Watering fig plants and somehow I bumped into a ripe Hollier at knee level where bee was feeding
and got nailed. Immediately pinched the tip of Biancheta & used the fig sap to rub over wound. Just
a tiny pain & mild swelling. I am sure glad the fig sap works to negate both pain & swelling. Lots of bees
nailing ripe main crop Latarrula figs.

I had the same incident a few weeks ago, and only the fig sap worked instantly. 

Does it pull stingers out too or just helps with swelling?

I did not know that but I will remember it for the future.  Sorry you got stung but thanks for sharing your knowledge.  =)

Could not sight the sting but I pulled the bee off.

Interesting since the fig sap can be an allergen on it's own.

The fig sap contains Ficin (Ficain)which is an enzyme that disrupts the proteins injected during a sting.  I have found it is necessary to apply very soon after the sting for best results.  Also, I did not find relief from chigger bites with it.

BTW: It is apparently good for getting rid of intestinal worms.  Use at your own risk.

darn it. last time i got stung, i was no where near figs tree..

Wish I knew sooner, I got stung at the Fiesta amongst a thousand fig trees and suffered in silence...outside of the initial #%^*~#. :)

Poor bees are getting a bad rap .
I have never seen bees attacking my figs , Its always been either yellow jacket wasps or bald faced hornets .

John

Splits in the figs & drippy honey attracts the bees.

John,

You are probably correct, it was more than likely a wasp that stung me, half the size of a yellow jacket though. I'm not up on my insects as much as I should be.

I have a honeybee hive on my place and don't ever see bees on my figs but I don't see wasps messing with them either.

Here a Bee having a good ole time on fig leaf but these types never bother the figs.

Yellow jackets were big problem years back when nearby pussywillow tree attracted them but tree was taken down in winter ice storm.

Now just the ocassional yellow jacket will try and when i see them on fig i flick my finger at it real hard.
By the way i did not flick the bee in picture heck they were having fun so i left them alone.  ; )

C'mon, how's about a little privacy you peepin Martin .
Great photos though .

John

Honeybees are in a real bad state . Last year beekeepers lost half their bees over the winter .
This is happening all over the world . Bees pollinate 1/3 of all our crops . In china there are areas where
there are no bees left and people collect pollen by hand and have to pollinate the fruit trees by hand .
Sadly the bees in the cities are healthier than bees in the countryside due to pesticide bans in many cities .
Einstein said that once the bees are gone , man will be gone in 4 years .

John

Sue, apparently you were sweeter fare than what is normally on the menu around here.

John,

To attract the Honey bees to your property, just plant some Russian Sage and Salvia plants. Those flowering plants around my house, are crowded with Honey bees, Mason bees, bumble bees and some other smaller bees, everyday. Sometimes they even sleep on the Russian Sage's flowers till the next morning.

Navid.

Thanks Navid ,

There's a documentary called queen of the sun on Netflix or free on youtube that's about the plight of bees today .
As people who respect nature's abundance through our common hobby , we should try to make ourselves aware of the destruction
of the very pollinators that help us survive .
After researching bees I was so intrigued that I purchased a hive of my own and they are only feet away from my figs and don't bother them at all . The average hive has anywhere from 30 000 to 60 000 bees , they are all sisters and their mom , the queen can lay from 1000 to 3000 eggs a day . You can easily harvest 100 pounds of honey in a good year from that 1 hive .

John

They LOVE rosemary too and you get the added benefit of herbs for cooking and a drought-tolerant shrub. My rosemary swarms with bees every spring.

Aren't plants are the fastest evolvers on our planet?  If bee's went then they would adapt to life without them. 

I take out my mason bee house to the backyard every spring. They rarely sting, a much efficient pollinator. You just change tubes every year. By the end of season, the tubes are filled with new eggs. Only problem is that their season is relatively short. They are done usually by June.

john would love to hear more and see some pics of your honey production....