Thursday April 29,2010
By Nick Fagge
A GRANDFATHER died after being attacked by bees from his own hive, it emerged yesterday.
Christopher Weaver, a 56-year-old lawyer from Leicester, was feeding the insects when they swarmed and attacked him in their thousands. The Falklands veteran, who was not wearing protective clothing, tried to escape but collapsed due to the sheer number of stings. He died from heart failure triggered by the venom.
His wife Sandra, 28, was at the couple’s home 300 yards from the beehive when the tragedy happened two weeks ago. She said: “He went to feed them and the next thing I knew, his friend was banging on the door saying he’d collapsed. Chris was adamant that he knew what he was doing. He was always being stung.”
Mr Weaver leaves two grown-up sons and a seven-year-old granddaughter. His mother Monica, 80, from Plymouth, Devon, said: “Chris was stung so much, he probably thought he was immune.”
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/172051/Beekeeper-is-killed-by-his-own-swarm
Showing posts with label honeybee venom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label honeybee venom. Show all posts
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Saturday, 4 July 2009
'Bee sting honey' for arthritis
A New Zealand company is seeking EU approval to market honeybee venom to help people with arthritis ease their pain. 
Nelson Honey & Marketing says two teaspoons a day of its honey with added venom milked from honeybees has anti-inflammatory power to soothe joints.
The venom concept is not new - some clinics even offer up bee stings.
The UK's Food Standards Agency said it would be considering the application in the coming months.
It contains a blend of honey derived from the native New Zealand Manuka tree and dried venom harvested from the Apis mellifera honeybee using electrical milking machines that send impulses to stimulate worker bees to sting through a latex film onto a glass collector plate.
It also warns that people with allergies to honey or bee venom should seek medical advice prior to use, and that it should not be given to infants under 12 months of age.
Honey has long been hailed for its healing properties, but the Arthritis Research Campaign said it was sceptical about the beneficial properties of honeybee venom in the treatment of arthritis.
The charity's medical director Professor Alan Silman said: "We recently compiled a report on the effectiveness of complementary medicines in treating the common types of arthritis based on available scientific evidence and honeybee venom didn't feature, as no research has been done into this product.
"As a result, it's difficult to postulate the action of honeybee venom or how it purports to work, because any available evidence is entirely anecdotal."
Nelson Honey & Marketing says two teaspoons a day of its honey with added venom milked from honeybees has anti-inflammatory power to soothe joints.
The venom concept is not new - some clinics even offer up bee stings.
The UK's Food Standards Agency said it would be considering the application in the coming months.
The Manuka honey with added bee venom has been available in New Zealand for 13 years and its makers say although it does contain a venom, it has proved extremely safe.
It contains a blend of honey derived from the native New Zealand Manuka tree and dried venom harvested from the Apis mellifera honeybee using electrical milking machines that send impulses to stimulate worker bees to sting through a latex film onto a glass collector plate.
Anecdotal benefit
The Nectar Ease label advises consumers to start with a quarter of a teaspoon a day and increase this to one or two as required.
The Nectar Ease label advises consumers to start with a quarter of a teaspoon a day and increase this to one or two as required.
It also warns that people with allergies to honey or bee venom should seek medical advice prior to use, and that it should not be given to infants under 12 months of age.
Honey has long been hailed for its healing properties, but the Arthritis Research Campaign said it was sceptical about the beneficial properties of honeybee venom in the treatment of arthritis.
The charity's medical director Professor Alan Silman said: "We recently compiled a report on the effectiveness of complementary medicines in treating the common types of arthritis based on available scientific evidence and honeybee venom didn't feature, as no research has been done into this product.
"As a result, it's difficult to postulate the action of honeybee venom or how it purports to work, because any available evidence is entirely anecdotal."
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