I have two phobias: Heights, and bees.

Heights: I'm terrified of heights, but I've always been able to work through it, such that it doesn't affect my daily life. I'm that guy who won't walk too close to a railing on the second floor of a mall. I'm that guy who goes nuts when he sees somebody leaning over a railing ("ARE YOU CRAZY?!!!"). I'm that guy who grabs onto the edges of his char and feels like puking, while watching a video of a guy free climbing a broadcast radio/TV tower.

And yet...

...I've been bungee jumping. I've flown ultralight planes solo. I once free climbed a customer's 80' residential antenna mast to clear a bird's nest for gas money, so that I could make it home from work (absolutely terrified, but I did it). I've worked on steep pitched roofs in construction (terrified, but somewhat functional).

To put a finer point on it, I've done things that are flat out suicidal without an inkling of fear. My best to date: I once split lanes in traffic at ~90mph on a motorcycle. Others have done worse, but I'm not done yet - I did it between cars in opposing directions. Yeah. I actually split lanes against traffic on a bet in my early 20's, and thought nothing of it. I would never do it again (I'm lucky to be alive, honestly), but the point I'm making is that my risk/reward center seems to be royally screwed up.

That bring me to...bees.

I fucking HATE bees. Wasps are worse (I can't stand any and all flying stinging insects), but I want to focus on bees. For reasons I don't really understand, I freak the fuck out if I'm outside and a honey bee is buzzing around me. I'm not kidding - I look like a little girl, flapping my arms around and running for cover (the bees always follow me - fuck those sadistic fucks), and generally losing my shit. It's embarrassing. Normal people seem to be able to just wave them away with little no no consequence. Me? I feel like I'm about to feel the wrath of some super venom, mixed with righteous anger.

I realize this is an irrational fear. I do ride motorcycles. I once had a bee sting my in the Adam's Apple while riding some back roads. I was fine. As a child (and I think this is the root of it), a bee stung me on the arm for no good reason while I was merrily enjoying my backyard swingset. When I hopped off the swing, I stepped on another bee barefoot and wasn't able to wear shoes for a week. Still, nothing was super painful pr life threatening - just annoying.

So while I cognitively know this, why am I so terrified of the things? Why can't I deal with bees, the same way I deal with heights? Why did I come running inside to type this, having only smoked about 1/4 of my cigarette, because a bee was flying around my head on my back porch?

Help me not be a pussy, arfcom. I'm almost there.

My autistic son, now nearly 16, got a beehive two years ago.  Before that I wasn't really afraid of them, but didn't care to hang around either.

Now I'll go out and tear the hive apart just because it's cool.  Bees all over the house now, we've got two hives in the back yard.


I suggest you get a hive.  Very cool stuff.

Going to Oregon any time soon?  There's a guy there with a whole grave full of bees.  You could do full bee immersion.  Unless the reason that guy didn't update his thread is because he's already in the hole, dead.

Wear a bee keeper suit, and empty some shotgun shells into the hive

You're fucking insane.

Find a friend who's a beekeeper.  He'll get you all setup in no time.

I bet you this ol clydesdale horse fly I killled the other day would have put you in a tizzy.

Fucking thing sounded like a Blackhawk buzzing around.

What is your opinion of TBK1?

Balls of steel.

I'm with you on heights.

Bees and wasps don't bother me though, unless I get stung. I'm not even sure anymore how many times in my life I've been stung by yellow jackets, but it's a lot. Several episodes where I disturbed a nest and had 10 or 15 of the fuckers got me all at once. Sucks, but I lived.

Maybe you could make a game of snatching the bees out of the air tell them what the fuck's up. Bee whisperer.

Its actually really cool.  It's raining cats and dogs right now or I'd go get a few pics for you, but they are just as easy to deal with as can be.  Except that one that stung my son right on the eyelid, but I won't mention that....  

Start studying bees.  Just start LEARNING about them.



Like you, I had a fear of open heights ( never feared airplanes....as my family owned a couple and I spent a lot of time in the air ) as a kid.



So....I started climbing.....then I joined the Army and opted to go to Airborne School.  I just got USED to it.  Do I LIKE open heights?  No.  Do I FEAR them any longer?  Not really.



The best remedy for irrational fear is education and experience.



...and.....



BEES ARE THE BOMB!!!!  I love 'em!!!

You have to conquer your fears head on.

I've had this phobia of spiders. Like if I found one in my room; I couldn't be in that room.

To get over it, I forced myself to capture them in a cup and take them outside. Some of those bastards are really fast.

Wasps are worse.

Pet it.

Cliff dive wearing a beard of bees.

You can thank me later.

Look up Japanese Hornets.

 


You'll squee.


 

edit: Beat. Watch a video of 3 of them annihilating thousands of wasps

I had a pet Tarantula as a kid. I knew the fucker could kill me, but I felt like I was in control the entire time. For some reason, I don't get this vibe with bees.

Oh lawd no

That man is insane. This shit gives me nightmares.

How does he know he's not going to get stung?

I guess this is my question: A bee or wasp is humming around your head. Can you dismiss them casually, without being stung? Say one lands on your neck. Can you shoo them off without invoking some kind of wrath?

How?

 
It was supposed to be our childhood secret. Big mouth.

Do you have a gallon of honey and a strong stomach?

You should read articles on IP subletting, the way you'd read a fortune cookie.

I went to grade school with this kid that could catch bees in his hand then release them and they'd just fly away. Like the fucking bee whisperer or something.

So of course I tried and was immediately stung.

