jethro00

We have ridden a tandem every day for many years. I got stung on my thigh by a wasp while riding about a month ago. I'll give the wasp his/her due. It hurt. This morning, my stoker got stung by a wasp on her arm. We have not had this problem before. Is it common? Do any of you carry anything on your bike in the event of a sting?

raqball 

I've never been stung by anything (knock on wood) but I have swallowed plenty of bugs over the years.. I carry a small amount of first aid supplies like bandages but nothing for stings. If you, or anyone for that matter, is allergic to something then probably a good idea to carry something to counteract it..

MNBikeCommuter

I've been stung several times on the bike and it has become a joke with my family. I can have a strong local reaction so carry a tube of Benadryl to get on the sting right way, along with a credit card for scraping out bee stingers, and a bottle of antihistamine pills as I have been stung in the mouth and don't feel like seeing how Benadryl tastes.

fooferdoggie 

thats a sure sign your not going fast enough the bugs should be just bouncing off of you.

Alcanbrad

I have been stung many many times over the years. The most common spot is 3 times on my lower lip all by wasps. Twice on the hand by yellow jackets. And many single stings in various other spots. I am allergic to bee stings and have been taking allergy shots for them for over 40 years. My typical reaction is severe swelling that last several days. I carry an epi-pen, but only use it if I have a serious reaction which has been twice, once in the early 90’s and in 2016. I find the worse time for them is in the fall when the weather starts getting chilly, but it can happen any time.

Here is a photo my riding Buddy took of me with the paramedics during my 2016 episode. If all the sting does is hurt and annoy you, consider yourself luckily!

BEE careful!!

jethro00

<<thats a sure sign your not going fast enough the bugs should be just bouncing off of you.>>
That's just mean blaming the victim

From time to time, we hit a big patch of gnats on the river levee and I imbibe a bit of protein. Ducks appear to have poor eye sight. On occasion, a duck flying at a high rate of speed will come real close to running into me as it crosses to or from a lagoon. We sometimes have to brake for a squirrel who freezes trying to decide which way to run. A number of times I have braced for a squirrel "speed bump" which has come close but thankfully never actually happened. We keep an eye on the occasional alligator sighting at the river's edge, but none have ever come within striking distance. We have come closer than I like to remember to a coyote a few times. But, these wasp stings are a new experience. I think we will start carrying a tube of Benadryl just in case.

Murray Missile 

My wife has bee allergies so we never leave home without Benadryl at the very least, for long rides we carry a small first aid kit and we have had to use it more than once.

streetsurfer

Juan Foote

I am also allergic to bees. I tend to carry Benadryl with for the general stuff. If I get hit by one, once and can take the meds right away I can avoid Epi pen. I take two with me on vacation anywhere outside. My daughter, unfortunately, got it far worse that I have and has been known to hallucinate after being stung.

Keep zippers up and sleeves (etc.) tight. I had considered getting a net for my helmet when I rode more. I have been stung in the chest/stomach area from zipper down, in the neck both front and back, face, and in the head a few times.

streetsurfer

Never on a bicycle but have had one land in my ear, under a motorcycle helmet, a few times to the face chest and neck as they bounced off the wing window in my semi, and yard work has been the worst. A couple times of twenty or so strikes when picking up branches and breaking them down to fit into trash containers. Anywhere near a nest in a woodpile or compost pile and a “snap” will put them on the defense.

I’m not allergic but do believe I’ve suffered some demyelination from the latter larger events.

Paul J

Many years ago when we all were still wearing wool shorts I had a bee hit the leg hole and get in on my thigh. It stung me two or three times. The funny thing was, I was riding by the TREK facility in Waterloo WI so went in and was able to get some ice to put on it. I do not typically react too strongly but it did swell a far amount.

rumrunn6

maybe ride somewhere else? I wonder if the clothing we wear, makes us any more antagonizing to stinging insects. 1 person accused me of looking like a bee, to explain why a dog bit me. just thinking out loud. feel better

fooferdoggie 

I get face fulls of nats. the closest we came was with a black cat. I did a squirrel speedbump on my single once. small snakes are hard to miss as they are black. almost got a skunk too.

