Bee Aware By Richard Bennett Blue Knights Southwest Conf. Safety Officer (I know, it’s a corny title; but this is about Bees and awareness, so I couldn’t resist)

                                                                                                                            

 Every year during my Motor Officer assignment I could count on getting stung by a bee at least once, sometimes twice.  It happened while riding along on my police motorcycle, wearing my short-sleeved uniform shirt and my open-faced helmet.  With attire like that, it was inevitable that a bee would find its way into my clothes or helmet.

Although I am no expert on bee behavior, I have learned some things about bees that a motorcyclist should know.  Some things were learned the “hard way”, but most of my info came from curiosity and research.  I share these words of “wisdom” with you now.

Almost all of my bee encounters were the result of riding through a swarm of bees that were impossible to miss.  When I suddenly got pelted with some kind of flying bugs, the epiphany that it was bees usually occurred when one got into my clothes.  Or my helmet. 

If you sit around with your buddies and talk of motorcycle rides, sooner or later someone usually mentions an encounter with bees.  They often tell of getting bees in their jackets, or sleeves.  The sensation of bees inside clothing, and the stings at highway speed are never forgotten.  Bring it up at your next palaver session and see what I mean.

Each story starts the same way; the windshield usually gets coated with bee strikes, and the expectation of an imminent bee sting at freeway speeds crowds most logical thinking from their minds.  The typical reaction is to try and get rid of the bee before it stings, no matter what. 

Riders who panic will dive for the curb, brake aggressively and try to strip off clothing or helmet.  In the rush to get stopped, traffic hazards are often forgotten, making the situation worse.  Most bee-encounter stories end the same way, whether the rider gets safely stopped or takes a spill: one or more bee stings before the bee is evicted.

Here are some things to know about bees that may help you reduce your sting quotient.  Swarming is a natural process for bees.  They do it to expand to additional hives, and rarely to aggressively attack.  There is a swarming season, usually from mid-April through mid-June, which corresponds with spring and the blooming flowers.  This season may be expanded in warmer, moister climates in the southern states, so keep that in mind if you are planning a ride to that area.

You are more likely to encounter bees on rural roads, where apiaries (commercial bee hives) are located.  Keep an eye out for the wooden boxes that are usually stacked in a field near the roadway.  This is their home, and bees will be commuting to and from the hive with pollen.  These are not “swarms”, just working gals (most are females, don’t you know?)  You may encounter a stray bee, but nothing like riding through a swarm.

Honey bees that are swarming are usually looking for a new hive location.  These bees are not aggressive because their mission is to find a new neighborhood, not attack innocent motorcycle riders.  They will be as surprised as you when the two of you collide.  Depending upon what you are wearing (or not wearing), one or more bees may get inside your clothing.  The key here is to remain calm.  Swatting bees will only piss them off, and bees with an attitude will sting more quickly.

Tell yourself you will probably get stung, so the priority will be to get safely off the road and remove your helmet and clothing.  It is better to be stung than to be stung and crash.

Bees are sensitive to odors.  Even though I can’t point to a bee nose in a close-up photo, I know this because of bee behavior.  Entomologists (bee experts) tell us bees use pheromones to find food sources and keep colonies together, among other things.  They also like bright colors.  Odors and bright colors are keys to bees finding flowers, which are essential to their survival.

As a motorcycle officer, I kept my equipment clean and shiny.  Every day I would wipe and shine the motorcycle, getting it ready for the next day.  I discovered Lemon Pledge, a furniture polish that worked well on the motorcycle and my boots.  It was quick and easy.  In the spring time, I discovered bees would fly around my motorcycle at every traffic stop.  The lemon odor was attracting them.

So here are some suggestions for minimizing unpleasant bee encounters.  Be aware of “bee season”, when bees are most likely to swarm to new locations.  Watch for apiaries in fields near roads and highways.  Awareness helps.

Wear protective clothing.  I know, we should do this all the time; but consider protection beyond contact with the pavement.  Wearing a full-faced helmet and zipped-up jacket can keep those stingers on the outside where they belong.

If you hit a swarm, hunker down behind your windshield.  Get close to your gas tank and pull your elbows in.  Be a smaller target.  You will soon be through the swarm.

And finally, if you ever get a bee on the inside of your gear, don’t panic.  Tell yourself you will probably get stung, so accept it.  Then safely and quickly stop off the road and evict the bee.  Maybe you (and the bee) will get lucky and part company without a sting.

Go enjoy the riding season, but be aware…