markm109

I was about halfway through my normal evening ride of 24 miles yesterday when something struck me on the left side of my face and then I got sharp pains in my left upper chest, just in from the armpit. It was painful and spread into the chest and upper arm area.

I pulled over, took a look at my jersey and tried to look under my jersey but didn't see anything. Finishing my ride, the pain went away after about 10 minutes and I forgot about it. After I got home and came out of the shower, my wife noticed a red spot on my left upper chest. So I told her what happened.

I think I hit a bee or wasp on my face which made it react by putting it's stinger out so when it hit my chest it stung me. Does this sound plausible? Do bees / wasps react that way? Anyone else experience anything like this?

Mark

bbarend

I have take bees into the vents on my helmet on two occasions. The first time was the worst. I stopped and threw off my helmet. The pain subsides pretty quickly.

bikenutr2000

Holy S**t!
I was going to write about getting stung during my ride last night. Except the bastard got stuck in my helmet. It hurt like a SOB. I pulled over and took my helmet off and the bee fell to the ground. I felt my head and pulled the stinger out. When I got home I noticed a 1-1/2" "scratch" on my head. I guess he couldn't get the stinger in my skull and decided to drag his stinger across my head. There was blood dripping and everything. My head still hurts.
I believe bees/wasps react that way. I didn't notice any pain until I poured water on my head, then he must have gotten pissed or scared and started stinging. I just need to remember to try and keep my mouth closed..ouch.

pletcgm

Last week, a bee landed on my left arm and I felt it hit. That god I smacked it off before it stung me!

LordOpie

haha, I got stung too this weekend! A damn bee flew into my jersey around mile 70 of my century and stung me, I started slapping my chest and I think I made him sting me two more times. I'm gonna guess it was a yellow jacket.


That's one of the reasons why I wear a rag under my helmet. Another is my sweat would dissolve the padding

PriO

i didnt get sting but a fly flew into my mouth a couple of weeks ago

bikenutr2000

"That's one of the reasons why I wear a rag under my helmet. Another is my sweat would dissolve the padding "

I though of this but wouldn't it be too hot?

dobber

No, it actually has a cooling effect, at least that has been my experience

landrover

note so self: helmet cover,all longsleeve jerseys,put alcohol in small container...swabs..

Jeepbikerun

I've also been stung. The bee hit me at about hip level and when my leg came up he was squashed so he stung me. Usually I have no reactions to a bee sting, but this one caused my leg to swell and I couldn't shake the pain so I ended up heading home.

Chris L

I got stung by a bee on a ride a few months ago. I didn't really know what to do, so I just kept on riding. The pain went away after a few minutes, and I completely forgot about it. I also copped a wasp in the side of the face on a 50km/h descent relatively recently. Luckily, it didn't live long enough to sting.

fatpossum22

I had a bee fly in my mouth a couple years ago. Spit the thing out before he had a chance to sting me. Not so lucky last year, when i got stung on the lip... that swelled up pretty fierce.

sorebutt

BTW, that is one of the reasons I use Lycra shorts.. I had this experience long a go where a bee got into my lose shorts right pant... You have never seen any one fly off the bike and pulls off his shorts as fast as I did.... She got my on my inner thigh, about 2 inches from the "boys"..
just the thought.. yeeeeeayick...

Pat

I get stung about twice a year. I rarely see the insect that does it but most of them seem to be paper wasps (Polistes spp.) and maybe a honey bee every now and then. Hymenoptera sting only in nest defense or personal defense. They are just flying along and WHAM they are clobbered and if they get caught in the clothing or held onto your body by the wind, they will sting.

Reactions to stings vary. They usually cause some local pain and soreness and it causes "discomfort" which is medical speak for hurts like blazes. For a surprising number of people, stings can cause anaphyletic shock and even death. There are little epinephrine kits that are compact and easily carried and anyone with a sting allergy should always have one handy. It is odd that we hear so much about bear attacks, shark attacks, mountain lion attacks etc but bees and wasps do in more people every year then all of those put together.

Flaneur

Used to have regular encounters with bees and wasps about 15 years back, when I was using a yellow helmet. For some presumably entomological reason, they were attracted to the color, more so than other helmets I have used.