"It is unusual to die from an allergic reaction following a bee sting, an allergy specialist says.

Dr Miriam Hurst said no-one had done studies in New Zealand but overseas data indicated between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent of the population had a generalised reaction to bee stings...

Looking at overseas studies, the people who died from stings generally tended to be people with asthma and people who did not get adrenaline.

Most were stung on the foot, in the afternoon.

Those people who had a milder reaction to bee or wasp venom but had asthma and lived a long way from medical treatment were also advised to carry adrenaline and have an allergic-reaction plan."


Bee sting fatalities rare, says doctor
SALLY KIDSON

"An attack by a swarm of Africanized bees that sent one man to the hospital and closed down a road for several hours Wednesday has authorities urging caution around the insects, saying they could be more active this summer than in recent years.The colony responsible for Wednesday's attack was colossal — as many as 125,000 aggressive bees living on 120 pounds of honeycomb in a warehouse off Rowe Lane. The bees stung three employees at the warehouse — including one up to 300 times, sending him to the hospital — and a Pflugerville police officer. Authorities closed Rowe Lane at FM 685 from about 8 a.m. to noon until the hive could be located and dealt with.

The attack was the worst this year and follows a bee attack Monday in West Austin that caused the victim to go into shock while he was driving himself to the hospital and caused him to crash into a pedestrian, several cars and a house."

Man sent to hospital after swarm of bees attacks
By Benjamin Wermund

"Almost all available advice about stings is sensational or emphasizes allergies. Very little of that advice admits that bee stings are pretty insignificant most of the time, causing little more than some excitement and temporary minor pain, or that some people actually seek out bee stings for their beneficial effects."

What Everyone Needs to Know About Bee Stings
from http://www.honeybeeworld.com/misc/stings.htm

"As I run towards a nearby river, followed by no fewer than 100,000 pissed off honey bees, my sister's words echo in the back of my mind -- 'The bugs are going to crawl up your pee pee and give you those crazy infections.'

Inside the apiary, with our faces six inches from the bee hives, Kibwana opens the abyss of doom and the honey hits the fan. Out pours one hundred thousand bees attacking us from every angle. A bee attaches itself to my producer's nose. My cameraman drops his three thousand dollar lens. I sprint from the apiary, and screams of twelve your old girls who just spotted Justin Bieber fill the air.

Skip to my salvation. I'm standing on the other side of the river with Kibwana having escaped without a scratch. Unfortunately, my cameraman was not as lucky. Standing in the middle of the river he curses the day he met me as he swats dozens of angry bees from his now bloody ankles. It turns out that even though we tried our best, here we are still just a group of crazy Mzungu's (white people) trying to fit in.

With the insanity behind us and my cohorts finally free of the bees, Kibwana invites us for a well-earned meal of the sweetest honey I have ever tasted. I thank him for his time and ask for some parting advice, "What is the secret to happiness and health?"

He answers, 'The key to life is to keep working everyday. If you do that, you will stay young.'"

Killer Bees or the Sweet Life: How Fair Trade Is Paving the Way Out of Poverty in Uganda
Chris Bashinelli

"Angry bees swarmed two people in Indio, Calif. this morning, sending them to the hospital with almost 200 stings in all.

Dr. Wesley Burks, who chairs the University of North Carolina’s pediatrics department and has a 30-year career that involves working with skin allergies, said an attack like that is rare. If fact, he’s never seen one firsthand.

'Generally, you see somebody stung once or maybe five to ten times, but not 80 or 100,' Burks said. 'I’ve talked to people that have seen them…but it’s less than a handful.'

Burks said a large number of stings like this can often lead to anaphylactic shock — even if the patient is not allergic to bee stings.

Each sting releases proteins into the victim’s body, causing swelling and eventually resulting in a histamine reaction — as if the body were reacting to an allergy. Sometimes, that swelling can even affect the victim’s ability to breath, Burks said.

