Riverbee's Journey

[Lburou]

Riverbee, don't forget the DEET!

[riverbee]

DEET?

packed!!!

[kebee]

 I second what Lburou said, the mosquito are big and bad in Alaska, spend a year in the service there and good luck and praying for you.

Ken

[badgerbeekernube66]

Wow, that's some journey indeed river.....glad you have persevered to continue sharing the weather of knowledge you have gained in your life, and here's a cheers to the years to come!

[riverbee]

thanks badgerbeek........!

 and especially thank you for the 'cheers to the years to come'..............! ! !   

[Perry]

When I first left Nova Scotia I was headed to the Yukon. I've heard that the Yukon, like Alaska, really puts things into perspective as to how small we really are. Sadly I never made it to the Yukon, but I will get to hear about Alaska through you riverbee.

[lazy shooter]

Riverbee:

I thought about you today.  It was a hot 100 degree afternoon and I was robbing my meanest hive.  I had my vented bee jacket on and checked all of my zippers and gloves and yada, yada, .......  As I was replacing the frames from the extractor, a bee stung me on the back of my right arm.  I can't believe that it stung me through the jacket and my shirt, but when I removed my jacket I had my wife look for a dead bee.  We did not find a bee inside my jacket or shirt, so maybe the bee stung me through the Mann Lakes vented jacket. 

I thought of you because I took all of the necessary precautions to not get stung.  I checked and double checked my gear (zippers, jeans tucked in boots, thick      gloves with elastic cuffs over the glove wrist, double checked all velcro connections, sweat band over ears, and yet I got stung).  I dressed carefully because as stated above, this is a hot hive.  My conclusion is that it is extremely difficult to not get stung.  I hope and pray that your allergist has reduced your reaction to bee stings to a safe place, because in my heart, I fear you will be stung again.  I hope and pray that I am wrong.

[brooksbeefarm]

I wear a jacket with the zipper veil and goat skin gloves. During the hot humid weather i can sweat through everything i have on in 30 min. or less, even have sweat dripping off the bill of my ball cap. That is when i start getting hits, the girls can sting though any part of clothing i have on, but most of the time they are what i call, half a sting because the stinger is stuck in the cothing and not me. Seems to me they hurt worse when i'm hot and sweaty, so i now take two jackets and veils with me so i can change back and fourth. The bees have made me smarter over the years. Jack

[riverbee]

long time no update........
my 6 weeks injections were scheduled for friday july 31.  i cancelled the injections per my surgeon's pa's advice, recovering from hip surgery.  too much going on with that right now, injections will resume when i am stronger in the recovery.

once again, i am unable to work my bees, i did my best before surgery to make sure the queens were laying in the 4 nucs, now double deeps, and that they were sailing along well.  in my one survivor hive, 4 supers were on. two weeks before surgery, i checked that super, (8 frames), not capped, but being capped, i made the decision not to add another at the time, knowing mr river could add another when necessary..........sometimes the bees will go to the new super and forget about fully capping the one below.
he checked for me this past saturday............oops............



they needed a super 2 or 3 weeks ago.  anyway, the bees had honey comb all over the tops of the frames and on the underneath side of the inner cover.  it was all scraped off into a tupperware and another super went on.  we are having a good year this year.

i took the comb he scraped off, put it in a strainer, lined the strainer with nylon straining material i use, put it in a ziploc and set it out in the sun to let the honey drain out into a container below the strainer.  i filled a small jar with this and gave it to my preop surgery nurse with a thank you card.  she buys honey from me and she was really tickled to get honey straight from the hive!

