Honey Bees / ? Allergic ?

[sissy]

A few people on the boards are raising bees, something I'm interested in doing myself. The thing is hubby is very allergic to yellow jackets, he is also allergic to bumble bees, & wasp. they are the ones I know of. Questions are; does that mean he would be allergic to honey bees also? And if so is eating the honey dangerous to eat? I have give he tea before with honey in it with no reaction that we noticed, and also some homemade bread that had honey in it. And would putting it on a wound be dangerous for him?
Does anyone have any info along these lines or know where I could find any?
Thanks for any help or direction given.
sissy

[nhlivefreeordie]

Sissy,

Allergies are still a relatively new science. A person could be fine and get stung several times with no reaction throughout their life, then all at once they are allergic.
The honey shouldn't be a factor for anyone as when a bee stings it inject venom, THAT is what people are allergic to.
I do not know if the venom is exactly the same across the different species of bees, but suspect he might be allergic to them as well......BUT.....he could be checked by a doctor to see if he is or not. There are also other options for you as well. There are Bee suits that if used properly are as close to 100% effective as possible.
Dave is using the bare minimum in protection, as stings around the face could lead to other problems.
Your hubs could get a supply of epi pens just in case he should get stung.
Just some ideas.

[Terri]

I am ALSO allergic to yellow jackets (which are a type of wasp), but, I am not allergic to honey bees. My allergist says so. He sys that the venom of the two are very different.



I do not know what the venom of bumblebees is, and I have never been stung by one.

I have never had a bad reaction to a sting from my bees.

[Anon001]

Sissy,

I can't remember if you you've ever said how large your place is. if it's large enough, you could keep the beehives in an out of the way place.... I have mine just about 100 to 150 feet (guessing) from the house. During warm weather the bees are always near the house. They also work the garden when it is in bloom.

Honey bees often travel up to 2 miles to work and can travel as far as 5 miles. However, when they go that far, they consume every thing they worked for, just to make the flight back home

If I was your husband, I would get tested for the honey bee venom. If he is allergic, as someone else stated, he could keep some epi pens around.

Their is no correlation between the honey and venom. Yes, you can also use the honey as an alternative to antibiotic cream.

I have only 3 hives now. I don't know what I would do without them since I am addicted to honey. lol The three hives last year produced about 5 gallons which is less than what they should be producing. If you're going to have one hive, you may as well have several and sell the surplus to pay for the little bit of upkeep that is required or put it toward paying for another project.

Paul

[NCLee]

Sissy,

Allergies are still a relatively new science. A person could be fine and get stung several times with no reaction throughout their life, then all at once they are allergic.

That's exactly what happened to me. Growing up on a farm, I've been stung at one time or another by just about everything. Honey bees, wasps, and yellow jackets. Other than some pain and a little localized swelling, no big deal. Usually got stung several times every summer.

Then, one day, I was watering plants in my greenhouse. Knew there was a wasp nest in the rafters, but didn't worry about it. It was a small one, btw. Well, I got stung in my scalp. Didn't think much about it, other than to cuss the critter. Kept on watering.

To make a long story short about 1/2 hour later I was in the emergency room. While, the doc was waiting to see if the shots (more than one) would do the job, he told me I had 2 stings in my scalp. Laughted when he told me not to be surprised if my ears peeled, as if I'd been sun burned. I was bright red from head to foot. Felt like I sunburned all over.

So, yes, a severe reaction can happen without any prior warning. I was lucky in that my reaction didn't cause any breathing problems. That may be because the reaction was stopped by the doc before it progressed to that point.

Lee

[cinok]

A few people on the boards are raising bees, something I'm interested in doing myself. The thing is hubby is very allergic to yellow jackets, he is also allergic to bumble bees, & wasp. they are the ones I know of. Questions are; does that mean he would be allergic to honey bees also? And if so is eating the honey dangerous to eat? I have give he tea before with honey in it with no reaction that we noticed, and also some homemade bread that had honey in it. And would putting it on a wound be dangerous for him?
Does anyone have any info along these lines or know where I could find any?
Thanks for any help or direction given.
sissy

If he has known allergies I am assuming that you have epi pens in the house. Bees are no no in our house Wife is HIGHLY allergic, But she loves honey and uses it all the time. As said by others allergies can develop over time and but even with testing nothing is perfect we our oldest tested Dr said he came up negative but since he has allergies to other things we did get a pen for him at home and school just in case.
The standard ER treatment is epi ,benadryl,and solumedrol. Each person who is allergic also has different levels of anaphylactic reactions some are mild and some like my can not maintain an airway without rapid treatment. Depending on preparedness and distance to ALS or hospital it can be fatal. Most states will not let BLS/first responders even carry or administer epipens. The reactions generally become worst each time.

[Gracie]

Several years ago, one afternoon after work, sensed my airway getting tighter, DH straightened out our 25 mile winding road to the hospital's E.R. They gave me a Solu-medrol shot (it's a steroid that reduces swelling, and also used for severe allergic reactions), 2 Benadryl 25 milligram capsules (it's an antihista mine used for the treatment of allergic reactions, and the dose is determined by weight) and 500 cc's of intravenous normal saline to rehydrate me. The doctor could not determine what exactly caused the allergic reaction, but advised me to keep Benadryl and an EpiPen (is the brand name for an auto-injector containing epinephrine used to treat severe allergic reactions. It's dose is fast acting & can be self administered) with me @ all times. Should I experience the onset of this again, to immediately take 2, Benadryl 25 mg. capsules, if there is no relief in say 10 to 15 minutes, or the symptoms continue to get worse, to give myself the EpiPen shot and get to the E.R. as soon as possible.

