Damn those little stingers!

[Foxhuntr]

It happens every year, and happened Saturday during a group ride. Everything is fun and then a bug hits my neck and stings me - since it is a nice day I have my screen down and my jacket collar loosened, so it proceeds down my shirt and stings me a few more times on the stomach, while I'm slapping away at it trying to continue to make those twisty turns and not slow down too much because of the guy on my tail. Before I could get stopped it climbed back up, stung my neck goodbye and flew away!

I think it is those little wasps - hate those little SOBs!!

 

[Topspeed]

Obviously, not a fun thing to have happen.

But your description got me laughing at the picture that started running through my head. As they say, this thread is useless w/o pictures

 

[SR-71]

I wasn't aware those varmits could sting more than once (as if that's not enough).

Years ago, while biking down a back road on a enduro I had a bumble bee fly into my helmet, wedging itself between the side of my head and my helmet. I started fighting (while still underway) to get my helmet off before the thing could sting me, but I wasn't fast enough. It stung me right on the side of my head, right on temple. The next thing I know I find myself standing in a line-up, with my right hand raised, signing up to join the US Army. Damn bumble bees! <_<

 

[JoBu]

Ummmm...zip up your jacket???

I had this happen to me once. The worst part was that I couldn't quite figure out what it was in the beginning and thought I had an irritating itch. For my lack of quick action/indecision, I was "awarded" with 4 stings.

One of the funniest stories I ever read related to a bee/wasp and a motorcycle. I'll see if I can dig it up.

Cheers,

Joe

 

[JoBu]

Ok...I found it. (Reprented w/o permission, but I don't think the OP will mind). Bear in mind, this comes from a thread of noob stories, so no need to point out the mistakes that were made.

Indeed there are. "Noobish" is a term best left to those in their sophomore riding experience. I have been riding since ... well ... nevermind ... and I have a pail of stories.

Heading out on my 74 Z1 Kawasaki to northern Vanvouver Island. It was hot. Unseasonable actually, and I was wearing the usual old Bell open face and sun glasses. Took off my leather jacket an was riding shirtless. Suddenly, I got stung on the neck by wasp or what? I rode on but pulled over and put on my leather jacket again. Now immune, I continued on towards Hardy at high speed. Within 25 minutes I hit a bunch of insects. Smatter on my sunglasses and then .... OMG ... up my nose ... a wasp .. a bee ... stinging .... holy crap ... .... I was doing close to 100 when the dread insect hit ... it lodged way up high in my nose almost sinus high. Sting ... sting ... sting. With my left hand I punched my own nose ... repeatedly ... hard. Trying my knuckle to kill the beast all at the same time trying to pull over to the side of the road. I finally stopped and snorted the beast out .... the next few hours were filled with a clinic ... some antihistamines and the last time I rode a bike with an open face helmet.

 

[keithaba]

That sucks!

When I was first getting my S.O. on the bike. She finally goes with me on a long trip. Everything went great, we had a picnic at the park, great time, beautiful day.

On the way home, she starts flailing around and screaming like a banshee. WTF, I think to myself, we aren't going fast or anything.

Do you need me to pull over? I ask.

Yes Yes Yes!!!! she plights.

We pull over, and she starts taking her clothes off. I think to myself, sweet, right here, kinky!

Then a wasp falls out of her shirt. She got stung 5 times on the ****ies.........

 

[BRDRPEY]

well great i didnt think of stalking my bike with a pen...one of the bee sting pens. i have become alergic to them

bchs. now you woke me up thanks in advance.

 

[rushes]

I'll share a "bee story" from long ago. I was riding through a neighborhood just cruising along when I heard this loud buzzing. So I try to stop, get my helmet off, and not fall over as fast as I can. I succeeded in the first 2. So I'm sitting on the ground looking in my helmet when I hear this buzzzzzzz again.....

The guy a couple of houses back was running an electric weedeater. :blush:

 

[user 213]

Getting stung sucks! Used to get stung regularly when riding in SoCal around the orange groves that surrounded El Toro air base.

