Summertime and early fall are very active months for bees, wasps and hornets in Indiana.
As the warm months continue, stinging insect pests really feel the need to get to work and collect pollen and much needed food to maintain the species by feeding their reproductives and larvae as they emerge from their nests.
During these months wasps, hornets and bees can become more aggressive because protection of the nest is of utmost priority. Venom produced by the stinging pest can be used as a protection against disturbance of the colony or nest.
What is often not realized is that the very venom from insects and other venomous animals that can harm man can also help cure some of man’s illnesses and physical problems through immunotherapy.
Did you know that venom from a cobra or some scorpions can be used to relieve chronic pain, break up blood clots and reduce blood pressure when refined and combined with other elements?
Hornet, yellow jacket and honeybee venom can be used in small amounts over a period of time to help desensitize man’s immune system to allergens that may cause anaphylaxis and allergic reactions therefore saving lives.
Australian tunnel web spider venom is beneficial to combat stroke, epilepsy, and liver disease.
The deathstalker scorpion’s venom is used for treating inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Collecting venom is not a cheap process. Just think about the man hours needed to capture these insects and arachnids and then extract the venom as well as the research conducted to bring these medicines to market.
- Yellow jacket venom brings around $600 per pound.
- Hornet venom is upwards of $2,000 per pound.
- King Cobra venom is valued at $153,000 per gallon or over $18,279 per pound.
- The Australian tunnel web spider is valued at $1,182 per gram, over $536,145 per pound.
- The deathstalker scorpion’s venom is valued at $39 million dollars per gallon making it the world’s most expensive venom. (One gallon of water weighs approximately 8.34 pounds
There is profit in poison making venom beneficial to mankind. But before you decide to go into the venom collection business, there are several rules that must be followed or the venom collected is no good for sale to pharmaceutical companies.
There is also a lengthy process to become certified to collect venom and, in many cases, collection is very dangerous.
