Forums >General Running>Silly trail running question
Doing my first trail 1/2 in a few weeks and during the course of my training I've been stung by bees three times. The trails I'm training on are typically through woods and I'll wear mosquito repellant so I guess I'm just curious if 1) have I just been really unlucky to get stung that many times in fairly quick succession 2) is there anything experienced trail runners do to avoid this happening or 3) is this just part of trail running and I'll have to take my chances?
I'm not cruising by any hives that I know of and think it was just a matter of me running into them and them feeling threatened so they took action, but I'd really love to avoid getting stung again if that's an option.
Thankfully I'm not allergic so it's more just the annoyance of it than anything. And I think my family and coworkers would love to see me stop itching and scratching all day long!
There can be ground bees on the trail - Superior Hiking trail is notorious for ground bees.
I have never been stung by a bee on an trails. My home trail is the Ice Age - Northern Kettle (1 hour away) I avoid it from late June until beginning of September because of horseflys. I sweat a lot and usually have a cloud of 50-100 following be. I rate horse fly runs as
1) Good - Get bit 0-12 times a hour
2) Bad - Get bit 13-30 times a hour
3) Horrible - 31+ times an hour
I had one run a couple years ago I was getting bit 2-3 times a minute. That is when I decided to avoid that trail during most the summer. They do not start the frenzy until I get good and sweaty.
Doing my first trail 1/2 in a few weeks and during the course of my training I've been stung by bees three times. The trails I'm training on are typically through woods and I'll wear mosquito repellant so I guess I'm just curious if 1) have I just been really unlucky to get stung that many times in fairly quick succession 2) is there anything experienced trail runners do to avoid this happening or 3) is this just part of trail running and I'll have to take my chances? I'm not cruising by any hives that I know of and think it was just a matter of me running into them and them feeling threatened so they took action, but I'd really love to avoid getting stung again if that's an option. Thankfully I'm not allergic so it's more just the annoyance of it than anything. And I think my family and coworkers would love to see me stop itching and scratching all day long!
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
Thanks, you're just a bit north of me - most of the trails I do are along the Milwaukee River from the northern burbs downtown. Getting ready to give the Northface Challenge down in the southern Kettle in a few weeks for the first time. I wasn't up to doing the full or anything more than that, but felt like the 1/2 would be a good way to dip my toe in the trail running waters.
There can be ground bees on the trail - Superior Hiking trail is notorious for ground bees. I have never been stung by a bee on an trails. My home trail is the Ice Age - Northern Kettle (1 hour away) I avoid it from late June until beginning of September because of horseflys. I sweat a lot and usually have a cloud of 50-100 following be. I rate horse fly runs as 1) Good - Get bit 0-12 times a hour 2) Bad - Get bit 13-30 times a hour 3) Horrible - 31+ times an hour I had one run a couple years ago I was getting bit 2-3 times a minute. That is when I decided to avoid that trail during most the summer. They do not start the frenzy until I get good and sweaty.
We have ground bees / hornets here in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. I get stung at least once every summer while running trails, most recently in July. Several friends have been stung multiple times this summer. There doesn't seem to be anything you can wear or otherwise do to prevent them other than not run (no way!) or run in a large group and hope those in front of you get stung first (way!).
Guess I am lucky in that I have never gotten stung while trail running! I have gotten stung through one of my cycling gloves while riding my bike though. Owwww. That was weird but when I think about it, not so weird because a) it was springtime b) I went right next to a huge bush with yellow flowers. Maybe you fulfilled your quota for bee stings this year?
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt
I've been running in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest for 15 years now. I've never been stung by bees or hornets, but have been bitten by deer flies. On a recent 12 mile run I killed over 300 of the little bloodsucking varmints.
Maybe you could try stealthing yourself to bees/wasps by not wearing brightly colored running clothes. Pale, light colors would likely be better.
Eesh, if deer flies are the other option, I think I'll stick with the occasional bee sting.
Knock on wood, but I've never been stung while trail running, at least not that I can remember. There have been others that have been stung on some of the same trails. In part it comes down to luck and in part I think if you fear being stung the bees can sense that and are more likely to attack. At the same time, maybe you are running by some nests or hives and just don't really see them.
The interesting thing is that while I don't get stung while running, I regularly get stung on the bike. When I was putting on 3-5k a year I would get stung 5-6 times a year, maybe more. Never could figure out how you could hit a bee at 30 MPH and it would have time to sting you.
On my run today a bird crapped on my arm. I'd like to know how to avoid that.
A list of my PRs in a misguided attempt to impress people that do not care.
Cut your arm off. Or stop running outside. One of the two...take your pick.