When I am stung, I have a moment of pain, which generally subsides to nothing in one or two minutes, unless is is right on my ankle bone or some areas of my neck. There is no swelling unless it is around my eyes or lips, and even there it is only minor. Usualy within a half hour, I cannot locate the site of the sting. Of course they do. But that is only a minor part of beekeeping, and certainly not the important part.
Honey is almost always wonderful, but no honey can compare with fresh honey straight from the bees.
They work in harmony with all their family, they always want to work, and they give us more gifts that we could dream. Instead you enter into a partnership with them to take care of them, to protect them from pesticide misuse, to protect them from sickness and parasites, and to make sure they have enough feed for winter or long summer dry spells. They you can also harvest a surplus, if they make it, and most of the time they will.