Bee venom is perhaps the most “mysterious” and most incredible product of all produced in the apiary. It can be both medicine and poison at the same time. The use of bee venom is a matter that requires a special approach.

While the concept and nature of bee venom is well known and understood by professional beekeepers, for many people this product is a mystery. The venom of a worker honey bee is a special liquid that is secreted by special thread-like glands in the stinging apparatus. This secret has a rather specific smell and bitter taste. When stung, one individual loses from 0.2 to 0.8 milligrams of poison at a time, its amount depends on age, as well as the time of year.

How is it formed?

Bee venom is a product of the activity of special stinging glands that are found in worker bees, as well as in the queen bee. The entire “defensive” apparatus with which insects defend themselves and their home consists of the sting itself and poisonous glands. These glands are branches in the accessory organs and secrete a transparent secretion fluid, sometimes with a yellowish tint. It acts as a poison on the body of animals, people and other “enemies”. For bees, its smell is exciting, which causes aggression and defensive reactions of other individuals.

Compound

Despite the fact that this substance has long been known to beekeepers and science, the exact composition of bee venom has not yet been established. What is known is that the composition of bee honey contains a very highly active protein melitin, many amino acids, enzymes, different types acids, fats, histamine, volatile oils, trace elements, as well as steroid-like substances. The main component of bee secretion is melitin, the content of which is about 50%. There is also a lot of tertiapine, histamine and apamin. But don't forget that chemical composition Bee venom depends on several factors: the age of the bee, nutrition and method of production. The last factor especially affects the purity and richness of the poisonous secretion.

Properties

It is worth noting that bee venom is both poison and medicine at the same time. In small doses its benefits are limitless, while in large quantities it can cause headaches, allergies, swelling and even suffocation. But as practice shows, this occurs only in 0.5-2% of all people using this type of apitherapy. Thanks to its unique healing properties, today it is included in a number of ointments, creams, anti-inflammatory and soothing gels. For more information about the properties and benefits of bee venom, also watch the video presented on our website.

Poison - antibiotic and healing agent

The main property of bee venom is its anti-inflammatory and antibiotic effect. Due to its special nature and a certain burning effect, in many cases this secretion of workers acts as an analgesic. Even in a diluted state, the poison remains sterile, so it is suitable for the treatment of viral and bacterial diseases. Moreover, this bee substance is highly resistant to external factors, even at high and low temperatures it retains all its biological properties. When taken orally in a small dose, bee venom has a tonic effect, improves performance, calms the psyche and improves sleep. He found a positive effect in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In particular, it stimulates the heart muscle, reduces blood pressure and improves the elasticity of blood vessels and capillaries.

How is poison obtained?

It’s easy to guess that, like all bee products, the poison is obtained in the apiary. For this, mechanical and electrical devices are used. It is worth saying that collecting bee medicinal venom is not an easy task, and even a very dangerous one. It requires experience, certain knowledge, skills and the necessary equipment.

Inventory to collect:

• poison collector
• tweezers
• wide vessel
• filter paper
• induction coil
• battery
• film and cellophane
• electrical device
• Peach oil
• big box
• wire

How to collect?

You can collect the poison by hand. To do this, take each bee separately and press it against the glass with tweezers. With this method, the insect will release the liquid, but will not die by losing its sting. You can also pour peach oil into the vessel, cover the top with film, and plant the bees one by one so that they leave their stings in the film. The second method is less gentle, as the bees die. In this case, the poison remains at the bottom under the oil. But the most modern way- this is using a special electric box, which can be easily found in beekeeping stores, or you can make it yourself. The same electrical special installation can be placed near the hive entrance. Under the influence of a current discharge, bees will instinctively release poison on specially prepared glass.

Device for collecting bee venom

At the present time high technology modernization has also reached the process of collecting bee venom. To do this, they use a special device, invented back in 1960 by one Bulgarian beekeeper I. Lazov. His device allows you to obtain poison from insects by irritating them with electric current. With this method, the bees do not die, since they do not give up their sting. Such a device for collecting poison today has a number of modifications. The most common are special boxes in which bees are placed and where they leave poison under the influence of current. Also popular is a small device that attaches to the entrance to the hive. Such devices are called poison receivers and allow you to quickly and, most importantly, effectively obtain pure, good insect poison.

Treatment with bee venom

As researchers say, bee venom was used in medicinal practice by the ancient peoples of Greece, China and India. Hippocrates, Galen and Pliny spoke about the benefits of this product. It is known that Russian tsars and rulers of other foreign countries (Ivan the Terrible, King Charlemagne) got rid of many ailments using bee stinging. The official use of bee venom in traditional medicine became known after the 1930s. It began to be widely used to treat pain in joints and bones, as an antibiotic and sedative. Despite the widespread progress and variety of drugs, modern medicine also uses this bee product.

