Bee (?) Stings...

Faust29

Faust29

Moderator
I've been stung many times over the years... And never had any reaction. Yesterday at the end of the ride with @SnakeCharmer and @Sasquatch9billion I got stung on the wrist near my watchband. I never saw the offending creature. It was a little sore, but I thought nothing of it...

A couple hours later I noticed my watch was getting snug... Then my whole hand. And now I'm typing with my awkward hand. :Roflmao Benadryl, Advil and ice so far...

Anyone else develop increased sensitivity as you got older? I hadn't had poison oak in 40 years, but can't go within 10 feet of it now... I guess that applies to insect stings now as well.
 
mike said:
No stinger? Sure it was a bee? If no stinger I’m calling western yellowjacket. I know they like wrists.

Increased sensitivity due to aging? Nah, never happens. :oops::gotnothing:
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The wife pulled it out when I got home. It was deep enough that I wasn't sure it was even in there... The wife also guessed yellowjacket.

Hand is swollen to the point I can't make a fist... So much for my ride plans today...
 
I had a LONG gap between getting stung from when I was young to old(er).

I honestly do not know what I was stung by as a kid. Usually it was on my feet running around in the yard. I thought they were wasps (seems like it happened on average once a year, on average), but I really don't know. I do know that it hurt like hell and I swelled up. But also know that pain as a kid is worse than as an adult.

Skip forward to around age 35 and I started to get stung again. First time was on my hand. My hand swelled up so much I was scared something was wrong. And it was painful, mostly the swelling. Benadryl that evening not only didn't help, I thought I was going to pass out from it and almost had the (ex) wife take me to the ER.

Now I am stung at least once a year on the bike, and it is never fun. I was stung on Monday this week on my calf. My lower leg swelled so much it looked like I had a cankle and it was painful getting up after to do anything for the first few minutes until the blood started pumping out. Oddly I was able to run the following night, even though it was painful just to stand up.
 
Faust29 said:
The wife pulled it out when I got home. It was deep enough that I wasn't sure it was even in there... The wife also guessed yellowjacket.

Hand is swollen to the point I can't make a fist... So much for my ride plans today...
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Shyt! No like!!! Hoping for a quick resolution.

I’m sticking with YJ. A bee stinger would be stuck to the outside of you with the attached venom sack obvious. I’ve never had a wasp stinger embed, but then I never dig into the site, just suffer ten days of itch. Maybe it’s the stinger?!!!!! Fukkers got me right through the Levis once.
 
I got stung by 3-4 bullet ants in Costa Rica. One under my helmet. I had to stop and peel it off my scalp. Little $%#$%^&!! I wondered if the pain would get worse but faded away after about 10 min. After that they kept biting me on my legs. I just swept them off as I peddled on. The bullet ant sting is like a deep bee sting but not much worse than that. More of a nuisance than anything else. Faust you just got unlucky. Soak that hand in Ice! We need you out in the field tomorrow.
 
Stkx66 said:
I got stung by 3-4 bullet ants in Costa Rica. One under my helmet. I had to stop and peel it off my scalp. Little $%#$%^&!! I wondered if the pain would get worse but faded away after about 10 min. After that they kept biting me on my legs. I just swept them off as I peddled on. The bullet ant sting is like a deep bee sting but not much worse than that. More of a nuisance than anything else. Faust you just got unlucky. Soak that hand in Ice! We need you out in the field tomorrow.
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Are you sure that it was bullet ants that were getting you? They are supposed to be the most painful of all in the insect kingdom. Ive read reports about people who were stung stating that they were rolling around on the ground moaning in agony. They say getting hit by one is like getting shot by a .22, hence the name.
 
SnakeCharmer said:
Are you sure that it was bullet ants that were getting you? They are supposed to be the most painful of all in the insect kingdom. Ive read reports about people who were stung stating that they were rolling around on the ground moaning in agony. They say getting hit by one is like getting shot by a .22, hence the name.
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When I go back next I'll get pics.
 
Sidewalk said:
I had a LONG gap between getting stung from when I was young to old(er).

I honestly do not know what I was stung by as a kid. Usually it was on my feet running around in the yard. I thought they were wasps (seems like it happened on average once a year, on average), but I really don't know. I do know that it hurt like hell and I swelled up. But also know that pain as a kid is worse than as an adult.

Skip forward to around age 35 and I started to get stung again. First time was on my hand. My hand swelled up so much I was scared something was wrong. And it was painful, mostly the swelling. Benadryl that evening not only didn't help, I thought I was going to pass out from it and almost had the (ex) wife take me to the ER.

Now I am stung at least once a year on the bike, and it is never fun. I was stung on Monday this week on my calf. My lower leg swelled so much it looked like I had a cankle and it was painful getting up after to do anything for the first few minutes until the blood started pumping out. Oddly I was able to run the following night, even though it was painful just to stand up.
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This is where I was this morning... :eek: After reading, though, it seems a few days to a week for a "large localized reaction" from a wasp sting.

So much for my weekly numbers...
 
SnakeCharmer said:
They’re huge, for an ant. Like they could carry you away, big.
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The ant I pulled off my head was big. Body size alone was like 5/8-3/4 long but not bigger than that as I recall. The biggest ant I've ever seen in person. I was soaked at the time. It was stinging me through my hair with my helmet on. The sting did not ruin my ride and am glad the pain went away. After another stung me on my calf I just swiped it off as I was riding and others as well. At this point my bare legs were wet and muddy. I'm not saying the ant had an eye patch, attitude and came at me with a dagger ( aarrhhh! ). It was just a huge friggin' thing that only caused mild pain. I can only report my experience.
When you look up Bullet Ant its sting is supposed to have " waves of agony " for hours. I didn't have that but the size and look of the ant fit.
 
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Stkx66 said:
The ant I pulled off my head was big. Body size alone was like 5/8-3/4 long but not bigger than that as I recall. The biggest ant I've ever seen in person. I was soaked at the time. It was stinging me through my hair with my helmet on. The sting did not ruin my ride and am glad the pain went away. After another stung me on my calf I just swiped it off as I was riding and others as well. At this point my bare legs were wet and muddy. I'm not saying the ant had an eye patch, attitude and came at me with a dagger ( aarrhhh! ). It was just a huge friggin' thing that only caused mild pain. I can only report my experience.
When you look up Bullet Ant its sting is supposed to have " waves of agony " for hours. I didn't have that but the size and look of the ant fit.
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Interesting and scary! Perhaps the ants were only dealing a "sucker punch" type sting that day. :laugh:
 
Stop making fun of @Faust29's situation. :stop:

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You guys are killing me… :Roflmao

Approximately 50 hours post sting and I’ve enjoyed my Benadryl high. :confused:

I can finally touch my thumb and pinky with some effort, so I’ll take that as a good sign that the finger tips are heading back to normal.

I still can’t wear my watch, though… Hopefully by tomorrow.
 
I am glad I don't swell up when stung. Last time was in Laguna about 3 years ago and it flew up my shorts and bit one of my ass cheeks, LOL.

My stings tend to burn for about a minute and then subside to a hard lump that lasts for a day or so. I find mosquito bites to be much more annoying than bee stings. Those can linger and itch for 3-4 days after.
 
You haven’t lived until you’ve gotten stung inside your mouth. Watch those open beverages while outdoors…don’t ride with your mouth open. My dental hygienist asked what happened on the side of my tongue.

One time as a teen I inexplicably got hives. Next day my mom found a bee in the laundry. I’d been stung exactly on my appendectomy scar and never felt it. Never had a bad reaction after that.

And that one time with the scorpion… and brown recluse… and all those ass-hole yellowjacks.
 
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