The stinging truth.
Fear of bees is called apiphobia.
I suffered from an extreme bee and wasp phobia for most of my life. For instance, I went hysterical if trapped in a room with a wasp. I would unleash half the can of hornet killer from the farthest possible distance.
Worse, I once bolted from my car because there was a bee inside ... and couldn't summon the courage to return and unbuckle my toddler from the back seat for a long, excruciating moment. How humiliating!
However, I am now what I would consider CURED.
To find out how, read on.
I suffered from an extreme bee and wasp phobia for most of my life. For instance, I went hysterical if trapped in a room with a wasp. I would unleash half the can of hornet killer from the farthest possible distance.
Worse, I once bolted from my car because there was a bee inside ... and couldn't summon the courage to return and unbuckle my toddler from the back seat for a long, excruciating moment. How humiliating!
However, I am now what I would consider CURED.
To find out how, read on.
Apiphobia: the fear of bees
Fear of bees or bee stings is one of common fears among people. Apiphobia (from Latin apis for "honeybee") or melissophobia (from Greek melissa for "honeybee"), is a fear of bees and a kind of specific phobia.
WARNING
The video below is NOT for the faint of heart, especially when it comes to uncommon fear of bees and wasps.
When Hornets Attack ...
Never in my life had I felt compassion for bees ... until I saw this video.
Bee movies
where B is for BAD
Bees, wasps, hornets ... my tiny nemesi
Most of my life, including adulthood, I suffered from an inexplicable, irrational fear of bees.
- I have shrieked in absolute terror upon finding myself sharing a moving vehicle with a bee.
- I have closed myself in a small room for hours when confronted with the knowledge that somewhere in my home, a wasp was lurking.
- I have emptied full cans of toxic fume producing wasp spray—indoors—when forced to confront the evil foes.
How does such a phobia take over?
I've long considered that the source of my fear was the story I'd heard but didn't remember myself, of playing outdoors as a very young child and being attacked by a swarm of ground bees.
My brother tried to save me, picking me up and running with me to the house ... and dropping me when the bees unleashed their fury on him.
I'm quite glad I don't remember that day. As far as I could tell, I've just always been afraid of wasps and bees.
How does one then explain, how I came to take the photo below in late 2003?
My brother tried to save me, picking me up and running with me to the house ... and dropping me when the bees unleashed their fury on him.
I'm quite glad I don't remember that day. As far as I could tell, I've just always been afraid of wasps and bees.
How does one then explain, how I came to take the photo below in late 2003?
Bees. Lots of bees. ALIVE.
Cute and cuddly bees
Facing fears.
Through techniques I learned from a psychologist who used light hypnosis to help people overcome feelings triggered by certain odors and colors, I "psyched myself out" and overcame my fear of bees on my own.
Just years ago, I would have SCREAMED bloody murder and probably would have run into the house crying and vowing to never go outside again until there was a foot of snow on the ground.
Instead, I scowled at the unwelcome visitor and shwooshed it away. I stayed where I sat and thought with great resolve, a person CAN change.
The ability for change is within us all.
The final confirmation that the fear had left me ... on September 9, 2007, I was sitting on my front porch. A yellowjacket, one of the more aggressive types of wasps and one more likely to sting with the least amount of provocation, decided to land on my bare arm.
Just years ago, I would have SCREAMED bloody murder and probably would have run into the house crying and vowing to never go outside again until there was a foot of snow on the ground.
Instead, I scowled at the unwelcome visitor and shwooshed it away. I stayed where I sat and thought with great resolve, a person CAN change.
The ability for change is within us all.
Insect phobias not uncommon
Overcoming Animal & Insect Phobias: How To Conquer Fear Of Dogs, Snakes, Rodents, Bees, Spiders & More
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 12/26/2009)
Don't let them bug you
The world of stinging insects
a Links Plexo
More Honey and More Gentle Bees December 1999
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Comments on this lens
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byBurt's Bees are nice bees
Beeing brave
Taking photos of live bees from only a couple feet away tells me that the extreme fear is history.
This was taken on my honeymoon with my second husband:
Using the amazing 10x zoom on my Fujifilm camera (no Photoshop interpolation):
Another shot, this one from my front porch:
(I hope you like my photos and art ... but please don't steal them! I sell these photos and others on merch and apparel at CafePress.)
This was taken on my honeymoon with my second husband:
Using the amazing 10x zoom on my Fujifilm camera (no Photoshop interpolation):
Another shot, this one from my front porch:
(I hope you like my photos and art ... but please don't steal them! I sell these photos and others on merch and apparel at CafePress.)
More books on bees
by XP
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