Got Bugs?

[Selkie]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.