RATE AND QUANTITY OF DELIVERY OF VENOM FROM HONEYBEE STINGS

To determine the rate and completeness of delivery of venom from honey bee stings, European bees were collected at the entrance of a hive and studied with the use of two laboratory models. In one model bees were induced to sting the shaved skin of anesthetized rabbits. The stings were removed from the skin at various time intervals after autotomizat ion, and residual venom was assayed with a hemolytic method. In the ot her model the bees were induced to sting preweighed filter paper disks , which were weighed again after removal of the sting at various inter vals. Results of both experiments were in agreement, showing that at l east 90% of the venom sac contents were delivered within 20 seconds an d that venom delivery was complete within 1 minute. The data suggest t hat a bee sting must be removed within a few seconds after autotomizat ion to prevent anaphylaxis in an allergic person. The extensive variat ion found in the amount of venom delivered at each time point may expl ain inconsistencies in relationships among reactions to field stings, sting challenge testing venom skin tests and RAST.