For people with really bad arthritis the idea of intentionally suffering bee stings is an easier sell than it is with the rest of humankind. Sometimes my knees hurt so bad, a bee sting would be a welcomed distraction. I mean, it couldn’t make things any worse and there’s something intuitive about the idea that our body’s natural response to the venom might actually counteract other problems. So, this hour, we talk about apitherapy.
First, we explore the world of long-haul bee truckers. The nation’s farm depends on these peripatetic pollinators who cross the country and travel up and down the coasts. It’s a lot like other kinds of trucking and then it’s totally different.
Just for fun, we interview a Cornell researcher who decided to find out where, on the body, is the worst place to get stung.
This show was produced by Jayne Ashley.
What do you think? Comment below, e-mail Colin@wnpr.org, or tweet @wnprcolin
GUESTS:
- Alphonse Avitabile is an Emeritus Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCONN's Waterbury Campus, and a past president of Connecticut's Beekeeping Association.
- Alan Lorenzo is a traveling Bee Venom Therapist who runs Bee Well Therapy, and he is a memeber of the American Apitherapy Society
- John Weil is the Owner/Operator of Weil Farms in North Stonington, Conn. He's been in the beekeeping business for 31 years, pollinating fruits and vegetables in Connecticut, New York and Florida.
- Rollie Hannan is the owner of Hannan Honey, which provides pollination services to orchards and vegetable farms, produces wildflower honey, and raises queens.
- Michael Smith is a graduate student at Cornell University studying neurobiology and behavior