We've got these in the woods outside my house

I will tackle almost any snake, spider or small beast, but I absolutely hate flying stinging insects!

Don't agitate them, don't kill them, don't wear certain colognes.



The first two are pretty straightforward, pheromones get released when they get stressed or killed, making things worse.



I don't know why they hate certain colognes, probably related to the pheromone thing, but in the years we had hives, I never figured out a pattern.



 

He's a Cola Warrior and he doesn't even know it yet.

Is it bad to start screaming when covered with bees on top of a ladder?

I hate bees too. Eventually I just stopped giving a shit, mostly.

Bees of all types will rarely sting you just because. Even yellow jackets if left alone will usually just buzz around until they determine you are not something to eat. Thats all they are looking for, they are scavengers.

Honey bees are even more mellow and will only sting if given no other option.

I had a room mate that had a few bee hives and had a degree in etymology so we would discuss all things bugs over beers. It was quite educational and I lost my fear of flying bugs and have a level of respect for the little buggers.

What a pussy.





BTW, the real threat is spiders.

I keep a can of wasp spray near any time I am out side. I kill all the little mothers that cross my sight.

I have been stung a few times by flying insects. The earliest I can remember was maybe 8 years old drinking a can of coke outside at my Aunt Chrissy's house, feeling something funny in my mouth and spitting it out. WHAM, stung in the lower lip. Looked like a prize fighter my lip was so swollen. To this day I dont like them but if I leave them alone, they dont bother me.

Now heights, shiver, no thank you. Flying I dont mind, but climbing a ladder to 15+ feet and I am about useless. Get me on the roof and its crab walk time and just very uncomfortable. I had a tv tower put up a few years ago. Had a friend take it down and put it up at my place. He installed the antenna and turned it until I was happy. He left a nice leather climbing belt if I needed to adjust it. Sure enough after a while some stations are getting blocky. I tried to adjust it but even with a nice thick sturdy leather belt on I am not able to trust it enough to lean back and get the work done. I can get up to the roof edge and thats a out it  

I see it as natures way of telling us we dont bounce like we did when we were younger.

I have seen my mother absolutely destroy a hive or wasp nest. Like dropping a miniature mushroom cloud on the bitches, theyd be all flying around buzzin but she doesn't even care. Absolutely wrecks their stuff and they don't do anything about it. It's kind of amazing. Absolutely no fear. But spiders will keep her up at night if she sees one and doesn't get my dad to kill it.

Then you sure don't want to bee here in AZ at this time of year.
It's swarm time (pic my wife took last year)!

Bees are mostly fine but wasps make me pucker up.

I was stung on several occurrences by them as a kid, and probably the worst was when got one in the chin at 60MPH minding my own business in the back seat of my parent's Monte Carlo.

I'll 2nd this recommendation. I had a hive for several years but let them swarm this year because we're planning on tearing our house down and rebuilding on our lot.

The last package of bees I got was 4 years ago. We had a bee party with my daughter's kindergarten class to put the bees in the hive. I even had a bee suit for the kids. I had 5 year old girls scooping up handfuls of bees while their parents were all



Once you learn how to handle them, the bees ain't so bad.

Fuck, I share both of these fears.

Was about 2 inches away from rear-ending somebody while waiting at light today after a fucking dirt dobber landed on my leg causing me to freak out and inadvertently jerk my foot off the break.

My mom built an observation hive, basically a hive with glass sides that were normally covered. We were watching it one day when a neighboring hive attacked, killing all inhabitants and stealing honey. It was really interesting to watch.

Story two: mom was working them without her hood on and suddenly stood up. She got very still and said "One just flew up my nose." Seconds ticked by until it finally got stuck and stung her somewhere inside her sinus cavity. No getting the stinger out and prodigious volumes of snot came out before it was over. Apparently that's less than pleasant.

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OK Sub, get over the phobias and get your show going.

And please send a link since I can't it.

I get along with bees, they won't bother you unless seriously provoked.

Usually.

Hornets...just ain't interested in getting along with anybody or anything.

They just want to fuck shit up, and they're really good at it.

Fear of hornets is entirely justified, IMO.

That's not being a sissy, that's being sensible...because where there's one hornet, there's a whole bunch of them.

And every single one of them wants you dead.

Climb a telephone pole and open the terminal. In the summer there will be wasps or yellow jackets or a snake or a flying squirrel or a tree frog or a bat or birds. If you jump you die.

have you ever been stung before?

if you arnt allergic go ahead and find one buzzing around. see if you can get it to land on your hand and watch it.

Even get one to sting you, watch it and let it do its thing.  Mosquito bites are MUCH worse for me, I swell up and itch for hours.  Most splinters are worse than the bee stings I have had.

I was scared of bees/wasps too until I spent the better part of a year tearing part 24 old ass roof top units and replacing them. it came down to a simple choice..accept that that wasp crawling on my arm is gonna sting me or I can freak the fuck out with this demo saw in my hand. I got over my fear.

FUUUUUUUUUUCK THAT!

What the hell are those? Satan's work right there.

Yes. A few times. I was fine (I'm still here).

And that makes this stupid phobia of mine just that much more silly.

Mosquitoes are everywhere in Ohio in the summer time, and they love my ass more than pretty much everyone else. But for reasons I'll never quite understand, this doesn't bother me.

If noting else, if I remember to soak myself in DEET, I don't get bit. This doesn't seem to work with bees. Those fuckers are still interested in me. They follow me.

I got stung by a hornet mowing the yard.

Felt like a bullet hit me