With multiple sclerosis

In our country for treatment multiple sclerosis Beekeeping products, including bee venom, are very widely used. Its active substances strengthen the immune system and promote the production of anti-inflammatory hormones. The secretion of the venom glands of bees increases the degree of the myelin sheath and also increases the conductivity of nerve signals. This in turn improves all motor functions of the body. To treat multiple sclerosis, bee stinging is used with the parallel use of propolis and royal jelly. The full course is 21 days, which is approximately 50 bee stings.

For joints

Experts have long noticed that bee venom has a beneficial effect on the entire skeletal system person, and especially on the condition of the joints. This natural medicine can quickly relieve pain, inflammation and restore mobility to sore joints. This unique method brought dozens of people back to their feet at a time when doctors refused to provide treatment. After just 10 days, many patients taking bee stings noted an improvement in their condition and an analgesic effect. Rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, arthritis and polyarthritis are not yet full list ailments where bee venom treatment is used.

Treatment with bee honey and poison

Many people note a special healing effect with simultaneous treatment with poison and honey. This method is the main one in folk medicine and apitherapy, used for many internal inflammations. For example, for treatment nervous system Bee venom is used along with a small dose of a sweet product. At the same time, honey, along with poison, has found application externally for treatment inflammatory processes skin and joints. Sweetness can be used alone or mixed with poison.

Production and production of bee venom

Modern production of bee venom is a clear, well-coordinated process that involves new technologies and various equipment for extracting the product. For example, it is extracted industrially using a device whose design is almost identical in many countries around the world. Usually bees are irritated by electric current and leave poison on a special silicone layer. Today, the stinging secretion of bees is used in the production of many medicines, ointments and tablets (apifor, apizartron, apicaine).

How much does bee venom cost?

Let us say right away that the price of insect poison is very diverse and depends, first of all, on the method and place of purchase. If you buy the poison as part of another product, it will be cheaper; in its pure form, this substance is very expensive, which is explained by its complex nature of extraction. In Russia, 1 gram of bee venom costs on average from 3,000 to 5,000 rubles, in Ukraine - from 300 to 900 hryvnia.

Bee venom panacea in cosmetology

This unusual substance has today become simply a panacea for preserving the beauty and youth of the skin. Almost all leading cosmetic companies add bee venom to anti-aging creams. Cosmetology studies have shown that the poison promotes collagen production and can easily replace Botox. Also, the liquid of insect stinging glands is included in moisturizing and restorative face and body care products. The substances act like bee stings, increasing blood flow and cellular metabolism.

Video

Bee sting: harm or health promotion?

Properties of bee venom

Sting me to my health!

Bee venom is often used as a medicine that differs high efficiency. True, it is necessary to collect and use bee venom correctly, because, in addition to treating the body, it can also poison it. Below we will talk about the benefits of bee venom and how to use it.

What does bee venom look like?

If you are bitten by a bee, you are unlikely to be able to see its venom, since it releases it under your skin in a very small amount - only 0.2-0.8 mg. But if you collect more of this substance, you get a fairly thick liquid, which is transparent in color, but sometimes has a slight yellowish tint.

You can distinguish bee venom by its smell, which is in many ways similar to honey, but with a hint of bitterness. Bitter poison and tastes: it leaves behind a burning aftertaste. If a container with this substance is left in the air, it will quickly harden, but when lowered into water, it will immediately dissolve.

Important! Bee venom can be stored in any state - dried, frozen or liquid. Despite the state, it will retain its beneficial properties.

But often bee venom comes to us not in natural form, and in the processed version - as medical drug or cosmetic. So you can only recognize it by action. If you wish, you can figure out how to independently collect bee venom.

Composition of bee venom, physical and chemical properties of the product

By studying the composition of this natural substance, scientists tried to understand how to make bee venom. However, science has not been able to fully understand the process of its creation and determine all the components.

The components of bee venom known to science are only:

• melitin is a protein with high activity, the amount of which in the poison is 50%;
• amino acids in large clusters;
• steroid-like substances;
• peptides (tertiapine, histamine, apamin), which contribute to the regulation of physiological processes in living organisms.