Burks said bee stings generally affect people the same way, regardless of age, but conditions like hypertension and diabetes can make it harder to respond and recover."

Bee Attack Sends Two Californians to the Hospital
By Sydney Lupkin

"Wasps and bees sting to defend themselves or their colony. Stinging involves the injection of a protein venom that causes pain and other reactions.

Wasps and bumblebees can sting more than once because they are able to pull out their stinger without injury to themselves. If you are stung by a wasp or bumblebee, the stinger is not left in your skin.

Honey bees have barbs on their stinger which remain hooked in the skin. The stinger, which is connected to the digestive system of the bee, is torn out of the abdomen as the bee attempts to fly away. As a result, the bee soon dies. If you are stung by a honey bee, scratch out the stinger (with its attached venom gland) with your fingernail as soon as possible. Do not try to pull out the stinger between two fingers. Doing so only forces more venom into your skin, causing greater irritation.

Most people have only local reactions to wasp and bee stings, although a few may experience more serious allergic reactions. Local, nonallergic reactions range from burning, itching, redness, and tenderness to massive swelling and itching that may last up to a week. These local reactions can be treated with ice, vinegar, honey, meat tenderizer, or commercial topical ointment to relieve the itching. An allergic reaction may include hives or rash, swelling away from the sting site, headache, minor respiratory symptoms, and stomach upset. These allergic reactions are not life-threatening and can be readily treated with an antihistamine.

Very rarely, a person may suffer a life-threatening, systemic allergic reaction to a bee or wasp sting, which can cause anaphylactic shock (fainting, difficulty breathing, swelling, and blockage in the throat) within minutes of being stung. These systemic symptoms are cause for immediate medical attention. People with known systemic allergic reactions to bee or wasp stings should consult with their physician to obtain an Epi-PenTM or Ana-Guard Sting KitTM to carry with them at all times. The venoms of bees and wasps are different, so having a severe reaction to a wasp sting does not mean a person will have the same reaction to a bee sting."

WASP AND BEE CONTROL
Jeffrey Hahn, Phil Pellitteri, Donald Lewis

"Relatively few communities in the U.S. outlaw beekeeping.  However, most have 'nuisance laws' that are intended to outlaw things that most people would find objectionable, such as a barking dog or a stinky smell.  Some communities have laws that put practical constraints on beekeeping, such as limits on numbers of hives and a requirement that the beekeeper provide water for the bees. 

There will be bees in our cities and towns as long as there are nectar and pollen-producing plants.  Outlawing beekeeping tends to replace domesticated bees with wild bees, but does not make bees go away."

Backyard Beekeeping
by John Caldeira


I've never seen a beehive be as big a nuisance to as many people as a single barking dog can be.

"For most people, the buzzing sound of bees is a caution to keep your distance.

"Even though they are armed with intimidating stingers, bees play an important role in our ecosystem by pollinating flowers, fruits and vegetables and keeping our crops growing from year to year.

“'I have never been stung by a honeybee. The only thing I have ever been stung by is a brown hornet if I disturb their nest. Other than that, they will never sting you,' she said. 'If you are stung by a bumblebee, it is because it went down your shirt and got confused; it did not attack you. Yellow jackets are nasty creatures, but you will only get stung if you go near one of their nests. Honeybees are just so nonaggressive.'"  Carver's Claire DeLoid.


Carver's Claire DeLoid encourages residents to preserve bee habitats
By Brittany Burrows

News over the past several years would lead one to believe that there is a massive shortage of bees and that bee pollinated crops are in danger.  But here's an ABC News story about a different kind of problem... too many bees and too many beekeepers.

Bees Out of Control: Beekeeping fad blamed for recent surge of insects.

If you have a bee problem, visit me here.

A South Carolina news team blames mild winter for increase in bees and bee attacks.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/weather-15749664/weather-could-be-to-blame-for-spike-in-bees-29876697.html


If bees are a problem in your garden, yard, or house, look here for help.