Bees are cool. I really like them and try to plant my gardens in a way that encourages and feeds them.
I absolutely love hearing the buzz of bees in the tagasaste flowers at the moment. They are wonderful little creatures and I appreciate the work that they do.
I like bees. But I’m allergic to their stings.
![Bee on mānuka flowers Bee on mānuka flowers](https://kats-garden.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/bee-on-manuka.jpg)
Growing up, bees were really the only thing I was allergic to. But as I grew into an adult, I kind of wondered if that was even true. My family certainly told me I was, but I didn’t get stung by bees often enough to really know or remember.
Then we moved into a rental in Waipu in 2017. There was a honey processing plant nearby. As a result, I got two stings during our time there. One on my foot, one on my wrist.
Both times, I managed to remove the stinger without injecting myself with the venom. Then I then had to spend the next 24 hours on the couch. If I get stung, I’m useless for a day or so afterwards. The site swells. I’m lethargic, in pain, with a fuzzy brain. Nothing is going to get done.
It was annoying, but I still questioned if there was an actual allergy going on.
![Bee on lemon flowers Bee on lemon flowers](https://kats-garden.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/bee-in-lemon-flowers.jpg)
Then more recently, a neighbour had some bee hives on the property next door. We were out possum hunting one night, and I (as the person holding the spot light) got stung on my wrist. This time I did get a dose of venom and almost immediately broke out in hives for the first time in my working memory.
So. I am definitely allergic to bees on some level.
Antihistamines were my friend that night. No bee sting has ever really threatened my life to date. But here’s the thing: it’s possible for bee allergies to get worse with exposure, and the body’s reaction can be unpredictable.
Just because I was OK last time, doesn’t mean I’ll be OK next time. It doesn’t mean a bee will kill me, but I also can’t dismiss the possibility.
And ultimately, The Outpost is an hour’s drive from the nearest hospital, and 20 minutes from the nearest GP.
![Bee on rosemary flowers Bee on rosemary flowers](https://kats-garden.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/bee-in-rosemary.jpg)
Comparatively, in the last year I’ve discovered I’m not allergic to paper wasps. In the course of my work I’ve been stung a few times now. I feel it. It hurts. I always stop to monitor myself and make sure I’m OK, but so far I’m always totally fine.
There’s a little bit of swelling for a few hours, but they don’t affect me anywhere near the same way as bees do. There’s no need to just lie down for 24 hours. It’s quite a big difference compared to a bee sting.
So it seems sensible to at least not tip the odds in the bee’s favour. I’m more than happy to host visiting bees on my flowers, but keeping a hive of bees on the property is just too much risk.
I love honey. Honeycomb is the best. I love bees. And I do wish we could have them. But at best a bee sting ruins my plans for the day. At worst, it has the potential to kill me. So that’s why we don’t keep bees.
Have a Happy Birthday. Maybe a nice glass of something red. Cheers.