Avoid Being Attacked!!!!!!!!!!!!! (BEES, HORNETS, WASPS & KILLER BEES)

I always love going outside into my backyard, sitting our on my patio, reading a good book, while listening to some classic rock music. Since we have a large garden with various flowers and vegetables, there is just one problem I face in the outdoors....the insect situation. More specifically, the insects with STINGERS....

Just a few of the insects with stingers in my backyard would be:
-hornets
-yellow jackets
-wasps
-bees
-UFO: a.k.a. large black hornets (yes, I have these)

On a normal day, I will be sitting either in my chair, or on a raft in the pool enjoying the sun. Suddenly, a fast, yellow looking bug will fly right by my arm, foot, thigh, or head. If you are afraid of bugs with stingers like me, here are a few tips to keep you safe:

1. Always be on the lookout for large nests around your property. Go to targe and purchase a spray that will exterminate these bugs. This will decrease your chances of being attacked in your backyard. If you do not want to spray the nest, let it be... but you will have a lot more insects with stingers flying around your backyard!

2. Keep your cool. Sit still. I know it is hard to do, but jumping up will only make the bug more angry. If you stay still, it will circle once or twice, then usually fly away.

3. Do not have any sweet drinks outside with you, such as Soda, Gatorade, juice. Stick to water. Water will help keep you hydrated just as good as Gatorade. These bugs with stingers seem to LOVE these items, and gravitate to them...

4. Always look at your book, cup, laptop, Doritos bag BEFORE picking them up. If you DO decide to drink a soda outside, look into the can FIRST to make sure there are no bees or wasps that have flown into it... this will prevent you from being stung in the mouth.

5. Never walk barefoot across your lawn. I did this once, stepped on a wasp, and was unable to walk for the next 3 days. If you are a hippy, and enjoy going "au natural," simply put on a pair of flip flops before you go to walk in the grass. It isn't worth you accidentally stepping on an insect, who will now die because it has lost its stinger, and you being in severe pain for the next few days.

6. Wear protective eye gear..aka sun glasses. Sun glasses will proect your eyes from these insects from flying into your cornea and damaging your face for life. PROTECT YOURSELF!!

7. Don't pass out on a lawn chair with no one else around. If you are feeling tired, go into the privacy of your own home to pass out. You are more at risk if you are outside alone trying to sleep. Other creatures besides bugs with stingers might approach you-- ex) squerrils, cats, bears

8. Cover your face and RUN quickly inside... this tip goes for regular bees, wasps, yellow jackets etc as well as killer Africanized bees...

9. DO NOT SWAT AT THESE INSECTS---- that will only make them MORE aggrivated. They are simply flying around looking for the next best place to land. Swatting at these bugs will only make them attack you. This is the most difficult step to handle. You MUST keep your cool, and simply get up, and walk away without swatting.
*******Please note*******This step is KEY if you want to avoid being stung!!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, the key thing to avoid being stung is staying alert. Always be on the lookout for anything flying at you. Remember, we need these animals in our gardens to keep our planet going, but you can also be outside without being attacked.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

There are two different varieties of bees, African Honey Bees, and European Honey Bees.

European Honey Bees are what are known to the majority of Americans in North America. Bee keepers in North America use European Honey Bees to make honey. This is the type of bee you would normally see flying around your yard. The real problem isn't this European variety, it is the African Honey Bee.

African Honey Bees were originally from Africa (hence the name). This variety of bees was brought over to Brazil in South America during the 1950s. Unfortunately, there was an outbreak, and these bees were released into the wild.

Well... there is a major problem with these African Bees, also known as "Killer Bees." This variety of bees can be VERY dangerous... and can KILL humans and animals.

Killer Bee Problems

-African Bee stings are extremely painful. Their bee sting hurts a lot more than a regular bee sting

-These bees can and will chase a human a mile or more to protect their nest (I hope you are fast!)

-Within fifty feet of its nest it will attack if it feels threatened

-Dangerous and hard to predict what it will do next

-Located today in Nevada, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. Since the late 1990s, these bees have been slowly spreading throughout the US Southwest.

-Known as "killer" bees, because yes, they can KILL YOU!

National Atlas.gov Info on Africanized Honey Bees

Frequently Asked Questions on Honey Bees

Info on Africanized Honey Bees from the Invasive Species Gov Website

Now...another type of bee that needs to be recognized are the "Queen Bee" girls at school... the ones that socially outcast and tease other girls, and rule the playground and classroom.

How do you keep your daughter safe on the playground and at school when you are there???

Here are some great books to find out!!

News stories of bee attacks...yes life threatening!!!!