During the 1950s and '60s, bee venom was collected using a wooden or plastic collection frame with an electrified wire grid placed at the entrance of a hive. Under the wires was a glass sheet that was covered with plastic or rubber, and the bees came in contact with the wire and received an electric shock that would cause the bees to sting the rubber sheet, paralyzing their muscles and usually electrocuting them.
If that didn't kill them, when they stung the surface of the collector sheet their stinger would generally break off, resulting in death. Their venom was deposited between the glass and the rubber or plastic, where it was allowed to dry, and then it was scraped off and collected.
Newer collection methods claim to be safe and relatively harmless. In 2005 the first microprocessor-controlled bee-venom collector device went on the market, capable of collecting venom from up to one hundred hives at a time. The newer devices use the same principle as the older frames, but their circuitry allows them to administer very low levels of voltage, just at the threshold that stimulates the bees to sting but is not enough to kill them.
Also, the newer devices have replaced the rubber collection sheet with a high-tech diaphragm that does not kill the bees by causing the stinger to break off. The manufacturer reports that during thirty to sixty minutes of collecting using the latest device, fewer than five bees will be killed, not a significant loss to a thriving colony.
The best way not to be stung by a bee is to stay away from bee colonies, because bees are very reluctant to sting unless their nest is threatened or disturbed. For the most part, it is easy to avoid honey bee nests because they tend to live in managed colonies, which are typically large, white boxes. Occasionally, people will be surprised to find themselves near a bumblebee nest in the ground.
If a bee is nearby, the best strategy to avoid being stung is to ignore it - most bees will simply fly by, as people do not usually have anything of interest to them and bees are not usually in an aggressive state when foraging away from the hive. Waving your arms around can touch or threaten the bees, and accidental stings can result. Another anti-sting strategy is not to wear strong perfume or cologne and to wear light-colored clothing. Bees will sometimes investigate high-contrast patterns, especially if they are accompanied by distinctive or sweet smells.
Picnic tables are often the sites where people encounter what they think are bees, but in reality, the stinging insects that visit picnics are usually wasps known as yellow jackets. Bees, as strict vegetarians, do not find much to eat at picnic tables, and they do not like cans of soda pop as much as wasps do!
Most so-called natural remedies have not been scientifically assessed for their effectiveness against bee stings. That said, anything that reduces swelling, like the application of an ice pack, can ease the discomfort of a bee sting. A poultice of water and baking soda or even meat tenderizer may also alleviate the itch of a bee sting. Other remedies that are sometimes mentioned include putting a slice of onion or potato on the site of the sting or washing the area with cider vinegar.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Bernard C. Monoud at 08192010
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