**If you have been stung by a bee (or any type of stinging insect) & are having difficulty breathing or havingany type of reaction (hives for example) at any where on you other than the sting site, GET 911 EMERGENCY medical help immediately! DO NOT WAIT**
Having difficulties with breathing is a sign of anaphylactic shock & is very serious!
Bees can & do sting.
Not everyone reacts the same way to a bee sting, and not everyone reacts the same way every time to a bee sting.
Someone who has never has never had an allergic reaction may suddenly have a reaction. You should always bee-prepared and be as safe as possible.
Personally I have a history of having what are called large local reactions to bee stings almost every time I got stung for the first few years. It seemed I would never be spared having to deal with swelling & itching pain for up to several weeks with every bee sting. It is very inconvenient. Whenever working the bees, I, at the very least (for my lazy days!), wear a hat & veil & gloves. When I am planning on actually going in to work a hive I will wear a bee jacket & gloves at minimum, sometimes I will suit all the way up in full gear. One emergency room visit so far was one too many for me already. Prevention & being as safe as possible whenever possible is really the best way to go. No need to take any extra risks when working with bees.
After about 100 stings or so I eventually stopped having any real noticeable reactions at all. And while I am ever so thankful that this now seems to usually be the case for me personally, I can in no way guarantee that others will react (or later, not have reactions) to bee stings. Everyone is different. And as I mentioned before, even for someone who has never had a reaction or has stopped having bad reactions after several or many years & stings, it is not any kind of guarantee to how the body will respond to the next sting.
We keep several EPI-Pens on hand. During the summer months when bee season is in full swing I carry at least one EPI-pen with me at all times. I hope to never have to use it, my son is trained in how to administer it if necessary.
Taking safety seriously is very important. When working bees you should always wear at the very least a veil. Even if you do not have any known reactions to bee stings, imagine getting a stinger to the eye? I'd rater wear a veil please.
BETTER SAFER THAN SORRY LATER!
