Bee stings, reactions and immunity – a beginner’s guide

Mythology – how the bee got her sting

Roman mythology tells the story about how honeybees acquired their bee stings and describes how the queen bee asked Jupiter for a sting in order to defend against humans stealing honey from her defenceless colony. Jupiter granted her wish but as he loved humans and did not want to inflict unnecessary pain on them, he added that if a bee used her sting, she would also die.

Although evolutionists may argue that this is not what actually happened, the fact remains that to the bee, the sting is a double-edged sword. It is a very effective defence mechanism. However, it should only be used when absolutely necessary to defend the survival of the colony as it leads to the inevitable death of the bee herself.

The worker bee (female) has a sting which it can use to defend the colony or itself. The drones (males) do not have a stinger. The queen does but uses it only when fighting with other queens or attempting to kill queens in their cells.

Bee stings and alarm pheromone

When a bee stings, it pierces the skin with its barbed stinger and releases a venom called Apitoxin. The venom contains proteins that affect the immune system as well as the skin cells. When the bee ejects venom, some of it will leak out of the part of the stinger not buried into the skin, and this will provide an early pheromone alert to other bees in the area. It is often said that the first sting causes the most damage. This is not because the sting itself is necessarily more painful than others, but because the alarm pheromone alerts other bees and causes them to behave defensively and sting.

Honeybees are known to have two alarm pheromones. Both of them are highly volatile for maximum effect. The Koschevnikov gland, located near the sting is responsible for releasing the main alarm pheromone. It releases a pheromone consisting of a large number of chemical compounds. It also smells like bananas, which has given rise to the advice not to eat bananas before inspecting colonies!

After a bee stings, the sting detaches from the bee and is left in situ with the venom gland attached to it. The bee herself will die, but the venom gland can continue to pump venom for up to ten minutes. It is therefore important to remove the stinger as quickly as possible to prevent more venom from being discharged. Either brush or scrape it off with a nail or hive tool. Sometimes a small pimple can form at the spot of the sting.

Reactions to bee stings

It is difficult to generalise when it comes to bee stings, and to offer advice, as people react so very differently to them. We know that bee stings can provoke severe anaphylactic shock, whilst at the same time people use bee venom and apitherapy to treat or mitigate some quite severe and debilitating medical conditions.

Some beekeepers develop immunity to stings while others become more sensitive. Yet others have an out of the blue severe reaction after not showing any signs of developing sensitivity and may never react the same way again after subsequent stings.

The rate of sensitivity to bee stings among beekeepers is higher than among the general public. There are so many different numbers bandied about that it is hard to know exactly what the true picture is. However, it is thought that the level of sensitivity in the general population is 1-5%. This figure can go up to 10% or higher for beekeepers and their family members.

Reaction to stings vary from person to person, and someone who has no reaction on one occasion may respond differently at a later time. A serious reaction on one occasion does not guarantee that any future stings will have a similar outcome. However, some areas are more sensitive than others. I can still remember how a sting to the nasal sill rendered me in tears and sneezing uncontrollably for about ten minutes. And, how a friend took a sting to his lower lip. While he was not in pain, to everyone’s amusement he looked like Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor for days.

Fear of bee stings

The anticipation of a sting is often much worse than the sting itself. The severity of the reaction to a sting is a combination of both physical and psychological sensations. As a beginner, once you get over the fear of being stung, you will most likely have less severe reactions when it does happen. Bee stings are harmless for most people, and a part of daily life for the beekeeper. They will normally yield temporary pain, itching and swelling.

Alleviate symptoms

There are a few home remedies that can be used to alleviate some of the swelling, soreness and itchiness of bee stings. These include applying honey or propolis, baking soda, apple cider vinegar or Hydrogen Peroxide topically to where the sting was inflicted.

Immunity to bee stings

Most seasoned beekeepers get used to getting stung. They can still feel the pain of the sting the same as anyone else but are not concerned about it. Also, often there is no or very little swelling or itchiness. Some beekeepers, who are repeatedly exposed to beestings, develop immunity. They often get swelling and itchiness until immunity is achieved. After that, these reactions either disappear or are greatly reduced. However, immunity can fade over of time if the person is not exposed to stings, typically over winter. It then takes a little bit of time and a few stings to build it up again.

Allergy to bee stings

Family members of beekeepers and people who work with bee products run a higher risk of developing an allergy to bee stings than the general public. This is because they are exposed to bee venom without being stung regularly. This exposure can happen through transmission from the beekeeper’s clothing, tools and vehicles. A way to somewhat alleviate this is to make sure that bee suits are washed outside or in a separate washing machine. They should then be stored away from the dwelling house and family members, along with other beekeeping tools and equipment.

Beekeepers themselves are of course also liable to develop sensitivity and allergy to bee stings, as they are to develop immunity.

Test for allergy

There are two types of tests available to test for bee sting allergy: a skin prick test and a blood test. In the skin prick test, the patient’s skin is exposed to low levels of venom. The reaction is then recorded and analyzed. The blood test involves taking a blood sample. it is then tested for the presence of specific Immunoglobin E, or IgE, antibodies and measures the immune system response to bee venom.

Allergy treatment Bee venom desensitisation

People that are allergic can in many cases successfully undergo Bee Venom Desensitisation, or Venom Immunotherapy. This is a therapy that serves to reduce the sensitivity to bee venom. This is done by injecting small doses of bee venom under the skin. Over time the allergic reaction will decrease or even disappear completely. This is not something that should be tried at home. Specialists perform this treatment in a medical setting.

Severe reaction and anaphylaxis

Severe reactions to bee stings are very rare although we should all be aware of the possibilities of negative outcomes. Medical assistance should be sought immediately for reactions such as breathing difficulties, swelling of the airways, nausea, feeling unwell. Also where a person develops an allergic reaction such as swelling, soreness, redness or itching in a place other than where the sting penetrated. Cases of anaphylactic shock will need urgent medical attention.

Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, is a severe, whole-body allergic reaction to an allergen such as bee venom. After being exposed to it the person’s immune system becomes sensitised to it. Hence, if the person is exposed to that allergen again, an allergic reaction may occur. Anaphylaxis happens quickly after exposure and can lead to cardiac and respiratory arrest. It is important to note, however, that anaphylaxis is very rare. Notwithstanding this, all beekeepers should learn to recognise the symptoms of it so that help can be sought immediately. It is very important that if visiting an out apiary or beekeeping on your own, you bring a mobile phone so that you can seek medical assistance rapidly should you need it.

Epinephrine

Some, but very few, beekeepers carry an EpiPen as a part of their beekeeping kit. It is an injection containing epinephrine, or adrenaline, a chemical that narrows blood vessels and opens airways in the lungs. An EpiPen is used to treat patients suffering anaphylaxis. A Medical Doctor can prescribe An EpiPen or similar. Furthermore, it is important that anyone administering it needs to be confident in doing so.

Preparation is essential

Knowledge is power, so arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can about bee stings and their potential impacts. Consult other beekeepers and/or your doctor if you feel it is necessary. Figure out how you want to approach the subject and then proceed in your beekeeping endeavours with confidence. A Bee suit will protect you from beestings. Read more about what you should consider when buying a bee suit.

Thank you for reading. All the best in your beekeeping endeavours!

This article was written for and first published in An Beachaire, The Irish Beekeeper, in 2021

Hanna Bäckmo