My body will build immunity to stings, and after about a week, I will be lesss sensative to the venom... For all the rest of the year I may not notice when I've been stung...
I may feel a little pinch when someone bites me, but there's no pain and swelling... Getting stung in the beeyard is about as worrysome as going out to pick blackberries... a little sticky, but nothing to worry about!
Unless there is something to worry about!! Some people are allergic to stings, and may become very ill. Some people may get into bees, and at some point find they do not have immunity, and may even become more sensative... I have known people to get out of the bee business.
For most people honey bee stings are not bad, but you should always remove the stinger from your skin... Swipe it off with a sideways motion.
Sometimes friends will visit my beeyard, and some of them enjoy being stung far less than I do... Maybe they are very young, and more worried than injured, but they'll need some attention...
An easy to find remedy for bee stings, and also mosquitos, no-see-ems, and many other bug bites... Plantain is pictured below.
Plantain is a very common plant with a dozen varieties... I advise to rinse the leaves... Rub moistened leaves onto the skin to relieve the sting and prevent some of the swelling.
I usually dress for summer when I work bees... No bulky suit like so many beekeepers... I wear short pants, a light color t-shirt, and a straw hat for protection from the bees... I do use a smoker, burning a little pine-straw...
The first and most magical thing I use in working honey bees is to apply some Kung-Fu Zen to the way I move my hands... The bees are not afraid when I go inside the hives, and they don't attack me.