Alcanbrad

Clothing does attract pollenating insects, specifically bright floral colors and the color black. Face it, we tend to dress up like an all you can eat smorgasbord to a stinging insect. Also, they are attracted to strong perfume scents like perfume, after shave, deodorants, and scented laundry soaps.

Wearing muted colors and avoiding slathering and cladding yourself in odorants should reduce your chances of being stung.

Also, Benadryl cream may help ease the sting site reaction, but will not help you if you have a more serious reaction. Having Benadryl pills may help you there. In addition to the epi-pen, I keep a few pills in the saddle bag.

DKMcK 

I have been stung several time and am allergic. I carry an Epipen and benedril. Usually I can avoid the Epipen if I get the benedril in me soon enough. A nap always follows.

TobyGadd

I was stung twice this summer, both times on my head. In past years, I've managed to get a few stings on my chest when the little buggers went down my shirt. My stoker has never been stung.

79pmooney

Yes,lowers the chances of being stung but increases the likelihood of becoming road kill. I'll take my chances being bright. That said, my foot did swell enough I couldn't put on a shoe for several days when I was a kid and stepped on bee. I don't think I've bend stung by them since and yellow jackets aren't end of the world for me. (I like bees and am completely unafraid of them. They visibly do not get excited around me. I've had them fly into my clothes and I've just guided them to freedom without issue. My ex on the other hand? She was terrified and the bees got very excited around her.)

Carbonfiberboy 

In summer, when these things are around, I often ride with my jersey half unzipped. A few times I've gotten a stinging insect caught inside the jersey. That is not good. A female rider with the same issue had to go off somewhere to resolve the problem. I don't react, but Benadryl works for those who aren't outright allergic.

I was on a backpack with my wife when we encountered a hive of ground bees who'd been disturbed by horses who'd just passed us. She got stung 27 times and I 15 (I ran faster). She is allergic but not too badly. Her lower legs swelled up like she had elephantiasis but she was OK. The swelling gradually went down over the next few days. Close one. We always carry Benadryl.

indyfabz

The last time I got stung while riding was probably 2007. Bee hit me in the groin area during a high speed decent. Just missed my man parts.

But...Back in September I was taking a lunch break in a park during a tour across PA. I had an Odwalla smoothie drink open on the ground. Went to take another sip and ended up spitting out a bee. I think it had drowned, but I did get pricked on the tongue by its stinger. Only slight pain and a minor numbness for maybe 15 minutes. I dodged a bullet.

wayold

About 2 years ago I was riding a flowy trail on my MTB and a bee flew into my helmet just as I began a moderate descent. I let go of the bar with one hand, grabbed at the helmet and the inevitable happened. Bike and I were a bit scraped up on the side of the trail afterwards - but I didn't get stung! Moral of the story - Let the bee sting you, it'll hurt less than the alternative.

obrentharris 

All of my friends who have cycled for more than a few years have been stung. My average seems to be one sting for about every 10-20,000 miles. That's quite a few stings over a lifetime of cycling. For me the offending insect usually either gets stuck in my helmet or flies into the open front of my jersey.

My stoker has never been stung on the tandem. Being smaller than me, and tucked in behind me, I think she is to some degree shielded by my body.

Perhaps the wide variety of responses here has something to do with our diverse locations. Here, in Northern California, the bees are at least somewhat active all year but the wasps seem to hibernate in the winter. I imagine that in warmer areas the wasps may be active year-round and in cooler areas their season is shorter.
Brent

tyrion

Took a bee in the mouth once while riding. Got me on the lip as I coughed it out.

Hermes

There is a section of road through Camp Pendleton (marine base) in SoCal where I have been stung twice and my wife once. I was stung on the hand and a bee flew into my mouth and before I could spit it out, stung me on the inside of my lip. That hurt a lot.