Deciding your fate

One of our little workers. Check out those pollen baskets, ladies.
This was taken when he was supervising me, building his new frames.

I am here today to bring you good, and maybe, bad, news. We're back to talking about the bees. Ours are currently freezing their little heineys off in the hive, waiting for the weather to warm up. We have had our usual influx in temperatures here, lately. Some days it is 70, some days it is 7, and last week we had tornados. Typical Kentucky winter.  We are waiting for a solid 3-5 day stretch when then temperature has been above 65 to lift the lids and give them a once-over, but I am told they are making all kinds of happy bee noises that can be heard outside their hives. That's good. At least we know some of them are alive, right?

Well, over the weekend I got on the topic of bees and someone was asking me about stings. I told them what I had learned in bee school: "After a few hundred stings over the course of several successful bee-keeping seasons, the experienced bee-keeper will either become immune or allergic". How do you like your chances?

So I started doing a little research on this phenomenon because, well, it just doesn't seem fair, damnit! I found that the old saying is pretty much true. Bee-keepers who experience stings every now and then usually build up an immunity - meaning, when they are stung they still feel the same burn and sting as everyone else, but they don't react to it the same way anymore - both mentally and physically. An immune bee-keeper who gets a sting probably scratches out the stinger and moves on. They do not itch or swell up like other people might.

Now, immunity is only half your odds. The other half of you will become spontaneously and unfortunately allergic. I have even read that the friends and family members of bee-keepers are the most likely to become allergic, as they are constantly interacting with low levels of the bee pollen and dust. Yea. Not fair (in exchange for all of your love and support we bring you - allergies!). The allergies can vary - from your sting swelling up and itching like crazy, to "My Girl". Sorry. I said that. I have even heard of old bee-keepers who developed the allergy after years working with their hives. They come back from the field one day swollen up beyond recognition. Poor Joe - one of the farm's neighbors who experienced this exact situation. He donated all of his old bee books to James and I since he can no longer be around his hives. Ironically, the cure to any allergy is... MORE! Wee! You hate being stung by bees, well you know what the doctor ordered? More bee stings!

A young bee - you can tell because of his fuzzy little head.
Bees are like men - they bald as they age.
 I swear I have even seen one with the signature middle aged "cal-de-sac".

Seriously. As someone who has battled with allergies my entire life, I can tell you first-hand that the only treatment for allergies is experiencing them more often. Hence, allergy shots. This is also the reason James swears he has no allergies. Growing up on a farm exposes you to pretty much anything you could be allergic to, in great doses, all of the time.

So, you take your chances with the bees. You either get used to it or... you don't. For us, we always keep an epi-pen handy.