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I caught my first bee today, thankfully in my jacket, not my mouth or helmet.
I had the top zipped down a bit and I felt something hit my chest. Then I start to feel a burn, and a stinging radiating pain.

Other road users probably thought I was having a heart attack as I was frantically grabbing my chest.

I guess that's part of riding a naked bike.

I caught one last week right between the eyes. Hit my Aveators and came apart. Still the stinger got me. Lil bastards. I have a windshield. Comes with the territory.
Steve

I like honey but hate bees. hopefully the scientists will come up with some synthetic honey and we can up the agricultural pesticide usage a lot and exterminate the useless little free loaders for good

Another thing, that stupid yellow and black colour - whats all that about





p.s.

Last year I was riding the lost trail pass and had a bee fly up the left sleeve of my riding jacket. So I'm in the twisties, at speed, with little or no shoulder, with traffic. All I could do was ride it out as the be stung away. I never did find the bee but I found the stinger still pumping away when I had the chance to stop. I put some benadryl cream on it and hoped for the best. The next day my forearm was as big around as my leg. I never had that kind of reaction to a bee sting in my life.

Ed’s true bee story.

Back when I had the BSA I found a nice country road with very little traffic and only a few houses. Great road, so I took a nice “spirited” ride on it. Unfortunately, I was wearing a shirt that buttoned down the front, and large bumble bee was sucked into it between the buttons. He was blown through the front of the shirt and was trapped in the left side sleeve, even though it was a short sleeve shirt. I hadn’t seen him, so I didn’t realize it was a bee. I felt something in that sleeve and I reached around with my right hand, while still riding along, and tried to shake the object out of the sleeve. That bee stung the Hell out of my arm before he ejected.

The next day – same road; same shirt. I was riding along nicely and suddenly I felt that same lump in my sleeve again! CRAP! This time I expected it to be another bumble bee. I was right and that SOB stung the heck out of the same arm before I could do anything about it!

Third day – same road; same shirt. Yes – again a damned familiar lump in my left shirt sleeve! This time I was determined not to get stung! I kept up my speed so the sleeve would remain ballooned out as this kept the bee mostly off my arm. I sped up a bunch so I could let go of the throttle and unbutton a button or two. I did this multiple times until the shirt was completely unbuttoned. Now came the hard part. I saw a fairly wide driveway and decided to turn onto it so I wouldn’t possibly be hit by a car during my next maneuver. I swung into that driveway while leaning as far as possible to the left so the sleeve wouldn’t flap against my arm and alarm the already pissed off bee. I slammed on the brakes as hard as possible and as the bike stopped I got off on the left side while miraculously not dropping it (fortunately it was a very light bike). As I stopped I tore the shirt off, threw it to the ground, and stomped the living Hell out of it to make sure I killed this 3rd bee. As I stomped I shouted “that will teach you!”

About this time I saw a lady, presumably the owner of the house, look up in terror from her flower bed. She was only about 50 feet away. Apparently she had been doing a bit of weeding. Her eyes were VERY wide open! She had that “deer in the headlights” look about her. She didn’t say a word and didn’t move a muscle. I suspect she was hoping if she held very still I wouldn’t see her. Obviously she had no way of knowing why this mad man pulled into her driveway and was stomping his shirt to pieces and yelling at it. I didn’t say anything to her as I was afraid she might have a heart attack. I just left the shirt in the driveway and left. I can only imagine what she told her husband when he arrived home, and he probably thought she was making it up, but she did have my shirt as evidence. Ed

We have the Africanized bees here now. They still keep Fing with nature. Normal bees won't bother you but these guys will go out of their way to get you. I had a hive in my office roof. I took my trusty Durspan and squrted them as they were flying and into the hive. DEAD. I had another one in there, went to HD to get some more, they took it off the market. There was a bottle and on the lable it said, "Looking for Durspan? Try this." I did and they were swimming in it, no effect. I went back desperate, (two dogs were killed by a swarm in my area) and couldn't find anything that would kill bees. The guy there was talking some Lib SHT about how it's illegal to kill bees as I picked up a can of Hornet and Wasp killer. "Do not use around bees." I looked at him and told him I'm going to do a mass murder and smiled at him. It worked. It shoots from 20' away, they would land, fly up and fall to the ground. DEAD. I've killed at least 5 hives in the last 15 years.
To see a dog or child covered with them and all that goes with it, arrest me or shut the F up.
Steve

Bees are a really essential part of our eco system, the declining numbers recently is really alarming indicator of how we are f@cking up our own evironment. African Bees are nasty little thugs though I know.

I was quite interested in getting a hive, but even pro beekeepers are struggling, there is something badly wrong going on now and no-one knows what it is.

You're right about that. It's some kind of fungus. My 50 year old Mesquite tree has bees every year. The whole thing buzzes. A Deputy I know came by and asked what that sound was. I told him it was bees. BEES, he couldn't wait to leave. They have never bothered me or my kids. It's the African ones we have to worry about. They look alike so I kill any hive on my property.
Our world wide travel has spread all kinds of bugs and other nasty things. It's our arrogance that is getting us in trouble. Mother nature has a way to take care of this.
Steve

No-one knows, one theory being 3G / 4G spectrum telecommunications.

It is said when Bees die, so will humanity...unless we have any volunteers here to pollinate out food crops 12 hours a day for 0.5 grams of nectar? probably get a jar of honey quicker than i finsih my ELR

I use A spray can of brake cleaner on the wasps and yellow jackets, work quite well. I leave the honey bees here alone as they are not aggressive.

Try WD-40, I use that on wasps, flies, mosquitos........instant death, watch them fly into the cloud --- hit the proverbial brick wall --- and fall like a rock. We have wolf spiders here in Washington, very smart guys and not easy to swat......but no match for spray mount!!!

Starting fluid knocks all insects right out of the sky. The ether is absorbed instantly and stops their circulation, wasps and hornets literally drop out of the air , dead!