STINGS 
779 
should be blown in the entrance. The cover 
should next be lifted gently and more 
smoke blown between the cover and the 
hive before the hive is opened. More par¬ 
ticulars in regard to opening the hive are 
given further on under this head; also 
under Manipulation of Colonies, sub¬ 
head “How to Open a Hive;” and in the 
last part of the “A B C of Beekeeping.” 
Even after one does receive a sting he 
should go about his work as tho nothing 
had happened. If he does not allow his 
mind to dwell upon the pain he will not 
find it so severe. If a sting is received thru 
the clothing or a glove, it will be a mere 
prick, and can be instantly removed with¬ 
out getting very much of the effects of the 
poison. 
If one expects to be a beekeeper he 
should make up his mind that he can over¬ 
come his natural fear. He should under¬ 
stand that when properly handled and the 
directions are carefully followed as to 
time and conditions, bees will be as gen¬ 
tle as kittens; that even when their hive is 
torn to pieces, and their combs scattered 
here and there, they will not make a pro¬ 
test. If, however, Mr. Beginner thinks he 
knows it all, and proceeds to open up a 
hive without suitable protection, he may be 
severely stung, with the resuit that he will 
conclude beekeeping is an exceedingly haz¬ 
ardous business. On the contrary, it is one 
of the safest. The average young horse or 
a Jersey cow is more dangerous than a col¬ 
ony of bees; for either one of them, unless 
their habits are thoroly understood, can 
cause loss of life. If one attempts to step 
into a stall on a dark night, surprising the 
horse without saying “whoa!” or giving no¬ 
tice of his presence, he may be kicked 
clear across the barn. In the same way, a 
stranger who does not know the pranks of 
a Jersey cow will be dealt with so severely 
that he may conclude that the animal ought 
to be slaughtered rather than to be allowed 
to live. In the same way street cars, au¬ 
tomobiles, rowboats, are all sources of dan¬ 
ger; and it would be just as reasonable to 
avoid horses, cows, street cars, and auto¬ 
mobiles as it would be to avoid bees be¬ 
cause some people have been stung or even 
have lost their lives. Any one of them is 
safe when properly handled. 
Perhaps it may be urged that the pain of 
the sting could be endured provided there 
were no further swelling or disfigurement 
of the features. If one will wear a bee- 
veil carefully fitted to his clothing, there 
will not be very much excuse for having a 
swollen eye or a distorted lip. As a mat¬ 
ter of fact, after one has been stung a cer¬ 
tain number of times his system will be¬ 
come hardened or immune so there will be 
but little or no swelling. The average bee¬ 
keeper can be stung on his face or hands a 
great many times; and beyond the mere 
pain for two or three minutes there will 
be no after-effects except a slight soreness 
for a few hours at the point where the sting 
was received. The number of stings that 
one must get before he becomes immune de¬ 
pends somewhat on the individual himself. 
A very few never have any swelling, and 
others will become immune after a compar¬ 
atively small number of stings. Usually in 
a season’s operations one will become proof 
against swelling after a sting. 
Too much emphasis cannot be placed on 
the absolute importance of removing the 
sting the moment it is given. This can be 
done by quick rubbing or mashing motion, 
and very often one can parry or prevent a 
sting altogether by smashing the bee or 
brushing' it off before it can get in its work. 
The bee, in order to sting, must take time 
enough to sink in its claws before it can 
force its weapon thru the epidermis of its 
foe. At the precise instant that one feels 
the claws of a bee sinking into the skin he 
should dislodge it if he is in position to do 
so. Sometimes when he is holding a frame 
with a valuable queen on it he must “stand 
and take;” but even then the frame can be 
set down gently and the sting removed. 
Usually, if there is just a mere prick of the 
skin there will be little or no swelling, and 
the pain will be hardly noticeable. 
THE PROPER way TO REMOVE A STING. 
With the blade of a knife, scrape the 
sting loose, being careful not to break it 
off nor to press on the poison-sac. A 
pressure on the latter will force the poison 
into the wound, making it much worse. 
When a knife is not handy, push the 
sting out with the thumb or finger nail in 
much the same way. It is quite desirable 
that the sting be taken out as quickly as 
possible, for if the barbs (to be described 
