Yellowjacket down shirt

[LakeMerrit]

So

Yesterday I was riding redwood road on my wife's bike after slapping in some new throttle and clutch cables to make sure those extra bolts and bits leftover after reassembling it didn't matter too much, and I felt a bug hit my neck.

First thought was I hope it didn't get down my shirt, and if it did I hope it wasn't a bee.

3 turns later and it stung me right on the sternum, followed shortly by a sting on the belly.

Realizing I had a wasp in my shirt, I pulled into the next turnout and stripped my gear and shirt off in record speed.

My question to y'all fine folks is do you wear a buff, scarf, bandanna, or other bee keeper-outer; or is the occasional bee in your bonnet just part of the fun? My jacket is a bit loose at the moment due to recent success with losing weight. Eventually I'll replace it with a better fitting one, which will alleviate the wasp-down-shirt eventuality.

My riding career thus far is markedly shorter than many of yours, and this was my first wasp in the shirt experience.

Cheers,
LM

 

[ttsang91]

So

Yesterday I was riding redwood road on my wife's bike after slapping in some new throttle and clutch cables to make sure those extra bolts and bits leftover after reassembling it didn't matter too much, and I felt a bug hit my neck.

First thought was I hope it didn't get down my shirt, and if it did I hope it wasn't a bee.

3 turns later and it stung me right on the sternum, followed shortly by a sting on the belly.

Realizing I had a wasp in my shirt, I pulled into the next turnout and stripped my gear and shirt off in record speed.

My question to y'all fine folks is do you wear a buff, scarf, bandanna, or other bee keeper-outer; or is the occasional bee in your bonnet just part of the fun? My jacket is a bit loose at the moment due to recent success with losing weight. Eventually I'll replace it with a better fitting one, which will alleviate the wasp-down-shirt eventuality.

My riding career thus far is markedly shorter than many of yours, and this was my first wasp in the shirt experience.

Cheers,
LM

I've gone through that experience before and now wear a neck gaiter almost every time I ride.
During my commute in the Spring time there are bee hives planted off the road and unfortunately I smash quite a few a day.. Feel bad for the little dudes.
If it were a wasp I wouldn't care as much

 

[berth]

Honestly, it's never happened to me, so it never occurred to me.

Closest I came to it was when a bug hit my friend when he had his visor open.

I can see that being valuable if you're allergic, but for me, honestly, I wouldn't do anything. The gear burden on a bike is high enough that I don't need Yet Another piece to manage, store, clean, etc. etc.

Mind, I rarely ride with my jacket open beyond the vents, I never found it to be worthwhile. It's not much cooler when it's hot anyway.

 

[ST Guy]

Meh.....it'll probably not happen again.

I had one crawl into the vent above my forehead once when I left my helmet on the bike to go into a store. The damn thing stung me multiple times before I figured it out. Pull the helmet off and the front half of the wasp fell out onto my lap. 'Figured that was it and put the helmet back on and less than a block later, I was getting stung again. A fast pull over and ripping off of my helmet and I couldn't see anything. Then I peeled back the liner and the back half of the damn wasp was in that little vent space, madly thrusting it's abdomen at anything it could reach. And it was headless. Fuck!

Ended up with a big goose egg on my forehead and a tale to tell. Welcome to the club.

 

[LakeMerrit]

Honestly, it's never happened to me, so it never occurred to me.

Closest I came to it was when a bug hit my friend when he had his visor open.

I can see that being valuable if you're allergic, but for me, honestly, I wouldn't do anything. The gear burden on a bike is high enough that I don't need Yet Another piece to manage, store, clean, etc. etc.

Mind, I rarely ride with my jacket open beyond the vents, I never found it to be worthwhile. It's not much cooler when it's hot anyway.

This was pretty much my thought.

My jacket was fully zipped, but has some (read: 1 inch) of extra room in the collar so it creates kind of a wind funnel in a sportier riding position.

If it happens again in another 5 years of riding, it's probably uncommon enough to just not worry about it.

I might get a neck gaiter anyways though, but to pad my neck against massive bug / gravel impacts on higher speed runs across the central valley.

Took an absolute unit of a beetle to the neck once at ~100 and it was like getting shot with a paintball close range, but with even more sticky shmoo to wipe off afterwards.

 

[831FZ]

I've had two large bumblebees fly into my helmet with the visor up within minutes of each other. One just chilled in my beard but the other was pretty pissed. This was a few weeks after I swallowed a large and unidentified crunchy while wearing my openface. I've also had the good fortune to put on an old helmet completely infested with ants. At least they weren't the biting kind. At this point in my life I'd bathe in bug repellent if it weren't so incredibly toxic.

 

[redtail]

this was my first wasp in the shirt experience.

It happens, rarely, but you'll most likely experience it again.

Even though I wear a full face helmet, I've had a bee inside my helmet due to an open visor. Everybody opens their visor occasionally on hot days, but only leave it open a crack once you're moving.

Had a wasp up the sleeve, I only wear gauntlets now.

If you wear a mesh jacket during hot daze, just make sure the collar is secured.