Do not forget that in large quantities, the components of bee venom can become dangerous for the human body. Moreover, the older the bee, the more dangerous its venom. That's why, if only one bee has bitten you, the effect of the poison on the body will be imperceptible or even healing. But getting stings from a swarm of bees can cause a very serious condition in a person, up to suffocation. Bee stings are especially dangerous for young children, therefore, in order to avoid poisoning with bee venom, you should not give children preparations from it.

Did you know? The quantity and quality of bee venom directly depends on the age and nutrition of the bee. So, the bee is able to excrete the largest amount of a substance at the age of 16-17 days and only when pollen is consumed.

Thanks to militin, bee venom is excellent antibacterial agent. It is able to neutralize a huge number of harmful bacteria that are in the human body, including mycoplasmas. The following properties of this bee secretion are also distinguished:

How the product is used: ways to use bee venom in medicine

How useful bee venom is, we can be told by official medicine, which uses this substance to produce many medications. But bee venom is still more common in alternative medicine. It is often used to restore health in diseases:

1. Against the background of neurology. These include sciatica, neuritis, paralysis, and damage to muscle tissue after a stroke. Bee venom is effective even when infectious lesions nervous system, as well as congenital cerebral palsy.
2. Cardiological direction. Bee venom is used in case of myocardial rhythm disturbance, as well as in the presence of inflammatory lesions on the vessels.
3. Respiratory tract. Especially effective is the use of funds with bee venom for inflammation of the bronchi, as well as for various forms of pneumonia. It has a good effect even with bronchial asthma.
4. Endocrine system and blood. Diabetes and thyrotoxicosis can also be successfully treated with bee secretions.
5. Causing infections.
6. Dermatological direction. Psoriasis, ulcerative formations on the skin.

If prescribed by a doctor, bee venom can also be used for other disorders in human organs. Recently, this substance has become often used in cosmetology, attributing to it the status of a panacea for aging. This is due to the fact that the components of bee venom help the skin produce collagen, affecting its rejuvenation. Therefore, if an anti-aging cream contains bee venom, the cream can really give the expected effect. In some countries, for the same purpose, as well as to moisturize the skin, procedures are offered in which a person is stung by live bees.

Did you know? During its life, a bee is capable of making only one sting, since it also leaves its sting in the wound. However, such self-sacrifice is justified - the smell of poison serves as a signal to its relatives that danger is approaching.

How to collect bee venom: learning methods

The endless benefits of bee venom have made people think about collecting it. Thanks to this, many ways to obtain it were invented. The accumulation of venom in a bee occurs over time, so before collecting bee venom, you must wait until the bee leaves its cell in the honeycomb. This issue can be approached in different ways.

By using ether

The bees are placed in a glass jar and ether is used to release their venom. To do this, just cover the jar with paper soaked in ether, and after a while the bees will release their poison and fall asleep. To collect the substance from a jar, water is poured into it, which is then filtered and evaporates. This method allows you to obtain dry bee venom (it may have impurities). However, in this case the bees do not release all their poison, and many die after exposure to ether and bathing in water.

By catching bees

To do this, the hive is placed in a dark room with one window, to which the bees will fly. This way they can be caught and by lightly pressing the tweezers on the belly, squeeze out the poison onto the glass surface. When interacting with air, the substance will immediately harden, so it can be collected without loss. The bee secretion obtained by this method is very pure.

Collecting poison on an electric sieve

For this purpose, scientists have created a special sieve capable of delivering a very low electric current charge. It greatly irritates the bees and causes them to secrete poison. In this case, the bees remain unharmed and are sent back to the hive. The efficiency of obtaining poison using this method is quite high.

There is another way to obtain bee venom, which involves stimulating insects to bite fibrous masses or special films, from which the substance can then be squeezed out. However, this method is considered the least effective.

Important! Bee venom is not able to dissolve in alcohol, so it is useless to make alcohol tinctures from it. It is recommended to produce oil-based preparations. Storing such tinctures in loosely closed containers leads to loss of properties.

Is it possible to get poisoned by bee venom: first aid for a sting

Many people talk about the benefits of bee venom, but we should not forget that bee stings often even lead to death. Therefore, before starting treatment with this natural remedy, it is worth learning about contraindications. In particular, It is strictly forbidden to use it by people with:

It is not recommended to use bee venom for pregnant women. You should not take medications with it after severe physical activity, since he himself is able to well stimulate the work of all body systems. In approximately 2% of cases, bee venom can also cause allergic reactions, which can manifest individually in each person:

• the easiest allergic reaction characterized slight itching and rashes, the presence high temperature, the development of edema;
• at the site of the bite, the cells can become numb, and then the cells die;
• an allergic reaction of moderate strength - swelling of the face and larynx, spasms respiratory tract due to which a person will not be able to swallow air;
• without emergency medical care suffocation may begin;
• in the most severe situation, a person may develop anaphylactic shock from taking bee venom - rapid swelling of the larynx and suffocation, which can only be prevented by introducing adrenaline into the body.

