How To Prevent Bee Stings While Raising Honey Bees

Are there ways of preventing bee stings when you raise bees? Since I started raising honey bees I set out to find out how to prevent bee stings. 

Nobody likes to be stung by anything. Let’s face it, it’s on the list of life’s least enjoyable things to do. None of us wakes up on a Saturday morning saying “I think I’ll go get stung by a bee today”.  But If you are going to raise bees, at some point it is probably going to happen. However, you can reduce your chances of being stung if you know a few things about bees.

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First, let me say that if you have a horrible fear of being stung or you are truly allergic (that means anaphylactic) then DON’T RAISE BEES.

There I got that out of the way… Now on to the rest of us.

Understanding What Makes Bees Sting.

If your goal is to prevent bee stings, then you need to understand bees.

Bees don’t sting because they are sadistic creatures that have it out for humans and want all of us eliminated. (that is just a nasty rumor) The reason a bee stings is Defensive.

Pure and simple, they sting to protect their hive. They do not want to sting you because if they sting you they will die.

Do Bees Die After Stinging?

Bees can sting other animals and live, so why does a bee die after stinging people? There is something about human skin that makes their stinger stay in and when they try to pull it out, the stinger is ripped out of their bumm and they will die.

So if you care about bees and you don’t want to get stung, you need to learn how to convince the bees that you mean them no harm.

Learn What Makes Bees Sting.

In short, what ticks them off.
If you want to prevent bee stings you need to see the world through their eyes.

Bees will sting when they feel threatened. So what makes them unhappy?

• Clothing – Their biggest threat is predators such as bears and raccoons. Remember, we learned this while reading Winnie the Pooh as children. Pooh always had a honey pot.  So what does this have to do with us? We aren’t bears! But are we going to the hive looking like one?
  What you wear to the hive will make a big difference as to whether the bee sees you as a friend or foe. So don’t go near a hive with dark colors or fuzzy socks. Bears and raccoons are dark and fuzzy.
  By the way, it’s also not a good idea to look like a field of wildflowers either. Stick with white, tan, or khaki. If you will notice, most beekeeping suits are white, that’s not by chance.
• Demeanor – Remember you don’t want them to think you are there to tear their nest apart. So move and sound calm, slow, and methodical. Don’t move fast and flail your arms. When you get frantic, so do they. Don’t talk loudly. Be gentle with your bees. Every time a bee gets crushed it emits a pheromone that alerts other bees. Do be kind and gentle.
• Time of day – The best time to check on a hive is when most of the bees are not there. Wait until the middle of the day to open a hive so more of the bees are “at work” not at home. Fewer to squish, fewer to irritate, fewer to make angry. Besides they are busier and less likely to wonder what you are up to.
• Weather – Bees navigate by the sun. If it is a cloudy day they can’t go out and collect nectar. Unlike many of us, bees like to go out and work and it can put them in a bad mood if they can’t. If the weather is cloudy, rainy, or especially windy, just leave them alone and come back another day.
• Don’t stink – Strong odors can be triggers too, whether it is a perfume or bad BO. Remember, you don’t want to smell like either a flower or a bear.
• Watch where you are standing – A bee hive has one door in and out. If you stand in front of it….. I’m just sayin’

 Ok, You’ve checked your clothing and perfume. You’ve checked the clock and the weather and you’re acting in a calm manner.

More To Do To Prevent Bee Stings.

• Pull up a chair – Literally. Not right in front of the entrance, but where you can see it and watch it. Do this over several days and observe your bees. This does two things. It allows you to get used to how your bees act, interact, and sound. And it allows your bees to get to know you.
  Bees will get to know your face (yes, really!) and will be less likely to confuse you with that nasty bear we have talked so much about.
  If they know you as a friend you may be able to prevent bee stings.
• Where To Place Your Hive – Placing your hive in the right place may help you prevent bee stings. Don’t place it near your house’s back door or right in a major walkway are just two suggestions.
  
  Related>>Pick The Perfect Place For A Backyard Beehive.

• Wear protective clothing – There is clothing that is made just for beekeeping, for the purpose of preventing bee stings. Get to know some beekeepers and check out the different types. There are full suits or just jackets and veils. They may look the same to the untrained eye, but the jacket with mesh that lets air flow through, in my opinion, is worth its weight in gold.
  You also want a veil that attaches to your jacket. When it comes to gloves, it is very much a personal preference. If you absolutely don’t want to get stung, you will need very thick leather gloves. But then you can’t feel to lift up a frame, catch a queen, or many other things you might wish to do. Most people start with thick gloves and then opt for neoprene gloves or no gloves at all. Your choice.
  If you are not wearing a bee suit, at the very least you should wear a veil. At least I think so. On one of my first excursions into the bee yard, the beekeeper was dividing the hive. The bees were very agitated. I got overheated and went what I thought was a safe distance away and took off my veil. Think about it. Where does a bee feel safe? In a small dark hole like the comb of his hive. Or like a nostril…. Yes, I got a bee up my nose. My advice is to wear a veil.

Related>> How To Start Urban Homesteading And Suburban Homesteading.

• Clean your clothing – When a bee gets squished or stings, it puts out a pheromone. Bees become aggressive when they sense that pheromone. If you walk into the bee yard with clothes that have that pheromone on them. They don’t know or care that it was from last week. That is their signal to become defensive. All those pheromones need to be washed away.
• Machinery – How to avoid bee stings while gardening? Bottom line. Bees don’t like noisy vibrating machinery. That includes lawnmowers and weed whackers. But the lawn has to be mowed so what are you to do. First, don’t mow and go into the hive on the same day. Just don’t do it!
  Second, wear your bee-protective clothing while mowing anywhere near the hive. Third, keep other people and pets inside while you are mowing around the bees, just in case.
• Smoker & Bee Spray – Learn to use your smoker or bee sugar spray to calm them and mask the pheromones whenever you will be going into the hive, moving the hive, or working around it. (like mowing)
• Aggressive Hive – Occasionally you will just have an aggressive hive with a bad attitude. If that is the case, then it is time to re-queen. And fast! Order a new queen and when you get her find and kill the old one and replace her. The attitude of the queen will affect the whole hive. She also may have mated with aggressive bees.
• Water – Bees, like all animals, need water. If you don’t provide it they will have to go find some. They could find it in your (or your neighbor’s) pool. Or the dog’s water dish. Make sure they have their own plentiful source.
• Pets – Don’t forget your pets or the pets next door. Animals should not be caged or tethered near a beehive. They need to be able to get away if there is a problem.
• Neighbors – If your neighbors live nearby, remember to think of them too. Make sure none of them have a tremendous fear of bees or are allergic to them. Then make sure you reward them with a bit of the sweet stuff when harvest time comes.

Related>> Plant Flowers That Attract Bees For A Better Garden.

 

What If You Get Stung?

If you do get stung, don’t pinch the stinger as you pull it out. You will be pushing more venom into your body. Instead, take a credit card or something similar and scrape the stinger out of your skin.

There are many ways to prevent bee stings. But there are no guarantees that you will never get stung. With a few precautions, your chances of getting a bee sting should be kept to a minimum.

Keep Learning

Pick The Perfect Place For A Backyard Beehive.

Plant Flowers That Attract Bees.

10 Things To Know Before You Start Beekeeping.

Happy Backyard Homesteading!

I believe everyone can grow at least part of their own food! Let me show you how.