HikeArizona.COM

Anyone have any encounters with these guys? I've had two - one I related in the thread about "what trails have you hiked", and the other I'll post tomorrow since everything is running so @#$%& slow right now.

OK, here's my other bee experience. This was actually the first one, about a year and a half ago. My wife and I were out (as usual, I was walking and she was riding). We were exploring a nice trail we had found, and came to a cattle gate. There were a lot of bees swarming around it. We had to get through, so I carefully opened the gate for her. The bees had a hive underground, under the post supporting the gate. Those little suckers came boiling up out of there and swarmed my wife. They go for the head. Her horse started to panic, and she let out a scream. She and her horse were stung several times on the face. I swatted the horse's rump to get it to hurry through the gate, and yelled at her to get away, which she did. I stayed and closed the gate (insert observation on my intelligence here), but again, for some reason, they didn't sting me. I understand they are drawn to dark things, and her horse is dark and she had a black cowboy hat on, while I wear light clothing. Maybe that's it.
I ran down the trail after her (luckily it was downhill), and the bees followed us maybe 1/4 mile. Very scary. We both carry bee masks now when we go out.

C'mon, someone else must have a bee story.

They followed her and left you alone because they marked her as the threat. When they sting you and leave the stinger in you, it leaves a scent that tells the other bees to come over hear and sting. That's why you should haul @$$ after getting stung once when their are bees around.
That's also why you shouldn't kill a bee. Right before they die they usually push their stinger out which will tell the others to come over here and sting...

Good information - thanks!

In 1997 I was driving north on Power Road about 2 miles north of Gateway airport. A compact 2 door sedan was in front of me and a semi (big rig) deisel behind me. A swarm of large bees (assumed to be killer bees) crossed the road. A few were struck by the car in front of me. The swarm came to a stop. My car struck a few more and they seemed to become enraged. The packed together. I wasn't about to stop I just observed in my rearview mirror a dark cloud forming in front of a 60MPH semi. Splat! The truck appeared to wipe out at least half the swarm.

Perhaps this little story or retaliation will satisfy some needs for revenge!

Jerry

I too have had some bee issues this summer. Nice thing was, I didnt have to go lookin' for trouble- they found me. My next door neighbor is the type of guy that never leaves his house. Anyway, on with the story: The first time I went swimming in my pool this summer (a side note to all you non-native arizonans, its cold here in the winter), the swim was great. the problem was the amount of bees flyin around my dome :roll: as I was standing in the water. They looked like thery were getting water from the pool for some reason or another. however the trouble was yet to come. as i went inside to change out of my trunks, remarkably one of those little $##$%@#$% got in my shorts 8O and was about as excited to be discovered as I was to discover. For the next few weeks the lead-deficient bees grew to be more of a menace, until finally I had had enough :twisted: . Apparently, in my neighbors backyard, a hive had grown for years and years and years, and even the bug dude wasn't too excited to get my call. Needless to say, me and the bees have some unresolved issues.