Thus, the benefits of bee sting, although it remains obvious, but bee venom should be handled with extreme caution. Before taking medications containing it, you should check your own tolerance. Only such an approach to treatment can give positive result, since we are dealing with a deadly poison. If a person develops an allergic reaction after a bee sting,

19 once already
helped

Methods for obtaining bee venom

From one bee you can get 0.4-0.8 mg of poison. The amount of poison depends on the age of the bee, time of year and food. For example, bees produce the greatest amount of venom in spring and summer. Young bees have no or very little poison. By the two-week life span, the amount of poison in a worker bee reaches a maximum, after which the poisonous gland gradually dies off.

There are several ways to obtain bee venom, but almost all of them cause the death of the bee after giving it the poison.

Device for collecting bee venom

Currently, many devices are known for collecting bee venom. Based on the principle of irritation of bees, they are divided into mechanical and electrical.

Mechanical method

Most modifications of the mechanical method of irritating bees to take a poisonous secret is accompanied by the death of the bees. To obtain poison, live bees are taken with tweezers or fingers, while the sting protrudes outward. With thin eye tweezers, it is slightly removed from the chamber, after which the automatic expiration of the poison begins. The tip of the sting touches the surface of the glass, the poison pours onto it and dries quickly. Venom from 50-100 bees is applied to one glass slide. Dried poison on glasses can be stored in desiccators indefinitely without losing its qualities. This method, described back in 1936 by P. M. Komarov and A. S. Erstein, allows one to obtain high-quality poison. However, due to high labor costs, this method has not found practical use.

When poison is obtained by extracting isolated poisonous organs of many bees, dried in a desiccator, the product becomes contaminated with tissue impurities.

Another long-known method of collecting bee venom is the forced stinging of animal film by bees, which is used as bladder pigs or film taken from the scrotum of a sheep. The sting penetrates the film and gets stuck in it, and the poison is poured into a bowl filled with water on which the film is stretched (Artemov N.M., Nikitin A.S., Melnichenko A.N., Solodu-ho I.G., 1965).

Another modification of the method of mechanical stimulation of bees was proposed by Prof. Flury. He forced the bees to sting the fibrous mass, which he then dried and stored in this form, and then extracted the poison with various solvents. Prof. Flury suggested another way to obtain poison. The bees were placed in a glass jar, which was covered with filter paper moistened with ether. The ether vapors irritated the bees and, before falling into a state of anesthesia, they released poison, which remained on the walls of the jar and on the bees. Then the walls of the vessel and the bees in it were rinsed with water, which dissolved the bee venom (Artemov N.M., 1941).

Later, Solovyov P.P. (1957) proposed a device for collecting bee venom, made in the form of cartridges with collecting liquid located between the frames of the hive, manually rotated and irritating the bees.

All devices based on the mechanical principle of irritating bees have a number of significant disadvantages:

1. In most devices and devices for collecting venom, bees die due to the detachment of the poisonous gland;

2. Extremely low efficiency of devices, complicated by the high complexity of the process;

3. Collection of poison in a liquid medium, where it is unstable, quickly undergoes bacterial decay and loses activity (Artemov N. M., 1969);

4. High probability of damage (stings) by the bees of the service personnel.

Electric way

In 1960, the Bulgarian beekeeper Lazov I. designed a device based on two new principles for obtaining bee venom:

bees secrete poison under the influence of an electric current;

after releasing the poison, they do not lose their sting, it returns to its normal position and the bees remain alive (Shkenderov S., Ivanov Ts., 1985). The entire variety of modern bee venom collection devices is based on these fundamental principles. Currently, the most common method of obtaining poison is by “milking” bees in the apiary during the spring-summer season by irritating them with pulses of weak electric current. At the same time, the bees sting the glass, from which the dry poison is then scraped off. The device for collecting bee venom includes:

an electrical stimulator powered either from an autonomous or from a network current source;

a poison receiver containing electrodes in the form of a wire stretched over a frame with a distance of 3-4 mm from each other;

glass, which serves as a place of accumulation of a poisonous secret.

Most foreign models of venom receivers provide a backing made of thin nylon fabric or plutex to obtain pure poison (Malayu M., Rafiraju R., Alexandru V., 1982).