A windshield helps, but bugs can get drug into the dead air space behind the shield and go bat shit crazy, so not fool proof.

 

[DucatiHoney]

I had a wasp go down my shirt and nail me on the tummy over half a dozen times on a ride. It was just my husband and me, and we were on a twisty stretch that had a line of cars on it that we were slowing passing, as opportunity presented itself. He was in front, and I was a few cars back, so he had no idea. It was super-hot, so I had unzipped my Aerostich--big mistake.

So here I am slamming myself in the gut trying to kill this wasp, which only pissed it off more. I ended up yanking the bike over to the side of the road where I promptly pulled my 'stich down around my ankles and ripped my shirt off in front of God and everyone. (I had Underarmor leggings and a pretty boring bra on, but still, I don't normally go around wearing only that.) I got the bug out, but as the cars slowed and people asked if I was OK with smirks, my face was red...for a lot of reasons.

Two guys on bikes saw me and pulled over to check on me. I had my shirt back on at this point and the 'stich at my waist. The hubby pulled up just as the two gents had taken off when he'd noticed I wasn't behind him anymore. We ended up stopping at a little roadside cafe in the mountains where I got some ice for my stings. The two guys who'd pulled over earlier for me were there having a beer. It was a painful day for my ego and my wasp-stung belly. I hate wasps!!!!!

 

[redtail]

I hate wasps!!!!!

Ouch! Yes wasp, yellow jackets and hornets are assholes! See chart below...

 

[HeatXfer]

It's here in the forum somewhere: Bee swarm; numerous stings; side of the road; flipping-out, striping; half-naked dancing around; HWY patrol pistol in hand thinks I'm on a acid/PCP trip; hearty laugh afterwards.

Even after that I only cover my neck when its cold.

 

[ScottRNelson]

Meh.....it'll probably not happen again.

I had five bee stings in one year when I rode a yellow Ducati. I'm sure the color had nothing to do with it.

I tried covering my neck with a Buff, but in hot weather, that's probably a bigger bother than the bee stings. I haven't had any more bees sting me since that one year, so who knows?

I haven't seen too many bees now that I'm in Idaho, but I think this state has more bugs than any other in the west. I need to start taking along stuff to clean my helmet visor.

 

[Whammy]

Got stung twice in one day by wasps in Idaho.

Then i found their nest which they protect with ferocity.
Boat oar and some bug spray problem solved.
Sneaky bastards.. they come out of nowhere.

 

[/dev/null]

If it was out on Redwood Rd. it was most likely a paper wasp. I've been hit by the fuckers twice. First time it wedged between my helmet liner and forehead. It stung me like 7-8 times before I pulled in to the gun range and got it out. The second time I got stung in the throat.

 

[Slow Goat]

Bee swarm; numerous stings; side of the road; flipping-out, striping; half-naked dancing around; HWY patrol pistol in hand thinks I'm on a acid/PCP trip .

Oh man, I can totally see that in my mind... hilarious.

 

[LakeMerrit]

If it was out on Redwood Rd. it was most likely a paper wasp. I've been hit by the fuckers twice. First time it wedged between my helmet liner and forehead. It stung me like 7-8 times before I pulled in to the gun range and got it out. The second time I got stung in the throat.

It was decidedly a yellow jacket. Slower rate of fire than the paper wasps thankfully. Heres where it fell after ripping off my jacket and t shirt

 

[Blankpage]

It's here in the forum somewhere: Bee swarm; numerous stings; side of the road; flipping-out, striping; half-naked dancing around; HWY patrol pistol in hand thinks I'm on a acid/PCP trip; hearty laugh afterwards.

Even after that I only cover my neck when its cold.

Cop was going to tranquillise you with a bullet

 

[Moto Beck]

Goddamn OP - i'm waiting for it to happen to me - i get home from rides all the time and there's on in my helmet vent, splattered on my bike or hit against my leathers. Only a matter of time one of the bastard makes it wear it counts.

I would wear a bandana but i think it would be too distracting and too hot - especially riding up in napa but on redwood too.

 

[sprorchid]

OP - I am pretty much deathly allergic to everything yellow with venom that flies.
I can't help but click on these threads. I wonder when my number will be up but it's never happened to me riding. Although, due to the number of these threads, I now carry epipens with me when I ride. I know I should have all along but I did shot therapy for a long time, like 7 yrs, so I knew I had at least a 2 sting immunity going or enough time to ride to an ER before my throat swelled shut.

 

[ST Guy]

I had five bee stings in one year when I rode a yellow Ducati. I'm sure the color had nothing to do with it.

I tried covering my neck with a Buff, but in hot weather, that's probably a bigger bother than the bee stings. I haven't had any more bees sting me since that one year, so who knows?

I haven't seen too many bees now that I'm in Idaho, but I think this state has more bugs than any other in the west. I need to start taking along stuff to clean my helmet visor.

I did have a bee fly into my helmet and get stuck between my cheek and glasses. It stung and for the next week or so, that side of my face was swollen. I'd just started a new job.

 

[ST Guy]

This is what crawled into my helmet: