Location:western Pennsylvania I am not asking for medical advice. I am going to reach out to medical professionals about the sting site, but needed to explain what happened in the situation to explain why I was apprehensive
I am unable to reply to anyone's comments (the post is locked on my end) but I appreciate all of your advice! I will absolutely triple check my suit before I head out next time. I don't love the good on my suit so I may invest in a different type. I do feel less alone knowing that it is inevitable and that it happens to everyone. I will go back out in a few days after it stops raining where I am to make sure everything is good and will absolutely make sure I am fully zipped and velcroed!
I have had my bees for less than a week. I have been cautious and after installing my nuc have only "bothered" them to refill their sugar water. The first batch tipped and leaked out so I adjusted the hive, which is what probably caused my issue but hindsight is always 20/20. I didn't take my smoker with me because I was just refilling the feeder but then twisted the hive to change the angle (I had it slightly unlevel to drain any moisture that got in). I was fully suited but somehow bees got into my hood and stung my neck, got tangled in my hair and as I am calmly trying to get the hell out of there, one stung me on my upper lip. I have no clue how they got into my suit or why they would attack the way they did but I am apprehensive now. My face from the sting is pretty swollen (think, Jim Hensen muppets) and though I'm not having an anaphylactic reaction I'm nervous about next time. I don't want to stop keeping my bees so tell me the good bad and ugly about your first hives please! I need hope to keep going and reassurance that they won't always be angry...