The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly About Bee Venom

Experiencing any sting delivered by a bee, spider, or ant is never fun. Those allergic to venom from bees shudder at the thought because this occurrence can put their health and lives at risk. Bees have been used medicinally for centuries, and their composition includes several properties that can help treat disease and aid in healing. Different venoms affect humans differently, some causing immediate shock and others eating skin. However, bee venom will deliver neither of these scary side effects. When it comes to bee venom, there are good, bad, and ugly.

The Good

Bee venom has some positive traits and has been used throughout history to treat disease because of its powerful properties. In small doses, bee venom is still used as an alternative and has anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.

The venom released from a bee's stinger differs from other insects, including wasps. Bee venom contains 26 amino acids combined into melittin. In small, controlled doses, melting has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, cancer, and pain-relieving properties. As research continues, bee venom is showing promise in cancer treatments as an alternative to damaging therapies like chemo and radiation. The most common uses of bee venom in therapies include the treatment of some allergies, arthritis, inflammation, chronic pain, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and some skin diseases.

Internal v External

Many bee products are available that people may ingest to boost their immune systems or ward off allergies. However, once bee venom is digested, it is no longer effective. For this reason, bee treatments may include purposefully placing bee stingers into the skin, whether with a live bee or an injection.

The Bad

The downside, or bad, of bee venom, is that its delivery can endanger people who are allergic to it. Bee stings should never be dismissed as unimportant, and live bees should not be handled haphazardly by anyone without experience or equipment to work with bees properly. Bees sting to protect their hive or if they get stepped on. Rarely will bees in a swarm launch an attack, but if you try to knock down a hive in the wild with a baseball bat, you may find yourself in the hospital with enough bee stings that your body can’t fight off the toxin.

Although we enjoy honey, pollination, and the health benefits of bees, they are wild and will protect their hive and queen at all costs. If you encounter a beehive, please do not attempt to remove it alone, or worse, spray it with a pesticide that will kill them and everything else in the process!

The Ugly

When thinking about bee venom and its ugly side, the most logical connection is to aggressive bee species that attack in larger groups and can deliver fatal sting attacks that will affect anyone, not just those allergic to their venom.

The African Killer Bee is arguably the most dangerous bee because its venom is more potent than that of other bees. African Killer Bees are hybrid bees with a reputation for being more aggressive than other bee species. Wasps may sting unprovoked, but bees rarely exhibit this behavior. This species attacks in larger groups instead of individuals. Multiple bee stings increase threatening reactions. This species also nests in different ways than other bee species and can end up in a tire, mailbox, and inside cars. These unconventional hive locations increase the risk of individuals accidentally disturbing them, leading to a large-scale attack.

If you disturb a hive or nest and bees begin to attack, the best thing to do is to find refuge indoors. Do not go underwater or swat at them. There are effective ways to treat stings and steps to take following a sting to minimize the pain and discomfort.