Artemov N.M. Solodukho I.G. (1965) proposed a method for producing bee venom based on the simultaneous irritation of a large number of bees with an electric current, as a result of which they sting a special fibrous film of animal origin. The sting gets stuck tightly in it, and the bee tears it off. This ensures that the venom is completely obtained from each bee. This method of extracting poison completely eliminates its contamination. The poison is collected in filter paper, which is dried and stored dry. To obtain poison, 2-3 sheets of filter paper are placed in a special receiving bag, the top layer of which is the sting film described above, and the bottom layer is cellophane. Such a package is inserted into a special device, where it is stung by up to 500 bees. Poison from 5,000 bees is collected in one bag. The productivity of the device is 5 families of bees of average strength for 8 hours.

The poison is extracted from paper at pharmaceutical industry enterprises by extraction with water followed by lyophilization - freezing. After this, at low temperatures, water evaporates directly from the ice, bypassing the liquid fraction. Pure poison is sealed in ampoules, in which it is stored indefinitely without noticeable loss of activity. This lyophilized bee venom is a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. However, this method is very labor-intensive and has not found application.

In a device used in Czechoslovakia, bees are passed between two rotating cylinders, where they are stimulated by an electric current and stung through a thin rubber piece of filter paper, from which the poison is then extracted. In England, a device is known in which about 200 bees can be placed simultaneously, excited with an electric current, forced to sting through a silicone plate and get poison on the underside of this plate.

In the USA, in such a device, bees stung into porous nylon. In this case, the poison accumulates on the underside of the nylon plate or on glass placed under the nylon.

Eskov E.K., Lakhtanov V.T., Mironov G.A. (1988) propose to take poison from bees directly in the hive under the influence of an electric field with a frequency of 300-600 Hz and a voltage of 120-170 V/cm, which is created throughout volume of the hive by means of electrodes and an alternating voltage source. Under the influence of an electric field, the bees become excited and begin to actively move around the hive. In the lower part of the hive, where the venom receptacle is located, the bees are exposed to an electric current when they close the conductors of the venom receptacle with their legs, or a secondary electric field, while the bees become aggressive and sting the venom receptacle. The amount of poison collected increases, and at the same time the bee colony stops swarming.

Currently, there are many ways to set up a poison collector. Based on location in the hive, they can be divided into two groups:

Intra-hive method with placing the venom collector vertically between the combs along the edges of the nest (Artemov N.M., Soloduho I.G., 1965; Musaev F.G., 1980, 1982), horizontally under the brood body (Vik D.A., Kastner I. . S, 1983), on the floor of the hive (Mraz Ch., 1983), above the honeycombs (Sprogis G. E, 1984);

Extra-hive method with placement of a poison collector near the entrance (Bagmet G. S., 1967; Tretyakov Yu. N., 1972; Gatuska X., 1974, Mraz Ch., 1983), on the edge of the apiary with feeding (Oleinikov L. I., Oleinikov V. L., Sych M.I., 1980).

In experiments by Mitev B. (1971), an average of 1.593 g of bee venom was obtained from one family of bees over two years. Solodukho I.G. (1976) reports that up to 1 g of dry poison can be obtained in one selection session.

Gatuska N. (1974) points out that in laboratory conditions with 10-fold stimulation of 1 thousand guard bees, 10 mg of dry poison was obtained. The first impulse produces the strongest release of poison. The smallest amount of poison is released by bee colonies in the spring (April), the largest in the summer (June). In autumn (November) bees secrete more venom than in spring. However, due to the lack of arrival of young bees during this period, the amount of poison obtained quickly drops after only 3 sampling methods. Gatuska N. found that during the first selection of venom from a bee colony, there is a significant relationship between the duration of irritation of the bees (60, 30 and 15 minutes) and the amount of venom obtained. With daily selection of poison, this dependence disappears. He recommends using in sessions lasting at least 15 minutes. a series of electrical impulses with three consecutive three-day intervals.

Balzhekas J. A. (1975) selected the poison after 3 and 6 days. According to his data, the selection of poison did not have a negative effect on the wintering of bees and their raising of brood. However, the gross honey harvest as a result of poison selection decreased by 14%.

According to calculations by Musaev F.G. (1980), made on the basis of the above experiments, with four sampling times during the spring-summer season, about 2 grams of raw bee venom can be collected. According to him, the selection of poison from bees every 12-15 days did not reduce the activity of bees in collecting nectar and raising brood. Musaev F.G. (1982) found that only poison-collecting frames should be placed in the nest along the edges of the combs with brood. With the intra-hive method of obtaining poison, the poison is completely extracted from all flying bees in 3 hours. With a longer duration of current switching on, the amount of poison increases slightly (by 15%), but causes the death of bees and brood.