[riverbee]

two stings..........the first two stings i have taken since spring of 2012.  i am good, no anaphlyactic reaction.

one to the ear, and one to the top of my head..............
dang that ear shot hurt!

most know i am allergic, for those that don't read post #1.  been taking venom immunotherapy injections since to build my immunity.

i wear full gear.  i have one hive of 6 that are a bit hot and have been.  after checking supers, i walked away about 20 feet behind the first hive (the hot hive). it was so hot and humid, and i was hot and sweaty with all the gear on.  i removed my veil and gloves and walked away from the hives. 3 or 4 bees followed.  i walked quickly...........did my best, the new hardware i have in the hips is really not conducive to running right now........   my brain says run like beejeebers but my legs can't move that fast right now............

so i gimp scurried up the driveway towards the house and let out a non-family friendly expletive. mr river was in the garden (not far from my hives) and had been watching. he ran after me. i carry eppys, so retrieved them from my pocket; also the liquid benadyrl and steroid.  i took the liquid benadryl right away. i waited on the steroid and the eppy.  mr river had to scrape out the stingers from my ear and the top of my head, and used a benadryl pen on both (does help with taking the initial zing out of the sting). we waited........it's a long wait, and to be honest, i think we were both trying to be calm when really not..........should we jump in the truck and drive to the e/r? 

within 5 minutes or so, my upper arms, palms of my hands, and bottoms of my feet started itching (not experienced this before) and i did develop a very small patch of hives about a quarter size on my left upper arm.  this later dissipated. my breathing and all else was fine.

in all honesty, i was scared, i thought is this really worth it anymore?  this is the first time i have really asked myself, what am i thinking and is this worth it?  maybe it's time to give up the bees. 

the reaction from both stings, really was not as long lasting as i thought they might be.  the sting to my ear, swelled and moved down the left side of my neck. the swelling and itching really did not last long as i thought it would (applied ice right away and off and on overnight, along with taking benadryl). so the injections have given me the immunity.

i am back to weekly injections now; with two total hip surgeries in the past year it has set my injection schedule well behind.  i thought i had patience, endurance and fortitude..........

on another note, i am going to miss an opportunity to meet tec.  tec contacted me several weeks ago. he and his wife are going to be in madison, wisconsin july 18th; traveling from texas to north dakota and then on to wisconsin. i was honored that tec asked to meet up me and if i was near madison. it wouldn't matter, i would drive to madison to meet tec.  we have friends coming from michigan this weekend, and we will be traveling to montana next week, and i told tec, we would probably be passing one another on I-94........them going east and us going west........lol, he told me if i saw a couple of grey hairs waving, to wave back

i put tec in touch with chip euliss, i hope you guys have a great visit!

thanks tec, thanks for thinking of me, happy trails and happy travels! 

[Perry]

Great news on the sting update. Do you feel as though perhaps you have turned a corner in regards to the therapy?
I know a lady here that is allergic as well and has been going for therapy for some time now, although her schedule got messed up as well which set things back.
She is at the point where she can take one or two stings and it knocks her flat for a couple days, but it isn't the threat it once seemed to be. She is the right hand "man" on a commercial operation.

[iddee]

Another milestone passed. Congrats.

[efmesch]

Before you go on your next visit to the hives, I recommend that you check with your surgeons as to what kind of oil to use and where exactly in the hips to apply it on your new joints so that you beat the bees in getting a safe distance between you and them.   

Now, seriously, maybe you should intentionaly get yourself stung at the end of your visits to the hives in a way that will allow you to get the stingers out immediatley. With your various meds at hand as a backup precaution.  Short "mini-stings" MIGHT very well help to speed up your re-developing of natural immunity.  Ask what the docs think.

But above all, stay well.

[lazy shooter]

@riverbee:

I agree with Iddee, it certainly seems that you have passed a "milestone."

Now to the fuss:  I don't know how far your hives are from the house, but I do know how hot a bee suit can be in the summer.  That being said, had you have walked to your house fully suited up this traumatic event would not have occurred.  Safety is carried on until the job is complete.  "fuss over"

You know I love you, and the above is "tough love."  It is wonderful that modern day medicine has brought you this miraculous cure that not only allows you to keep bees, but also alleviates the fear of just being stung by a bee for the rest of your life.  Thank you for going through all the trouble and tribulations to get to this place.  I don't think any of us can imagine you without bees.

