Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
An apitherapist manually harvests a honey bee stinger

An apitherapist manually harvests a honey bee stinger to treat a patient. Apitherapy the use of substances produced by honeybees (such as venom, propolis, or honey) to treat various medical conditions in humans. Specifically in Bee Venom Therapy (BVT), a patient is injected with apitoxin (bee venom) using live bee stings or lab-extracted solutions that are delivered by syringe. All methods of venom extraction are lethal to the bee, which is literally eviscerated in the process.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 12.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Bellaire, Texas, United States of America
Camera: NIKON Z 7
Copyright: © Jake Eshelman