A stinger without the bee?

[Maryly Snow]

I was cleaning out cobwebs and detritus from the bottom board of a hive that had failed, probably due to stressors from a small hive beetle infestation. I put the bottom board back on the stand, leaned over with my hand on the newly mostly cleaned bottom board when WHAM! I got stung! 

Absolutely no bees were in sight nor anywhere near the bottom board. I grabbed my hand, dashed into the house (as is my custom whenever stung), washed my hands, grabbed very pointy tweezers, and pulled out bits of something dark, just like bits of a stinger. Once the stinger was completely out, I washed my hands again. And there is a tiny, tiny hole, and no more pain. Usually my stings last for hours and hours.

I suppose a stinger could fall off a dead bee with some venom in the stinger, but no live bee to pulse more venom into your skin.

Maryly Snow

[Elinor N. LEVINE]

Isn’t there a line in Treasure of Sierra Madre where Humphrey Bogart says “ever been stung by a dead bee?”

Elinor

On Jul 14, 2024, at 5:55 PM, Maryly Snow <mar...@snowstudios.com> wrote:

I was cleaning out cobwebs and detritus from the bottom board of a hive that had failed, probably due to stressors from a small hive beetle infestation. I put the bottom board back on the stand, leaned over with my hand on the newly mostly cleaned bottom board when WHAM! I got stung! 

Absolutely no bees were in sight nor anywhere near the bottom board. I grabbed my hand, dashed into the house (as is my custom whenever stung), washed my hands, grabbed very pointy tweezers, and pulled out bits of something dark, just like bits of a stinger. Once the stinger was completely out, I washed my hands again. And there is a tiny, tiny hole, and no more pain. Usually my stings last for hours and hours.

I suppose a stinger could fall off a dead bee with some venom in the stinger, but no live bee to pulse more venom into your skin.

Maryly Snow

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[Jim Veitch]

Yes, I don't use gloves and while it isn't common, I've been stung by dead bees from the last hive inspection squished in the underside of a frame rest, and sometimes in other spots too.

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[Maryly Snow]

At least i know I’m in good company!

Maryly

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[Phil Stob]

I too have been stung by a dead bee. The light above the sink attracts bees, and they die in the sink.  Then I was dishes.  Happened a few times now. 

Cheers, Phil 

[Kurt Schaefer]

Walter Brennen in "To Have or Have Not," I believe, and the line is "Have you ever been bit by a dead bee?"

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Kurt Schaefer
510 928-9464

ktsch...@gmail.com

[Jill Lambie-ponce]

Yep, I was stung by a dead bee I accidentally stepped on on the beach.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 15, 2024, at 8:33 AM, Kurt Schaefer <ktsch...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Catherine Edwards]

I have learned to be careful how I pick up a dead bee.

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