Got Bugs?

**terpin** · 07-30-2006, 12:18 AM

So, I had a very large bug, my husband thought it was bumble bee, fly right into my mouth while I was riding. I immediately spit it out and nearly fell off the edge of the path I was on. My husband thought it hilarious, but the humor was lost on me that day. Now he has had a similar experience. He was stung by a bee on his cheek while riding yesterday. I'm relatively new to cycling. Does this happen a lot? Anyone else have a bug story?

**salsabike** · 07-30-2006, 12:27 AM

I regularly report my bug ingestion (gnats, flies) on the daily ride reports here. There is also a very funny thread on Bike Forums called something like "What's the biggest bug you ever swallowed?" Do a search for bug eating here and you'll find stories!

**Selkie** · 07-30-2006, 01:27 AM

It's hard, but try to ride with your mouth shut. I've had a couple of close encounters with those big fuzzy black/yellow bumblebees. For some reason, they seem to enjoy doing suicide missions by flying into my face. It smarts, even though I haven't been stung. Last summer, one hit my front tooth and it HURT. Didn't mind, considering if my mouth had been open any wider, I'd have ingested him. Which reminds me, another perk of winter riding is not having to worry about bugs. I can ride with my mouth open without worry.

**Brandy** · 07-30-2006, 06:02 AM

I eat a bug almost every ride. Enough said.

<~~~~maybe that's my problem when I'm riding. I should keep my mouth like this instead. ~~~~>

**pooks** · 07-30-2006, 06:41 AM

I was riding late in the day and didn't wear my sunglasses -- a gnat or something got in my eye. So here I am, riding, blinking, eye watering down my face. I didn't stop because at first it seemed that I had blinked it out. Then after riding a bit more I could feel it again. So I blinked, watered, and it went away. Then I felt it again. Very frustrating!

But no comparison to bees -- ingested or otherwise!

**Bikingmomof3** · 07-30-2006, 07:55 AM

I tend to ride in the evening when I *hope* it is somewhat cooler. One of the major drawbacks for me is the amount of insects I ingest.

**pyxichick** · 07-30-2006, 08:48 AM

I somehow made it to the age of 36 without ever having been stung by a bee. I started riding this summer, and got my first sting-- on my neck. Luckily I also found out I'm not allergic

I don't really think about insects much because there always seem to be bigger hazards on the road to worry about.

However, I usually find a lot of gnats plastered to my chest when I take off my shirt after an evening ride. I also had the gnat-in-eye issue a couple days ago. I wondered whether it might be useful to bring a small mirror along on my rides...

**bike4ever** · 07-30-2006, 08:53 AM

I got stung this morning while riding. I stopped safely and pulled out the stinger. Later in the morning, I stopped at a gas station to get ice to put on my leg. The attendant suggested I put chewing tobacco on my sting. I politely declined. He said that I didn't have to purchase the expensive stuff.

It still smarts.

**mimitabby** · 07-30-2006, 09:59 AM

I have heard that chewing tobacco works too. ALso, Plantain, a lowly weed that you can find in almost any corner of the USA works too

just mash it up and apply to sting.

**mimitabby** · 07-30-2006, 10:00 AM

I have heard that chewing tobacco works too. ALso, Plantain, a lowly weed that you can find in almost any corner of the USA works too

just mash it up and apply to sting.

**Denise223** · 07-30-2006, 10:13 AM

I've ingested various bugs while riding

, (ick)..... but yesterday, as I was riding and paying attention to things in front of me, I saw a BEETLE that was HUGE, making his way to the curb.

Looked like you could have put a saddle on that critter

!

Denise

**terpin** · 07-30-2006, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by mimitabby

I have heard that chewing tobacco works too.

I've experienced the chewing tabacoo remedy. My grandmother, oddly enough, chewed snuff (powdered tobacco) until she passed away at the age of 87. It truly grossed me out, especially when she would open her purse and spit into her spit can, but I digress.

Once, I was stung by a bee while she was visiting and she stuck her finger in her mouth, pulled out a wad of snuff and put it right on the sting. It was supposed to soothe the pain and draw out the "poison" of the sting. I didn't notice the pain of the bee sting anymore, but I think it had more to do with being completely grossed out and traumatized by the whole scene than the power of the tobacco. She left us a small canister of snuff (unchewed) in case of future bee stings. Just mix with water. I never touched it.

**maillotpois** · 07-30-2006, 10:46 AM

Two out of my three last double centuries, I had bee encounters. Solvang wasn't too bad - got stung on the face. No biggie. But at ESDC in June, I rode through a large swarm of bees, while descending at about 35 mph (at mile 150 or 160). I couldn't stop or avoid them and it was like someone threw gravel at me - hurt SO badly. I'd seen the black cloud in front of me, and didn't know what it was but I knew there was nothing I could do. Only got 5 - 6 actual stings - what hurt most was the bees hitting me as I rode through them.

**Shiraz** · 07-30-2006, 11:50 AM

I so understand the bug problem, living in a rural farming area we have bugs , bugs and bugs!My sunglasses need cleaning after a ride

I get them in my sports bra and eat a few every ride. I some how got a beetle under my helmet and about wrecked trying to stop and rip off my helmet and pull it out of my hair

! Yuck

Maillotpois,
I can't even imagine riding into a swarm of bees!!

That would be more than I could handle. I feel terrible for you. And you lived to tell about it!!

Anita

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