Attacked By Bees

[HappyFeet]

I have experienced this once when we were hiking in the jungle. While we are resting, a very silly friend of mine threw stones at a beehive that is hanging up a branch. At first it was fun to look at because he is not hitting the hive but I was still nervous. When he hit the hive, it was the scariest thing I saw. The bees scattered everywhere and we have to run like horses. I was lucky to only have one sting on my right forearm.

[oldsarge]

While stationed in Panama, I have come across Africanized Honey Bees more than enough times for my liking. Just passing by these suckers will tick then off, let alone making noise or disturbing the hive somehow. There were three or four teachers from the local High school out on Gatun lake fishing when they were attacked. Two drowned and two were stung. They think that the noise from the boat motor disturbed the bees. Everyone feared the bees. We could be walking with a platoon in the jungle, someone would yell snake and all 30 or so guys would come running to see it, yell bees and it would take you all day to locate everyone after they scattered.

[MoreTime]

I was volunteering at a local school, supervising a hike. One of the kids stepped on a nest, and a number from the group were attacked and stung. One poor girl-six years old got stung sixteen times, and another twenty four. Both were taken to hospital, and given anti-histamines on the way. We adults were better covered, herded the kids out of the way and protected them as best we could-we all got stung.

It was horrible.

[Refrigerator]

While hiking in the Smokey Mountains a couple years back stepping over a dead fall (tree) across the trail I stepped into a nest of bald head Hornets that had a nest in the ground...when I realized what was going on they were swarming around me and didn't take me long to haul my rear with a full backpack running as fast as possible. When I did stop feeling confident no bees were following me I looked back and could not believe how far I had run up hill from that dead fall. I wasn't even out of breath. No stings and was a lucky backpacker that day.

[oldsarge]

Bees, Wasps, Hornets...as Rodney King would say..."Why can we all get along?"