a couple of days or so, he got a dark line running
up his arm and had to have medical treatment.

I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

So, is what he experienced an allergy to stings or blood poisoning?


The trouble with bee sting allergies is that they develop and get worse with
repeated contact. Some keepers have had to give up because a family member
had the allergy and it got worse due to him taking his venom-laden bee suit
into the house.
Graham
I'm one of those fortunate people who can't tell exactly where he was stung
some 30 minutes later.

Bee sting allergy
 

"Mary Fisher" wrote

It's not sensible to have hives on allotments for various reasons -
including that of vandalism and theft.


Mary, before I went to this allotment site one of the gardeners did keep
bees there and I'm told the crops of things that depend on pollination, like
Runner Beans, increased enormously. This site does not appear to suffer from
vandalism and there is only crops to steal, nobody keeps tools on their
plots much. So what other reasons are there for not having bees on the site.
Being the Rep for the site I need to be able to form a considered opinion.
--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bee sting allergy
 

In message , Bob Hobden
wrote
On our allotment site one gardener wanted to start keeping bees. Our Council
who rent out the plots wrote to everyone and asked if they minded the
keeping of bees on the site. Needless to say all the "old " gardeners said
yes, with some enthusiasm, we could see a significant increase in crops due
to better pollination. Let alone the availability of local honey.
Unfortunately one of the "new" plot holders has objected saying he is
allergic to bee stings. Our Council have therefore refused permission for
bees to be kept on our site. (no democracy there!)

My understanding is that when a child he was stung by a bee on the hand and
eventually, after a couple of days or so, he got a dark line running up his
arm and had to have medical treatment.

I thought that if one had an allergy to bee stings, once stung, the
situation was serious and needed immediate medical help and also that
sufferers carried a special pack around with them just in case.

So, is what he experienced an allergy to stings or blood poisoning?



For spring/early summer pollination why not just put up some tubes to
attract Red Mason bees to 'nest'. This year I had a couple of hundred
buzzing around for a few months although it's taken a few years for the
numbers to build up.

http://www.amac.f2s.com/bee/

quote
The Red Mason Bee is not at all aggressive. The male does not have a
sting, a female will sting only if very roughly handled between the
fingers and even then, the sting is a puny thing compared to a wasp or
honeybee.
/quote

http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/Mason_Bees.html
http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/Mason_Bee_FAQ.html

http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/Index_Pollination_Bees_27.html
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com

Bee sting allergy
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote

It's not sensible to have hives on allotments for various reasons -
including that of vandalism and theft.


Mary, before I went to this allotment site one of the gardeners did keep
bees there and I'm told the crops of things that depend on pollination,
like Runner Beans, increased enormously. This site does not appear to
suffer from vandalism and there is only crops to steal, nobody keeps tools
on their plots much. So what other reasons are there for not having bees
on the site.
Being the Rep for the site I need to be able to form a considered opinion.

Runner beans usually develop even without insect pollination but honey bees
aren't heavy enough to get into runner bean flowers anyway, they're
exploited by bumble beas.

But you don't need a close source of pollinating insects, honey bees will
fly (it's said) up to three miles radius from their hive or wild nest,
that's a very large area. I wouldn't rely on three miles though :-) Other
insects, especially the ubiquitous wild bumble bees, are also pollinaters.
The crops might increase because of a nearby hive but it's not guaranteed.

You're lucky that you don't have vandalism!

The only reason I can think of for not having a hive on the site is that the
beekeeper will have to visit it to take swarm prevention action, to manage
diseases, to add space for honey and to remove the honey. S/he might also
have to feed if it's been a poor season or if too much honey is removed. In
the season - which is also the growing season - say from April to
September - this (approximate) weekly disruption to the hive will cause a
lot of bee activity in the air. The beekeeper will be protected by veil and
gloves, as a rule, the gardeners won't be. If the beekeeper is clumsy and
makes the bees defensive someone might suffer.

There's also the potential problem of vibration caused by machinery. That
too can cause bees to become defensive. There might be no machinery used
near the hive so it might be irrelevant but it's something to consider.

HTH

Mary

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

Bee sting allergy
 

"Broadback" wrote in message
...

I am allergic to wasp stings, don't know about bees, but much the same I
guess.

Not necessarily.

Instead of the usual small swelling ans irritation the area around the
stings swells like a balloon, very unpleasant, luckily it was the back of
my hand, though the swelling reached up past my elbow, just glad it was
not my face!

That's not an allergy. It's a local reaction, I know it's more than
unpleasant though!

Mary

Bee sting allergy
 

"Graham" wrote in message
news:P6Qdk.92331$gc5.33388@pd7urf2no...




The trouble with bee sting allergies is that they develop and get worse
with repeated contact.

not necessarily. In fact some people think that the reaction lessens by
repeatd stings. I don't think that's necessarily true either.

Some keepers have had to give up because a family member had the allergy
and it got worse due to him taking his venom-laden bee suit into the
house.

That's probably more to do with the propolis on the suit rather than venom.

Mary

Bee sting allergy
 

"Alan" wrote in message
...


For spring/early summer pollination why not just put up some tubes to
attract Red Mason bees to 'nest'. This year I had a couple of hundred
buzzing around for a few months although it's taken a few years for the
numbers to build up.

That's an excellent idea, thanks, I'd forgotten about making habitations for
solitary bees.

Mary

Bee sting allergy
 

In message , Alan
wrote


http://www.hedging.co.uk/acatalog/Index_Pollination_Bees_27.html

Followup.

The Oxford Bee Company is no longer trading (hence the discontinued note
on their tubes/nesting boxes in the above link) . However, the products
are still available from
http://www.birdfood.co.uk/search.php?srch=bee

I purchased some replacement tubes from CJ Wildlife earlier in the year.
I have no connection with this company other than as a customer.
--
Alan
news2006 {at} amac {dot} f2s {dot} com