Sting Log
I decided to keep a running count of all the bee stings I get. Its not because stings have been all that bad (the itching later has bothered me more than the pain). I just figured if someone asks me if I get stung, I should know how many times. 
- Aug. 26th, 2006 – stung twice on the back of the right hand while visiting a friends apiary
- June 9th, 2007 – stung on the pad of my right middle finger while closing up hive #1 (trying to get bees out of the way so I wouldn’t crush them)
Grand Total:
3
August 1, 2007 at 6:36 pm |
I think your sting log is a great idea. And I totally agree—it’s less pain than shock, and then a murderous itching and swelling the next few days.
May 1, 2009 at 12:12 am |
This is a great idea. My husband and I and our roommate will be first time beekeepers this May. We will be keeping our own sting log as well. It will be a good way to judge temperaments of our Minn. Hygienics vs any swarms of native bees we take in too.
May 5, 2009 at 8:34 pm |
I’m sure most of you are aware of this, but when you are stung by a honeybee, the barbed “stinger ” with the attached venom sac basically tears out of the bee and remains stuck in your skin. Take a sharp edged tool (like a hive tool or pocket knife) and flick off the venom sac. If you try to grab it to remove it, you will squeeze more venom from the sac into the sting area, which results in more swelling and itching. The reaction should be little more than a mosquito bite if you act promptly. Great site!
December 30, 2009 at 10:34 am |
Mr. Larson,
I watched a pretty good show about the bee sting removal issue. They did several different comparison studies using bees themselves and just needles with bee venom in them. They first started with testing the pinch vs the scrape removal method. They could see no visible difference in the pain level or severity of the sting. What they did find was that the biggest determining factor in bee stings is how long the stinger says in the skin. Obviously the longer the stinger stays in, the more venom it injects and thus the more pain, swelling, and itching you will experience. I dont think that I would want to just mash the stinger and sack into my flesh to test it, but a quick pinch and pull should do the trick They also showed macro video shots of the venom bag and stinger as it was pumping. The stinger is actually two pieces that plunge alternatively like a double jig saw. With the barbs this makes it go deeper on every plunge. The venom also acts as a lubricant between the barbs and very little gets through on each cycle. But the cycle is fairly quick and consistent so in just few seconds the stinger is busy pumping venom and digging deeper. So, all of that just to say that rather than worry about the best way to get rid of the stinger, just worry about getting rid of it as fast as you can by any means you can. Just dont drop a whole frame of bees in the process………(I have no idea who did that on their first sting)………….:)