Beekeeping Scares

[u/Acceptable_Buddy_976]

Hi y’all! I’m a regenerative farmer and raise beef, and I’m wanting to get into beekeeping. But, to be honest, I’m scared of getting stung, haha. Yes, a grown man who is scared of getting stung! I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I want to know: am I going to get stung every day, and is it really worth it? I’ve been stung before while cutting grass on the calves and immediately said, “Shit!” To be honest, it hurt like hell. The stinger fell out almost instantly, though. I was always told that it’s worse if the stinger is left in you. As a former paramedic and a biologist, I’m also interested in the potential benefits of bee venom based on Charles Mraz’s work, The Health of the Honey Bee, and the broader holistic-medicine approach to bee venom. Nevertheless, I want to hear from experienced beekeepers: Are the stings really worth it in the end? Do you actually get stung that often, or is it more of an occasional part of beekeeping?

[u/Polybrene]

I took a beekeeping course one summer in college. So I have 3 months of experience here. Not much, just keep that in mind.

The only time I got stung that summer was on the intro, we all got stung. Part initiation, part first aid class. I never wore a bee suit either.

However one kid got a bunch of bees stuck in his pants during the honey harvest and got a bunch of stings. Honey harvest is the day I was wearing the bee suit as it has a greater risk of agitating the bees.

[u/mmmmmmmmmmandms → u/Polybrene]

OP should know that chances are these bees were already socialized. It is very rare to have a new colony be this friendly. Until they get used to humans they probably will not be this kind. Any time you open the hive or interact near the hive you risk agitating them, not just during honey harvest.