Every summer, Jairus Kyle, 68, of Letohatchee, Alabama, goes hunting. His prey is stinging insects—yellow jackets, wasps, hornets and bees. Kyle captures the critters and ships them off to Vespa laboratories. The Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, company processes from 400-1,000 pounds worth of stinging insects annually, extracting the venom to make venom proteins, which are used to desensitize highly allergic individuals. One job requirement: You can’t be sensitive to stings. Kyle estimates he gets stung about 30 times a year. He is used to it. By the way, 100 pounds of bumble bees and other insects yields only two tablespoons of venom.
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