An Australian Beekeeper’s Bee Sting Pain Ratings: The Worst Places to Cop a Sting (and What a Bee’s Punch Says About Hive Health)
Ever wondered where the most painful place to get stung by a bee actually is? This came up for us this week when the weather was a little bleak and the bees a little feisty and we were out gathering some honey for you.
Daryl Brenton is our head beekeeper here at The BeeKeeper® on the NSW Mid North Coast, part of a family beekeeping business that’s been at it for four generations – you might know us from our our Ironbark, Yellow Box, Bloodwood, Stringybark, Brush Box and Australian Manuka…and oh yes, our famous creamed honey!
Anyway, over that time he, the family and crew (yes…they might be smiling in that pic now) have been stung just about everywhere a person can be stung while harvesting what our customers tell us is some of Australia’s most delicious honey.
So we got Daryl to rank the spots, least to worst, for bee stings.
Not surprisingly, he recommends not getting stung at all – as it’s better for the bees and better for the beekeepers! And also, bee stings are no laughing matter at all for anyone with a serious allergy such as anaphylaxis.
Here’s Daryl’s full scale.
The Beekeeper’s Bee Sting Pain Scale
Fully covered on a calm, sunny, windless day, 0 out of 10. ‘Protective clothing, a veil, a bit of patience, moving gently and slowly, and picking your days. This is the real beekeeper’s secret to not getting stung at all.’
Forearm and back of the hands, 3 out of 10. ‘You can get the sting out quicker there, which helps.’
The love handles, 5 out of 10.
Near the kidneys, 5 out of 10. ‘Makes you stand up pretty quick’ says Daryl.
Webbing of the fingers and toes, 6 out of 10. ‘These can be a bit tricky to pull out.’
Around the eyes, 7 out of 10. ‘Will definitely make you blink!’
Soft part of the armpit, 7.5 out of 10.
Just on the edge of the fingernails, around the quick, 7.5 out of 10.
Epiglottis, 8.5 out of 10. Yes, that’s a bee sting inside the throat. ‘My Dad once needed to get a fella with a stick to try and scratch the sting out from the back of his throat it was that bad,’ said Daryl. ‘Not a fun afternoon!’
Fingerprint part of the finger, 9 out of 10.
Tip of the nose/septum, 9 out of 10. ‘A sting here will shut up even the chattiest, most experienced beekeeper,’ laughs Daryl.
Here’s the interesting bit: not all bee stings are equal
This is where it stops being just a funny list and starts telling you something about your honey.
As Daryl puts it: “If the bees are muscled up and super healthy, there’s a heap more punch in their sting. There’s a marked difference if the bees are tired, run down, hungry or unhealthy.”
A sting with real punch and a jar of rich, full flavoured honey are two signs of the very same thing: bees that are genuinely healthy and thriving. One doesn’t cause the other. They just tend to turn up together, because both come from a well cared for hive.
Obviously we try and avoid the bees feeling the need to sting, but sometimes it just can’t be avoided and is part of a beekeeper’s life. We’d rather have healthy bees that pack a punch and honey worth talking about, than rundown hives.
Our signature remedy for bee stings
Even on a good day, it happens. Here’s how we handle it.
Get the stinger out quick, without squeezing it.
Stay calm. The bees have you well and truly outnumbered.
No flapping your arms about. You’ll only attract more trouble.
Put a smile on.
Take it like a champion, and if it really hurts, take an antihistamine.
Great honey starts with healthy bees
Here’s the real point behind all the sting talk. A bee with a genuine punch behind its sting is usually a bee in a healthy, well run hive, and that’s the same hive producing honey worth seeking out.
When you buy direct from us, that’s what you’re getting: honey from strong, well cared for bees, kept single origin, never blended with imported honey, and packed by the same people who keep the hives.
If you’d like to taste what our bees have been up to, you’ll find our honey (we harvest and pack it ourselves!) at the markets, through our honey stockists, or online direct from us. Thanks so much for your support!
