Bee Research Looking for Volunteers!

Medical practitioner and scientists are stating that the human body can withstand 1,000 bee stings and still survive. We are looking for any individual taking that position to volunteer for an experimental 500 bee sting health test to test their position.

This is a rant against the medical community and scientists who have studied the effects of bee venom in the human body. There are actually professional medical practitioners and scientists out there that are saying that the human body can withstand 1,000 bee stings and still survive.  This would be very rare.

Bee venom is designed to cause an allergic reaction and shock. The misconception comes from the fact that our emergency services personnel are well trained to treat for shock – in this case anaphylactic shock. Even with one sting, a person can suffer anaphylactic shock, depending on their immune system’s response to the bee venom injected. Once the person stung is safely out of shock, you still have the fact of envenomation.

Envenomation usually follows a predictable cycle. There is a curve of intense danger that can cause heart attacks, organ failure from the poison and maybe central nervous system failure. It is no different from snake bites, wood scorpion bites, or in some cases black widow spider bites. It is a matter of how much venom that the body has to overcome and the victim’s immune system’s ability to handle it. The envenomation period has to be monitored carefully in a hospital.

Although I support the fact that our medical community thinks they have this under control and are capable of handling it, I wonder why so many people still are dying from bee attacks? Let’s get real on this! People can die from bee stings.

Purchasing Live Honeybees For Use In Apitherapy

Frankly, we have been puzzled lately by more frequent requests by people that offer to buy live bees for the purpose of practicing Apitherapy.  Usually, they want to purchase just five or six live worker bees to follow the practice of stinging themselves for the possible health benefits they can derive from the stings. Most beekeepers would think, ok, sure, why not? That is until you start thinking about the liability.

Although I have no argument about the practice, I always ask if they have consulted a medical doctor and if they know what they are doing. Bee venom can be very dangerous to people who are not guided by a registered Allergists or Apitherapists.

The good news is that they do not have to buy bees. Bees are abundant and available, if you know how to work with their behaviors. If you want to gather worker bees, simply put out a Petri sized dish, with a wash cloth liner, and pour in a mixture of honey and water. Honey will ferment quickly on its own if you don’t add water – experiment with the mixture considering evaporation and heat.

Using the maxim from the movie “Field of Dreams: if you build it they will come,” in several hours, you should have bees at your mini feeding station. Next, simply put a wide mouthed jar over the station and, as the bees rise, simply remove the jar and cap it. Provide ventilation holes in the cap.

If you are having trouble attracting bees to your station, consider changing the mixture of honey and water, then, if it still does not work, use an old beekeeper’s trick to attract them quickly to a new commercial feeding station. Burn a little honeycomb in a 10oz can nearby.

Please remember, also, that dead bees can sting as long as they are wet and not dried out.

I hope this helps our apitherapy friends, please, just be careful.