Are You Afraid of Bees?

As far back as I can remember, I have had this unnatural fear of just about anything that flies and stings. I can go face to face with snakes. I chase down any creepy crawly that might be in the house and show it the bottom half of my shoe, but when it comes to bees, wasps or hornets, I would rather be anywhere near them.

I think the reason I am afraid of them is because of a sting I received as a child. We were in the park and the bee stung me for no apparent reason. I bet you I swatted at the thing and that is why it stung me. The sting was very close to my eye and hurt like the dickens. I don't remember feeling the same way about stinging flying things since that point. Every time I see a bee or a wasp I can feel myself on the verge of a panic attack. Over time I have learned how to control that feeling.

Today I am an adult and have been able to tolerate bees. They pollinate my garden. I know I need them to pollinate my vegetables, but I am not going to put myself in the midst of them if I can help it. They can do what they do best and I will just watch... from a distance.

I have also learned how to spray and run. There have been times when I have needed to get rig of a wasp nest under the eves of the house. In this instance I would buy a wasp killing spray that will shoot its spray up to 30 feet. I would spray the nest and run like my life depended on it. You should see that sight; A grown man running from things that are barely the size of his thumbnail.

I think my fear has turned into a healthy respect. I find myself watching bees whenever I find them pollinating plants. I watch Discovery Channel programs that focus on bees... even the ones that talk about the killer swarms.

I made this video as an update to my garden. I wanted to show everyone how well everything is groing. While I was doing this I came accross a Bumble Bee who was busy polinating my squash flowers for me. It was nice of him to do that for me. Take a few minutes to watch the video.

If you allergic to bees please carry your epee-pen and move away from any bees you see as calmly as you can. I would rather you not get stung. There is no reason to tempt fate.

1. If you are not allergic to bee stings, don't run from them. Usually when bees are flying around you, they are searching for pollen. It is when you swat at them, will they sting you. When you see a few of them, just stand still and watch them. Let them intrigue you. Since they are not going to sting you, you can watch them for a while.

2. Watch any and all programming about bees. It is fascinating to learn about these insects. They work as a well oiled machine. They work for the good of the hive. They all work for the queen.

3. Read books and internet resources. There are great places to learn about what you fear the most. The more you know about what you fear, the more you will understand what you need to do to keep from getting stung.

4. If you have an acre or two of property, try beekeeping. Put one or two hives on your property. Not only will they pollinate your vegetable garden (and all your neighbor's gardens) they will produce honey for you to harvest. If you force yourself to keep what you are afraid of, you will conquer that fear.

This book is meant for third graders, but it can help just about anyone who is afraid of bees. It reassures you that bees are only around looking for food and if you leave them alone, they will not hurt you. It is a great book to give to your child who freaks out thinking everything is a bee. Take a look at the amazon.com page and preview the first few pages.