Sissy, were I you, would talk DH into being tested, and also ask (if doctor forgets to bring it up, not likely, but you never know), what to do should he be stung. It can take only one sting, for things to go terribly wrong.

Gracie

[Gracie]

P. S. The details I included in the above post is not to insult anyone's intelligence. Have found am reading something till come across letters or terms am not familiar with, so stop and look them up (for us google is a wonderful thing), then go back to finish reading the post or article. I added them in hopes of helping somehow.

[Teg]

Some folks react differently, my Great Aunt was allergic to all bees and honey, but I have other friends who are allergic to bees but have no problem with honey.

[sissy]

Thanks everyone for the info. I keep benadryl on hand. In the summer I try to make sure hubby has some on him when he's outside. I'll check into the Epi pens for sure.

nhlivefreeordie,
Thanks for the ideas. as far as the bee suit, not DH.:D He's not going near them. Who do you thank has to kill the wasp that gets in sometimes? Me.:D

Terri
I am ALSO allergic to yellow jackets (which are a type of wasp), but, I am not allergic to honey bees. My allergist says so. He sys that the venom of the two are very different.
That gives me hope. Thanks. I'm going to do some cross references checks on the venom.

PaulNKS,
The place were at right now is about 1/2 acre. The homestead is about 12 acres. The homestead is doable. I don't know about here. Thank for the info about the bees & honey. Using the honey is a big relief.

NCLee,
Thats the same as with hubby, just all of a sudden. But growing up with mom being allergic, I knew to start with 2 Benadryl. With mom it was usually 3 sometime 4 depending.
When hubby got stung by the yellow jackets ( bushoged them), that one scared me pretty much. Bad time. Almost went to the hospital.(hubby refused to go).

cinok, thanks for the info
Hubby has not been tested, but I knew the systems. My mom was allergic to bees big time. I am going to get some epi pens if I can.

Gracie, Thanks for all the info. Getting hubby to get tested, not likely:D, he's hard headed.It can take only one sting, for things to go terribly wrong.
This I know very well. Mom was allergic, and the time with the yellow jackets was real bad.
Please, you have not insulted anyone's intelligence. I asked for info & you were very kind and gave it to me. Much thanks

Thanks everyone time to do a google search about bee venom:D
sissy

[sissy]

Thanks Teg. I will keep a look out about the honey. So far no problem with it. But he's not had much at one time.
sissy

[MelleeRN]

Working in the ED, we have now moved to just using 125mg Solu-Medrol IV, 0.3 epi IM up to 3 doses as needed, and 50mg Benadryl. No matter the weight if the person is over 6 years old and having anaphylactic reaction. One of the reasons that we have moved away from giving any type of tablets or capsules is due to the high risk of choking secondary to the patients throat swelling. The standard of practice has changed over the last few years due to the new research. As a person that almost died last year, I know that I need to keep 3 epi pens in the house because it take 3 doses to get to the hospital. Lucky, I have the full script for all of the IV meds, IV kits, and entire family trained on how to use it. Because another sting will most lucky close my throat in under 3 minutes.

At one point in time, I only had these type of reaction to yellow jackets. Now if any type bee stings me, it is a life threatening situation. So it is a risk to develop an allergy after numerous stings, if you are allergic to only one breed of bee

[sissy]

Thanks MelleeRN, very good info.
sissy

[sissy]

Well no epi pens without going to the dr. Looks like I need to do some talking to the DH.
sissy

[Anon001]

Sissy,

Keep one point in mind. Under "normal" circumstances and conditions, honey bees are not aggressive and will not bother someone that isn't bothering them. By the way, a good beesuit will prevent stings. I used to just use a hat and veil, and would get stung through my shirts or jeans. Once I splurged and bought a full suit with attached hat, I don't think I've been stung.

As far as someone being allergic to the sting AND the honey, I would think is more coincidence since the two are basically unrelated.

Paul

[Suzy]

Allergies can be so life-threatening (believe me, I know!) so talking to his doctor will be the next step after doing all the research you can on the Internet. Best wishes!

[StatHaldol]

Several years ago I lost a good friend who got stung by a wasp at a picnic. He had an epi pen (only one) with him. His wife gave him a shot and he was several miles from the closest hospital. Epinephrine has a short half life. Wasp venom has a longer half life. He died on the way to the hospital. He was 26, married with kids.

If he goes to an allergist, ask about the possibility of getting desensitizing shots to the venom. I'm a pharmacist in a hospital but I don't know much about them since we don't give them here. If I remember correctly; the program takes about 20 weeks and I'm sure it's expensive. The patient is injected with increasing concentrations of venom until he/she can tolerate a sting. I believe there are monthly boosters too. (My information is probably out of date but it would be worth asking the doctor).

We had a medical student working with us in the pharmacy a few years back who was highly allergic to fire ants. Fire ants are everywhere here in Louisiana. Without telling anyone; he found a supplier of fire ant venom and started giving himself desensitizing shots. He had the right idea but his calculations were off by a factor of 100. His arm swelled up to almost twice its size and his hand looked like a catcher's mitt....

Good luck and talk to your MD about epi pens, Benadryl and Solu-Medrol. It could save his life.