When extracting venom 2 times a month, placing two venom collection frames in a colony for 3 hours, it is extracted from almost all flying bees. At the same time, the selection of poison does not reduce the life expectancy of such bees.

Musaev F. G. (1982) reports that with the systematic selection of poison from bees, their wet and dry weight decreases, the nitrogen content in the body decreases (by 4.5%) and fat (by 17.4%). When collecting poison from a colony 4 times a month with the electric current turned on for 3 hours each time, in all cases the bees that gave the poison lived less than the control ones by an average of 2-10 days. However, the colonies from which the poison was taken raised slightly more brood and collected 17% less honey per 1 kg of bees (5.8 kg versus 7 kg in the control).

Malaiu M., Rafiraju R., Alexandru V. (1982) over a 6-month beekeeping season and with 26 collections from each bee colony received from 3.7 to 4.4 g of poison or for one electrical stimulation from 142 to 169 mg, selecting it every 7 days. The largest amount of poison was obtained when the poison-collecting net was located near the frame and at the bottom of the hives (4.398 and 4.123 g, respectively). In experiments it was noted that the amount of poison on one grid varies within significant limits.

Tikhonov P. T., Suleymanova L. Sh. (1984) established that the amount of bee venom obtained depends on the frequency of electrical stimulation sessions and the strength of bee colonies. In their experiments, when collecting venom every three days, the bees gave it away more than when receiving it after seven and ten days, the increase was 50.2 and 68.5%, respectively. Strong bee colonies gave out an average of 20% more poison than colonies of average strength. The authors showed that the selection of poison does not have a significant effect on the flight activity of bees and does not reduce the honey productivity of bee colonies; it allows one to obtain an additional six conventional units from one bee colony per season. honey. units

Sprogis G. E. (1985) assessed the effect of options for placing two poison-receiving frames on the side of the nest and on top of the nest frames. According to his data, with the first selection method, on average, 96 mg (8%) more pure poison and 62 mg (32%) more contaminated poison were obtained per family than with the second method. The results of the analysis of samples of visually pure poison showed that the main quality indicators for both selection methods are approximately the same. At the same time, it is proposed to take the poison over the honeycombs from bee families in less than an hour. Experiments by G.E. Sprogis showed that the selection of bee venom had a positive effect on the strength of bee colonies, and productivity remained virtually unchanged.

Giniyatullin M. G., Moskalenko L. A., Redkova L. A (1989) came to the conclusion that poison selection does not have a significant effect on brood rearing and the strength of bee colonies, but reduces their honey yield by 4.0-10 .7 kg (10.0-26.7%). They found that the best studied mode of repeated electrical stimulation of bees is a three-fold selection of venom every 15 days. In selection experiments with three-time intra-hive electrical stimulation, 2-6 times more venom was obtained from one colony compared to selection of venom outside the hive. The results of the analyzes showed that the selection of poison reduced the content of dry substances in the body of bees by 3.3-4.1%. Yakovlev A. S., Redkova L. A., Legovich M. A. (1990) indicate that the poison obtained during selection in the nest and above the nest has a high biological activity and in all respects meets the requirements of TU 46 RSFSR 67-72.

They propose to obtain poison using proven methods by electrically stimulating the family three times a day every ten days for two to three hours each session. The above authors recommend simultaneously using two poison-receiving frames with a total glass area of ​​1600 cm². According to calculations by Yakovlev A.S. and co-authors, as a result, one family can receive on average up to 600-800 mg of poison. In their experiments, colonies from which poison was taken raised 13.6-24.1% less brood during this period. Selection of poison in the nest and above the nest reduced the honey productivity of bee colonies by 4.2 kg (19.6%) and 0.7-2.2 kg (2.8-10.2%), respectively.

Giniyatullin M. G., Galeev R. K., Shakirov F. A. (1990) conducted a study of the influence of the duration of electrical stimulation of bee colonies on their poison production. 50 bee families of equal strength were used in the experiments. The strength of bee families was determined by the number of streets. During the work we used the “Bee” electrical stimulator. Venom-receiving frames were installed at the edge of the nest between the combs, i.e., the intra-nest method of venom selection was used. Bee colonies were exposed to pulsed current from 6 to 9 p.m. After the start of electrical stimulation of bee colonies, glasses with raw poison were taken out every 30 minutes and replaced with clean ones. The results of the experiment showed that up to 379 mg of raw venom was obtained from bee colonies (on average per family) per stimulation. Despite the fact that bee colonies did not have an advantage in the number of bees, they differed in poison production. The main amount of bee venom (74.17%) was obtained during the first hour of electrical stimulation of bee families. Subsequently, there is a clear trend towards a decrease in the secretion of venom from bees. However, the above data is clearly not enough to develop a scientifically based technology for obtaining bee venom. The solution to this issue is important both theoretically and practically, since there is still no consensus on the best way selection of poison. There is a wide range of opinions about the optimal location of venom collection devices in hives, the frequency of sampling per season, the duration of electrical stimulation, and the impact on the development, productivity and wintering of bee colonies.