Worst situation I had was on my way to work around '89 or so. Nice sunny day, working 6 pm to 6 am, so about 5 pm on the way to work and I come up on a flat bed farm truck with a bunch of those white boxes on the back. You know the ones, bee boxes. Everything is just fine for a while, but back road two lane and no chance to pass. Then we come to some RR tracks and the driver doesn't slow down. Stupid me, I don't think about that and back off.

Truck hits the tracks, boxes bounce all over and dislodge! The truck stops suddenly, more boxes fly around and off the truck, I stop since there is no way to go around and the tracks are right behind me. Bees start swarming, I decide to turn around, only to realize a train has just entered the area and I can't escape back over the tracks!

FYI - Black leather jackets with a fresh coat of beeswax based waterproofing are not recommended in this situation. The bees swarmed onto me and started clinging. Took two hours for the driver to get someone there with the smokers and suits to re-collect the bees. Bees are heavy when you have them all over you.

I only got stung a couple of times, and was glad for the full covering of leather except for my head. Very freaky at the time though. And you should have seen the look on my bosses face when I told him why I was late! Didn't believe me either.

 

[WinnipegTechGuy]

Ok...I found it. (Reprented w/o permission, but I don't think the OP will mind). Bear in mind, this comes from a thread of noob stories, so no need to point out the mistakes that were made.
Indeed there are. "Noobish" is a term best left to those in their sophomore riding experience. I have been riding since ... well ... nevermind ... and I have a pail of stories.

Heading out on my 74 Z1 Kawasaki to northern Vanvouver Island. It was hot. Unseasonable actually, and I was wearing the usual old Bell open face and sun glasses. Took off my leather jacket an was riding shirtless. Suddenly, I got stung on the neck by wasp or what? I rode on but pulled over and put on my leather jacket again. Now immune, I continued on towards Hardy at high speed. Within 25 minutes I hit a bunch of insects. Smatter on my sunglasses and then .... OMG ... up my nose ... a wasp .. a bee ... stinging .... holy crap ... .... I was doing close to 100 when the dread insect hit ... it lodged way up high in my nose almost sinus high. Sting ... sting ... sting. With my left hand I punched my own nose ... repeatedly ... hard. Trying my knuckle to kill the beast all at the same time trying to pull over to the side of the road. I finally stopped and snorted the beast out .... the next few hours were filled with a clinic ... some antihistamines and the last time I rode a bike with an open face helmet.

Crap that is funny...

Everybody at work is wondering what I am laughing at..

 

[wheatonFJR]

Just remember to RIDE THE BIKE first...stop...get the bee out. Don't let that distraction kill you by crossing the center line, blowing a curve, whatever...

We've already had a Forum member die from a bat that flew into his jacket...distraction can kill.

 

[Karmak]

Sure ain't no fun. I agree with an above post-take the pain until you're safely stopped. Has happened to me numerous times throughout the years and not much can beat that hot burning sensation!

 

[Tenchi]

I wear a "neck warmer" or neck sock to prevent this from happening. You only have to get hit by a bee to the throat at 95 mph once before you think about throat protection.

As horrible as it sounds... watching a rider punch himself in the face to try and crush a wasp stinging the inside of his nose must have been funny as.

 

[Bugnatr]

BTDT People wonder why I wear tight collar or turtle neck shirts in the summer, now you know. Used to ride dual sport with an open face helmet, hit a carpenter bee at 60 mph. It felt like a marble with wings-yow!

FYI: Wasps have a smooth stinger and can sting multiple times, even when dying you can see the stinger trying to sting.

Honey bees have a barbed stinger and can only sting once.

More people die in the US from honey bee stings(anaphylactic shock) than all other insects sting-bites combined.

 

[Rev Ed]

I was wearing an open face helmet and had a bee lodge between the helmet liner and my ear. As soon as I arrived at home I went over to the neighbor's house (a retired auto mechanic) and asked for a chaw of his chewing tobacco. We walked over to his garage and he pulled out a wad but hesitated and asked what I wanted it for. I pointed to my ear (which was about double in size by this time) and explained that I needed a poultice. His reply: "Oh-- this is a nasty habit and I didn't want you to get started!"