Fifty Plus (50+) - Wasps and their nasty attitudes

Wednesday afternoon, I get out the trailer so my Granddaughter and I can go for a spin around the neighborhood. Its a beautiful day, heavily overcast, with a moderate breeze. The Granddaughter is yelling from the Trailer "faster Bopbop, faster" and squealing with laughter when I get another wasp up my shirt sleeve:eek:. Now my normal reaction would be to slam on the brakes, rip the helmet, glasses and T-shirt off in front of God and all creation to get the offending wasp out. However, I can't do this with the Granddaughter watching, she is terrified of bees. So I ride about a block down the road, calmly park the bike and squash the sucker in my shirt. Damage done, I ride home to get some benedryl. The wife looks at my back, that little @(*&^% got me eight times:mad:. SO I immeadiately ordered 2 jerseys (never worm one before), and now (until the jerseys arrive) wear rubber bands on my sleeves so I don't have to worry about the wasps.

You remained calm with EIGHT wasp stings? You're a better man than me!

When the jersey's arrive, just rmember that you're at risk of having them fly down the unzippered front. When I rode motorcycles getting stung was sure to happen a dozen times a summer. On the bike, may once or twice a summer. Bees do carry a punch for thier size. Good thing they aren't the size of humming birds.

You remained calm with EIGHT wasp stings? You're a better man than me!

Had one crawl up my trouser leg when driving once. Stopped the car and attempted to take the trousers off in the car but quickly realised it was not one- There were about 10 in the car. Got out quick and stripped off by the passenger door.

On the subject of Wasps. There are not many about in the UK this year- In fact I cannot remember seeing one at all. Now in France- They had wasp types things but it must be the Wine or the Escargot- They are about 3" long. If one of those appeared at the Campsite, I was fascinated by it and tried to get a picture of it- but they were always too quick. So was my wife- running in the other direction.

Ditto on the unzippered front. I have a habit of unzipping going up climbs and not zipping it back up going down the following descent. I've had several times where a bee has gotten caught in the jersey and it HURTS!!

Very calm of you. Grandparenthood comes with the prickly thorn of sacrifice.

I had a bee fly in my mouth once. :eek: BOY, is that buzzing loud inside your head! I spit him out. No damage to either of us.

Well I did have a bee sting the inside of my mouth! Thank goodness I am not allergic. That sucker hurt the whole ride and my mouth was swollen for days. Didn't stop my ride though (I was 1/3 of the way out)... that may have been foolish! :o

Wasp and I have a life time running fued. When I was a kid I would get their nest and use the lavae for fish bait. They never liked giving up the nest and I got stung many times. They now like to build their nest in places where I am not expecting to find them. Like under a chair. Take a seat and get up very quickly. I also used them for target practice. There was a knot hole in one board on the side of our house and the wasp would come out and guard the opening. A nicely placed BB resulted in a pair of wings fluttering to the ground. Can you tell that I don't like wasp? If you want to see me hurt myself all you have to do is scream wasp.

I can just picture it... you sitting somewhere nice and quiet, dozing off and the kids yell "WASP!" up out and screaming.

So sorry to hear about your experiences. But it did make me laugh so thanks! :D

That was very heroic of you to bite the bullet. I am impressed and tip my helmet to you sir. The sacrifices we make for our children and children's children are some of the best memories we have.

This past summer I had a paper wasp sitting in my helmet when I put the helmet on. Needless to say, it was not happy about being squashed between my helmet and my head and let me know about it.

This past summer I had a paper wasp sitting in my helmet when I put the helmet on. Needless to say, it was not happy about being squashed between my helmet and my head and let me know about it.

OUCH! I can't think of a place that would hurt worse....on second thought I can.

About a month ago when riding on the MUP I encountered three boys about 12 years old. As I was about to overtake them one of them slammed on his brakes, did a neat dance across the trail shaking his shorts. He finally ripped them off and just stood there in his underwear. I stopped and inquired if he was allergic and he said no, he was ok. Sure was a funny sight though.

I know what you mean. Here's the one that got me the other day.
http://curtis.corlew.com/hosting/hornet.jpg

About a year or so ago I saw a show about the things that hurt the most and one of the things was a japanese hornet. They showed a group of people running for cover when they had seen one just flying through. That hornet looked like a humming bird. I am guessing that one sting from it and the day is ruined.

I know what you mean. Here's the one that got me the other day.
http://curtis.corlew.com/hosting/hornet.jpg

Too bad you couldn't slap a harness on that beast and have it pull you along.

That would get everyone buzzing! :rolleyes:

when I get another wasp up my shirt sleeve:eek:.

SW, when we rode together you got stung, but no one else in the group did. What is it with you and wasps? Perhaps you need some sort of body spray?:D

SW, when we rode together you got stung, but no one else in the group did. What is it with you and wasps? Perhaps you need some sort of body spray?:D

I wonder if they make a "skunk" spray? Since I must already smell like a flower, or is it rotting meat that they go after?:D

Nasty little buggers. They've been swarming around the front entrance of my house for most of the summer. It wasn't unusual to kill five or six a day.
Finally found out that they had a nest near a shrub on the walkway under the concrete. Went out and bough three bags of decorative stones and dammed it up. Solved two problems at once...the shrub looks prettier and the wasps are gone.