However, the above data is clearly not enough to develop a scientifically based technology for obtaining bee venom.

The solution to this issue is important both theoretically and practically, because There is still no consensus on the best way to select venom. There is a wide range of opinions about the optimal location of venom collection devices in hives, the frequency of sampling per season, the duration of electrical stimulation, and the impact on the development, productivity and wintering of bee colonies.

Several ways to obtain bee venom

A young bee, just emerging from a wax cell, has a small supply of poison. The older the bee gets, the more poison it accumulates, and by the age of two weeks its supply of poison reaches its maximum amount. There are several known ways to obtain bee venom.

The most common method is to euthanize bees with ether. A large number of bees are placed in a glass jar, which is covered with filter paper moistened with ether. Ether vapors irritate the bees, they release some of the poison and fall asleep.

After this, rinse the jar with water. The washing liquid (usually cloudy) is purified by filtration, then the water is evaporated, and the remaining substance is dry bee venom.

The bees must be dried in a warm room or in the sun, and then sent to the hive. Using this method, about 50-75 mg of bee venom is obtained from 1000 living bees. But it has its significant drawbacks. Firstly, the bees do not give up all their venom, secondly, after anesthesia, washing and drying, most of them die and, thirdly, the resulting venom is not pure.

It is also known several ways to obtain bee venom, but even when using them, many bees die and the poison is not pure enough.

The most humane method of extracting poison, in which the bees give up the poison and remain in the family, performing all their functions, is simple in its implementation. It is necessary to bring the hive with bees into a dark room. You need to work in the front net. The hive lid is opened slightly, and the bees fly out to the light source - the window. The bees are removed from the glass one at a time. They are taken with tweezers and placed with their abdomen on a glass slide, plastic or plexiglass. The bee stings the glass, releases poison, but at the same time retains the sting and flies away into the hive. After some time, it will be possible to take poison from her again. The bee venom immediately hardens to a crystalline state and is scraped off and weighed. The resulting poison has no impurities, it is pure and well stored.

Instead of a hive, you can make a plywood bag for one magazine or nesting frame, with a hole opening at the top. A frame with honey and bees is placed in such a bag. Bees are taken with tweezers.

To preserve a small number of bees, they are shaken into a cardboard box, the top of which is covered with one or two layers of gauze. To feed the bees, place a piece of sugar on the gauze. In this way, the bees are preserved for more than a month.

When selecting bees in winter, they should be disturbed as little as possible, and instead of a smoker, use a spray bottle with warm water.

Several years ago, doctors developed another method of extracting bee venom. They began to “milk” the bees using a special sieve and an electric discharge. The bees get irritated and release their poison. In a short period of time, the bee’s iron again produces the same amount of valuable liquid, and it is “milked” again. At one time, the bee secretes 0.3 mg of poison using 2 glands: one of them produces an acidic liquid, the other an alkaline secretion. Each liquid individually is less toxic than their mixture.

The amount of venom in a bee depends on the time of year. In spring and summer there is more of it than in the autumn-winter period.

Bee venom is a potent substance. Once in the blood, it causes a burning sensation and the bite site swells. Pain and swelling can be reduced if the sting is quickly removed from the wound, keeping almost the entire supply of poison in the stinging apparatus, and the stung area is cooled with water or rectified alcohol, parsley or mint leaves are applied, or lubricated with ointment, which includes calendula, Vaseline or lanolin, rectified alcohol.

Beginner beekeeper should know that within 3 years the body of any person gets used to bee venom and over time his body stops swelling.

Stings in the eyes pose a great danger, especially if the sting is damaged eyeball. The victim experiences unbearable pain, the stung eye immediately swells and severe conjunctivitis appears. In this case, the victim must be urgently taken to the hospital.

It’s probably no secret how many benefits beekeeping products have for humans. For several centuries in a row, the world's population has been using them to improve their health. One of healthy products beekeeping poison (apitoxin). It contains only natural and environmentally friendly ingredients, so it cannot cause any harm (with the exception of individual intolerance).

