Beekeeping Basics

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BUT WHAT ABOUT STINGS?

However, getting stung is not a disaster. Sure, it hurts . . . but most beekeepers soon build up an immunity to the venom itself, and eventually suffer no aftereffects from such incidents. (A small minority of people, though, are especially allergic to bee stings . . . and their sensitivity may increase with time. Such folks should not, of course, even attempt to keep bees.)

In addition, there's a "secret" technique you can use to greatly reduce the amount of venom you absorb from those occasional stings. Simply use a fingernail (or some other thin-edged object) to scrape the "bee needle" out immediately . . . otherwise, the stinger's venom sack will continue to pump poison into your flesh for a minute or more. (Don't try to grab the stinger with your fingers—as so many people do—or you'll actually squeeze even more venom into your system.)

That beekeeper's trick will greatly reduce the damage inflicted by stings . . . but, of course, your goal will be to get stung as little as possible while tending hives. And the following tips should greatly reduce the number of "injections" you receive.

[1] Wear a snug ("beetight") veil and light- colored clothing. (White coveralls are excellent for beekeeping ... blue jeans are poor.) Eliminate any "crawlin" spaces between your garments and skin by tucking your pants legs into your socks and, possibly, wrapping rubber bands around your shirt sleeves. Do not wear wool. And consider not wearing protective gloves. (During the first few months, you may feel more comfortable if you do don the hand shields, but eventually you'll probably find that it's easier to work a hive, without crushing bees, when you're barehanded.)

[2] Do not wear clothes that have previously received stings. Bees release a banana-scented pheromone when they strike . . . to alert their comrades to the threat and summon other bees to sting the same area. So wearing garments that are still scented with that alarm odor is literally asking to be stung.

[3] Always use a smoker . The portable bellows/firebox combination (a standard piece of beekeeping equipment) enables you to puff plumes of smoke into the beehive. And for some reason—perhaps because the nectar gatherers believe they're getting ready to flee from a forest fire—bees engorge themselves with honey whenever they smell smoke... and become much less aggressive toward intruders. (A smoker is also useful for temporarily covering up the scent of a bee's alarm pheromone if you do get stung.)

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