Thanks for the update.

lazy

[Chip Euliss]

Keep at it and I bet your allergist gets you desensitized before long.  I went through all that many years ago and now I have no reactions to bee stings at all.  Some spots do hurt a bit while others just burn a little but no swelling.  My "bad" spot is on the tip of my nose; doesn't hurt so much as it makes me sneeze and get a runny nose for 10 minutes or so.  I think the bees do it when they're mad and want a larger target when I open my veil to blow my nose

Just got a text and will be having supper with Tec, his wife and a couple of good friends in Jametown tonight.

[apisbees]

Good to hear the two years of injections have helped and are working. You just don't know until it happens. Now on the getting stung and retreating from the hive. You know I believe that the bees react to the vibe a person is emitting. The bees being persistent on their pursuit and your fear of what could happen if they did sting you caused you to be a hotter target for the few persistent bees. Now knowing the out come will help you in remaining calmer next time.
In keeping bees it is not a IF but WHEN you get stung.

[neillsayers]

Wow RB,

I'm glad it ended well but it had to be scary for you and Mister given your history. Stay safe and maybe considered giving that hive the heave-ho- I'm not a fan of caring for critters that choose to hurt me.

[riverbee]

thanks for the replies........i want to try and answer each of the replies here.......

perry-
yes i did notice a 'turn in the corner' with regards to therapy.  i didn't swell as much, and really the two stings didn't bother me like before, well except for the big A reactions........   the only difference was experiencing the itching in the palms of my hands and bottoms of my feet?  never experienced this before, and if i did, don't remember this.  my two surgeries have set me back for injections, having to go weekly when i was at 6 or almost 8 weeks, is sort of a pain in the back side.  but i will do it.  thanks perry.

iddee~
thanks, it is a milestone.

ef~
......... my surgeon would probably ask me again why i keep bees........but then again he knows me to well.........
i am almost a year out for the first surgery, and 6 months from the 2nd......it's hard, muscles need time to heal and gain strength again, and also flexibility. i can be so impatient with myself sometimes.  i walk everyday to get this back, from 2 miles to 3.5 miles. and i also do some pt.
thanks ef!

lazy s~
thanks my friend.........tough love is a good thing. my hives are about 40-50 yards i guess from the house. i did get an 'arse' chewing for shedding the veil and gloves so close to the hives, especially the 'hot' hive.  it won't happen again. 

chip~
i will keep at it, thank you!  and hope you enjoyed your visit with tec!

apis~
most times i would agree with you on the bees reacting to the vibe a beek gives out.........the hive has been hot since last summer. the queen needs to be replaced, but they sure are productive. it's always the last hive i check because i don't like them nailing me and pestering me while i am peeking into the other hives. i just walked away, and without thinking removed my veil.  i shouldn't have, but i did.  i was calm, and to be honest when i realized i had ticked off bees in the air, i walked quite calmly/quickly towards the house.  this same hive has had bees follow my husband up the driveway.
thank you apis!

neill~
thanks, it was a little scary. i am not sure who started to panic more than the other, me or him..........
the queen in that hive needs to go.............i will wait now, vacation and travel, until i get back. one of the snarkiest hives i have had in a long time.

[Chip Euliss]

Had a nice visit with Tech and his wife last night River.  Turns out they are good friends of a good friend of mine here in Jamestown who sells cells in Texas each spring.  Tech bought cells from him in years past and they knew his wife from a project she was working on near their Texas operation--both were great fun to be around and we knew many of the same people in both of their professions.  We all had a nice dinner at my friends house and a good time was had by all.  From here, they are headed east for more visits and interesting stops along the way.  Tech said he got some of our ticks yesterday but he didn't mind since they were larger than the ones in Texas and easy to get off.  And all these years, I thought everything was bigger in Texas

[riverbee]

chip, am envious!

"And all these years, I thought everything was bigger in Texas"

just the cowboy hats chip...........