Title: Bee Venom and the Chemistry of OUCH! | Bee Culture
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Content: Unless it’s handy, that wastes time. Studies have shown that leaving the stinger in just eight seconds can increase the size of a bee welt by 30%. It doesn’t really matter how you remove the sting; just flick it off as fast as possible. Your hive tool is the perfect scraper, by the way. Once a bee stings, your body chemistry begins to change to combat the toxins. Because your immune system considers the unknown proteins of bee venom to be invaders, it makes antibodies. The job of these antibodies is to strengthen the immune system against future attack. Unfortunately, some people develop an overly-sensitive immune response. In about 5% of the population, bee stings are much more than just painful – they’re life threatening.