keeping bees and allergies

[bagendhens]

im planning ahead for my farm...
and id LOVE to have a couple of healthy hives to help with polination in the orchards/berry patch/flower beds and for of course the bonuses of honey and wax...

but im allergic to bee stings!

would i be able to keep and tend bee hives as long as i had sting proof attire? or are ALL bee keepers destined to be stung at least once in a while...
i would be living alone and cant use epi because of an existing health condition (the epi can do more damage than the sting lol) and will be living alone...

is this just one of those avenues i have to say "not worth the risk"

i will be living on a limited income so payign someone to tend my hives wouldnt realy be the best choice either.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Gee, I would think that would be a terrible risk, with your special situation.

I know this won't help with getting honey or wax, but we have good pollination rates here, with a lot of native pollinators. What I've tried to do is have a lot of different food plants available at all different times. I always think that if there is food for them all through the growing season, they'll be here for me when something I want pollinated is blooming. Very early in the growing season, it's usually annuals that were started indoors. I have perennials that bloom at different times, too, but the blooming herbs and annuals are always popular and always available. I don't spray pesticides here, either. So, we always have a lot of different pollinators around.

 

[Akane]

I've been told it's guranteed you will get stung once so it would depend how badly allergic you are. I swell up horribly to bee stings but it's not life threatening (so far) unless I were stung in the face or neck. I would imagine most bee stings would be on the hands or arms giving me plenty of time to use an epi pen or go to the ER for treatment. My husband still thinks I'm nuts for wanting to raise bees with allergies.

I would talk to your doctor if they know you and your medical history well. You can discuss how bad your allergies might be and whether it's a good idea for you to use an epi pen. They carry some risk if you have health issues like heart problems.

 

[PotterWatch]

I think that no matter what precautions you take, you would probably be stung at some point. I have had a single hive for about a year and have only been stung once and that was while I was working in the garden behind the hive, not doing an inspection or anything.

 

[sourland]

Not worth the risk. Somehow, someday you will get stung even with a veil, smoker, and protective clothing. Forego this idea.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Absolutely NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You will get stung.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Is there anyway you could join a "bee" club and make friends who might be willing to help you with bee duties? Perhaps in exchange for something like eggs, canned goods, veggies...(you get the idea!). A lot of the bee people in my area are very helpful and many would have no problem helping out a fellow bee keeper. Otherwise, alone I do not think it would be worth the risk. Just plant things that attract pollinators like birds and insects. You'll have plenty at your place soon enough!

 

[dewey]

This reminds me, I need to get fresh EpiPens.

If it were me there's no way I would invite a greater risk. Because of severe allergies there's some animals I just can't work with even though they are my favorite animals.

 

[Akane]

I think being able to eat something besides "sugar goo" (store bought honey) is well worth the risk.

 

[mominoz]

NO, NO.NO!!!!! I used to be allergic to yellow jackets and wasps. I got stung at a picnic (sandals) took an hour and a half by he time I got to the hospital I was itching everywhere, my face an lips were swelling, my foot was 3X normal size and the pain was like being stabbed repeatedly with a knife, I was breaking into hives.....I was on pain killers and crutches and drugs for a week (I was in college), I went into shock and my BP dropped dangerously low, because I was given too much Benadryl..... Years later I wanted to trailride my horse , but knew I'd be more than 20 minutes away from help.(20 minutes is about all your epipen gives you, if you don't have a stroke from it). I finally took 5 years of allergy shots and 'lost' my allergy. I still carry an epipen as it could come back after 10-15 years for a small number of people. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAD A MILD REACTION THE FIRST TIME DOESN'T MEAN YOU WILL STAY MILDLY REACTIVE, YOUR SUBSEQUENT REACTIONS GET WORSE AND MAY DO SO QUICKLY. There was another student allergic because she did research with bees and had only 5 minutes before her throat would start to close up. She was stung one day in the basement of the college indoors!(we think they smell allergic people and hunt us down I got stung talking on the telephone indoors in the dorm. I got stung walking down a sidewalk near some trashcans. You shouldn't wear perfumes, yellow, or floral clothes or sandals outdoors ,etc live looking for bees....One day I had my car windows open and one flew in and stung me on the leg!(it was a honeybee thought)

I think Honeybees are cool and would like to raise them, but I don't want the risk of similiar allergies....

Unless you'd like to die with your throat swelling shut.....