To bee, or not to bee. What is the strangest location you have been stung by a bee/wasp while riding?

rottin'

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
So I was out this morning doing a 50+ mile ride around Monmouth County, and somewhere around 2 hours in I was on this back road riding with my mouth open. Out of the corner of my eye, almost in slow motion, i notice a back blob coming ever so closer right at my head level as I was cruising around 21mph. Before I could even react, I felt said blob (still did not know what kind of bug it was) in my mouth. I immediately reached in to find said blob, searching with my gloved fingers to remove the offender. At the same time, this said offender was fighting like hell to find a way out of the wet, moist cave it just flew into.

I thought we came to an agreement as I found it and tried to usher it out. Apparently I was mistaken and our lines of communication were crossed. As I was pulling this guest from my mouth, it had the nerve to sting me on the inside of my lower lip. That little bastard 😉 At least I knew what it was now.

We parted ways, agreeing to disagree on our brief but torrid relationship, both licking our wounds, literally, to live and fight another day.

Got me thinking...what bee experiences have you encountered while riding?
 
I’ve gotten stung on the arms and legs multiple times.

I’m allergic and carry an epipen. Most times I’ve been able to get by with Benadryl and a prescription steroid. I was always taught to use the Epipen if I have trouble breathing. So far I’ve never had to use it…but..

A few years back (August 2020) I was hiking by myself do TM at Water Co. had a rain coat on as it was wet. Stopped to handsaw a sapling and put my raincoat on ground.

As I finished I put the hood on my head like a cape. There was a wasp in it…stung me on my upper lip.

I was 20 minutes from the car. I monitored my breathing and felt my face swell as I hiked bac. Got to the car still no breathing issue. I called the doctor and they told me to go to the ER immediately because you of the sting location.

Needless to say they were ready to intubate me. I was given epinephrine, a steroid and fluids. I was lectured by the doctors that I should have used the Epipen. I had to stay for 4 hours to be monitored.

My face was swollen for days. This was during the time of masks so I could hide it for the most part.
 
Left eye brow on trail. One year ago...
Like Robin said I'm terrified of getting stung now.
Every sting has gotten more severe. No I don't Carry a EpiPen
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Nothing as exciting as the rest Of the folks here, couple of times in the head. Next roadie helmet may have to be a “wavecell” or similar design, to protect the dome.
 
Not stung but bitten by a mosquito on my eyelid camping when I was a kid. Eye swelled shut (similar to Glenn) and I looked like I was in a fight.

edit: I just remembered I did get stung on my head thru a helmet at wild cat. That was fun. 🙄
 
After an hour of climbing in Utah, I was about to start an epic descent and bam, right in the lip-

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Another memorable one was driving my moms old convertible and I had my had resting on the side view mirror and I got stung right between the fingers.
 
Not riding but was wearing baggy shorts doing the lawn and must have ran over a ground nest of YJs. Stopped to close my fence and about a dozen got in my shorts, stripped off in the front yard and ran mostly naked back in the garage with them still stinging. Ended up with about 25 stings including a few on my face. I won't post a pic of my ass, but it was certainly not pretty. Not allergic but took some Benadryl to help with swelling.
 
Not riding but was wearing baggy shorts doing the lawn and must have ran over a ground nest of YJs. Stopped to close my fence and about a dozen got in my shorts, stripped off in the front yard and ran mostly naked back in the garage with them still stinging. Ended up with about 25 stings including a few on my face. I won't post a pic of my ass, but it was certainly not pretty. Not allergic but took some Benadryl to help with swelling.
Sorry... I just had to laugh... The image of you stripping down on your lawn and running around half naked must have been quite the sight for your neighbors.
 
I developed an allergy to stings a few years ago so this is horrifying reading. l always carry an EpiPen now but I really don't want to have to use it. Weirdest location would probably be the bottom of my foot as a kid.

View attachment 243526
Wow, that’s what my skin looks like from the current chemo drugs I’m getting, that must have itches like crazy.
Ironically I felt something on my neck yesterday and swatted it off only to get stung on the palm of my hand.
 
So I was out this morning doing a 50+ mile ride around Monmouth County, and somewhere around 2 hours in I was on this back road riding with my mouth open. Out of the corner of my eye, almost in slow motion, i notice a back blob coming ever so closer right at my head level as I was cruising around 21mph. Before I could even react, I felt said blob (still did not know what kind of bug it was) in my mouth. I immediately reached in to find said blob, searching with my gloved fingers to remove the offender. At the same time, this said offender was fighting like hell to find a way out of the wet, moist cave it just flew into.

I thought we came to an agreement as I found it and tried to usher it out. Apparently I was mistaken and our lines of communication were crossed. As I was pulling this guest from my mouth, it had the nerve to sting me on the inside of my lower lip. That little bastard 😉 At least I knew what it was now.

We parted ways, agreeing to disagree on our brief but torrid relationship, both licking our wounds, literally, to live and fight another day.

Got me thinking...what bee experiences have you encountered while riding?
If it was an actual bee she did not live to tell the story, when they sting their bowels come out of their body…my grandpa was a beekeeper and I loved to help him out, as a result I have been stung several times but other the the initial sharp pain I have experienced no major consequences…in the mouth though…gross!
 
In 2019? @Mountain Bike Mike and i did some trimming together at waco and baldpate. First session at waco, halloween hill, he stepped on a ground nest and had multiple stings. We joked it was something related to me. He is mildly allergic and pretty nervous.

Another time, it was either trimming or riding and he got stung again. Ok, kinda strange.

I vaguely remember it happening a third time, at which we didnt do tm together again until last year. Lol
 
Twenty years ago I was weed whacking a fence line on a farm I worked on - it was hellaciously hot out and my dumb behind decided to wear my logging boots with shorts. Eventually I stepped on a ground nest, they were everywhere - up my shorts and down my boots - I was trying to unlace my logging boots to get them to stop stinging my foot (they went in my boots) they stung my hands the whole time. It was awful. I never wore shorts again when working outside
 
My 3 bee sting stories (1 on bike, 2 on motorcycle):
1) A couple years back riding from Ramapo to Ringwood. Stop on trail and reach out to lean on a tree with feet clipped into pedals. Turns out tree was rotten and snaps under my weight. I fall over and hundreds of bees come swarming out of stump. I got stung at least 20 times as I ran away into the woods. Had to wait awhile to recover the bike which was lying back by the nest. Not allergic but very painful.
2) Many years ago I was riding a motorcycle in shorts. Feel something on my thigh (up my shorts). Reach down with 1 hand and as I’m trying to get whatever it is out, it stings me in the thigh. Pulled over as fast as possible and got it the f out. But I got me good cuz it took a bit before I could get over and off the bike. Never rode with shorts again after that.
3) A few years before that. Open face helmet on motorcycle on 2 lane highway so moving pretty fast. Feel the hard “flick” in the face. That had certainly happened before. But the next thing I hear the buzzing and feel the squirming in the helmet by my ear. Sucker got me in the side of the face right in front of my ear. Decided against the open face after that.

These 2 on the motorcycle were scary. It’s hard to stay calm when you know you’re getting stung and yet you need to focus on safely stopping at speed.
 
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