BEE VENOM TOLERANCE IN WHITE MICE IN RELATION TO DIET.

In white mice the consumption of a high protein diet either just before, or over a period of 3 days prior to, the injection of venom from the honey bee Apis mellifera L. markedly increases the number of deaths. Conversely, a period of starvation or a nonprotein diet fed to white mice for 3 days prior to the injection of bee venom significantly reduces the number of deaths.

Venom Collection from Honey Bees.

A device that provides an electric shock makes it possible to collect pure venom from several thousand honey bees (Apis mellifera). The collection apparatus fits underneath the brood chamber of a colony of bees and may be moved from hive to hive. Each colony is "milked" for 5 minutes.