<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><font face="arial" size="2">I would as a rule, proceed with caution on this subject. Allergies can vary between people and the species of insect. Just because one person reacts to a one species and not another, does not mean that another will react in a similar manner. For example, I know some people react very badly to almost any hymenoptera sting, while other can have very specific reactions. (i.e. I suddenly developed an allergy to honey bees about two years ago, but have since been stung by halictids, squash bees, paper wasps, and velvet ants with no adverse effects...yet!)</font><div><font face="arial" size="2">I would think that in this case, you might market your plan as using "non-aggressive" bees, but mention that it would be prudent to exercise caution around any wild animal (even if they are small as insects
;)</font></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; "><br></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; ">Good luck with the project!</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; "><br></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; ">-Logan<br><br><div><font color="#007f40" size="1">Logan Minter, Graduate Research/ Teaching Assistant</font></div><div><font color="#007f40" size="1">University of Kentucky, Department of Entomology</font></div><div><font color="#007f40" size="1">Pollination Ecology/ Extension Entomology</font></div><div><font color="#007f40" size="1">S-225 Ag Science Ctr. North, Lexington, KY 40546-0091</font></div><div><font color="#007f40" size="1">Office: S-207B Cell#: (740) 970-2053</font></div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="mailto:log_mint@yahoo.com"><font color="#0000ff" size="1">log_mint@yahoo.com</font></a></div><div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank"
href="mailto:log_mint@yahoo.com"></a></div><div><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/faculty/brown/index_files/Page1475.htm">Homepage</a></div></div><br><br>--- On <b>Sat, 3/3/12, Kyle Robbins <i><kyle.robbins2@pcc.edu></i></b> wrote:<br><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"><br>From: Kyle Robbins <kyle.robbins2@pcc.edu><br>Subject: [Pollinator] mason bees and allergies<br>To: pollinator@lists.sonic.net<br>Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 5:13 PM<br><br><div id="yiv1145488490">As part of my Pollinator Initiative at Portland Community College, I am proposing mason bees be kept in the learning garden. I tout mason bee shelters as safe, even child-friendly, but the question continuously rises about those with allergies. In the unlikely event of a mason bee stinging someone with an allergy, could a severe reaction be expected?<br>
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