The glands of bees produce a specific substance - apitoxin. When an insect feels threatened, it releases a sting where the poison is located. It has a transparent yellowish color, viscous consistency, a pungent odor of honey and a bitter taste.

If we talk about the chemical composition of bee venom, then it is impossible to find a substance richer in vitamins and microelements. This set has not yet been thoroughly studied, many scientists are still struggling to reveal the secret. healing properties its mineral structure.

The basis of apitoxin is made up of protein components and compounds. They contain non-toxic protein, melitin, phospholipase A, hyaluronidase.

The chemical composition includes eighteen of the twenty known amino acids, inorganic acids (formic, hydrochloric, orthophosphoric), glucose, fructose, carbohydrates, polypeptides and almost half of the periodic table (calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, iodine, sulfur, chlorine, hydrogen ).

Beneficial features

Bee venom has long been used in traditional medicine. It is one of the constituent substances of medications, gels, and ointments. Thanks to its composition, it has beneficial properties:

• Affects immune system body, can strengthen or weaken its functions.
• Used as an anesthetic. The effect of pure bee venom is many times stronger than medicinal analgesics.
• In small quantities it can be an antiseptic and antimicrobial agent. Promotes the destruction of pathogens (streptococcus, E. coli).
• Stimulates the functioning of all body systems.
• Reduces blood cholesterol levels, increases hemoglobin and red blood cell count.
• Has a vasodilating effect.
• Increases metabolic rate.
• Reduces blood pressure.
• Improves general state body: normalizes sleep, performance, appetite, nervous system.

How to extract bee venom

The sting of young bees contains little poison, the largest amount is produced by the age of two weeks of the insect. The amount also depends on the time of its extraction, in autumn and winter it is much less than in spring and summer. To obtain it in an apiary, you need protective clothing and a collection device.

Experts use several extraction methods.

1. Manually. To get poison, the bee is clamped between the legs of the tweezers and sits on a window pane or mirror. The insect releases poison, leaving it on the glass surface, but remains alive, since the sting does not release. After several days, the procedure can be repeated. Another method is to place the bees in a glass jar and euthanize them with ether. Its vapors irritate the insect, so it secretes poison and falls asleep. When using this method, some bees die.
2. Using a device. In the middle of the last century, a beekeeping specialist invented a device that, using a weak current discharge, irritates bees, and they release poison without releasing the sting and remaining alive. Using this method of bee milking, you can get about 0.3 mg of poison at a time. After some time, the bees’ glands will again produce a valuable product, and it will be possible to obtain it again. The device is constantly being modified, so the mining process becomes easier.

Why bee venom is a medicine

The microelements it contains have a beneficial effect on all body systems. Treatment with bee venom is called “apitherapy”. The product is used in the treatment of various diseases.

• Parkinson's disease.
• Cerebral palsy.
• Hypertension. Thanks to its vasodilating property, blood flow to the brain accelerates, which helps reduce blood pressure. Treatment of the disease at an early stage is most effective, which helps to further reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
• Joint diseases (arthritis and arthrosis). Since bee venom has an anesthetic effect, manufacturers of gels and ointments often include it in their preparations. It can relieve inflammation and “accelerate” the blood.
• Spinal diseases.
• Varicose veins
• Prostatitis.
• Constriction or dilation of blood vessels.
• Adnexitis.
• Multiple sclerosis. When treating this disease, the destruction of nerve cells is stopped. And amino acids contribute to the formation of new nerve endings. Therefore, in the early stages the disease can be cured.
• Cholesterol plaques.

In addition to treating various diseases, bee venom can have a rejuvenating effect on facial skin. Anti-wrinkle products that contain it have long proven themselves in cosmetology with positive side. Thanks to its natural and environmentally friendly composition, it is increasingly popular among women.

Methods of introducing bee venom into the body

For a long time, people have been treated with bee venom. It can enter the body not only through a bee sting; there are other ways.

1. The use of gels and ointments that contain it.
2. Injections under the skin.
3. Inhalations in pairs.

The effects of bee venom on the human body

When ingested, bee venom stimulates all systems and processes occurring in it. It has a unique composition and properties. Someone can easily endure a lot of bee stings, and someone gets sick from a single bee sting. In small doses, apitoxin cannot cause harm to health. It has the most beneficial effect on the body's immune system. An exception may be intolerance to bee products, because despite all its usefulness, bee venom is a strong allergen, and an allergic reaction to it can be the most unpredictable, even fatal. Therefore, its use for the treatment of a disease must be approved by the attending physician.