Allergic reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine are making headlines. And for some, these headlines trigger scary memories. People who have experienced a severe allergic reaction to a medication, environmental allergen, or stinging insect know how frightening it is. And those who receive allergy shots may have more questions about the vaccine, including their risk for…
DetailsKatherine K. Schlosser is an author and lecturer on native plants and herbs. Despite her allergy to honeybees, wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, she spends most of her professional and personal life outdoors. In this post, Katherine shares her story. She artfully describes the discovery of her allergy and all the ways she keeps herself…
DetailsHas the continued presence of COVID-19 left you anxious about visiting your healthcare professional for treatment of your stinging insect allergy? Providers around the country are committed to keeping patients safe during visits. So, should you resume your venom immunotherapy treatment for your bee, wasp or hornet allergy? Even during a pandemic, normal allergy testing…
DetailsIf you’ve noticed yellow jackets seem to be more aggressive now that fall is here, you aren’t imagining it. Why are yellow jackets so aggressive in the fall? Yellow jacket colonies reach their peak population of 1,000-4,000 workers[1] in late summer and early fall. The queens stop laying eggs near the end of summer and…
DetailsSpring is here and NOW is the time for wasp prevention! Here are some tips to help make your spring and summer wasp and hornet free. Seal trash cans & recycle bins. Wasps are carnivorous and love human and pet food. Make sure to always seal your trash cans. Any pet food that is stored…
DetailsAre you asking the right questions? We recently posed this question to practices with high volumes of VIT patients. Their answer? Asking the right questions on the new patient intake questionnaire. Here are their key questions: Have you ever reacted to a stinging insect (bee, wasp, ant)? Have you visited urgent care or the ER…
DetailsThe groundhog saw his shadow and now we’re dreaming of warm spring days, birds chirping, flowers blooming, bees buzzing… Well not all of us are dreaming of buzzing bees! 5-7.5% of Americans are hypersensitive to insect stings1, meaning they’re at risk of anaphylactic shock if they’re stung by a flying insect like a wasp or…
DetailsHappy Valentine’s Day!
Gardening, hiking, golfing, picnics, baseball games…. Spring will be here before we know it! But for people who have bee, wasp, or hornet allergies the change in season can bring feelings of anxiety and fear[1]. The good news is venom immunotherapy (VIT) is a proactive treatment option and if you start now you could be…
DetailsCurious where the wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets used to produce venom extract come from? From the Article: “…Scollard, who removes nests for free, said the job also has other rewards: he knows he’s doing a lot of good. He’s not only helping people deal with the trouble of a wasp nest, he’s also helping…
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