I was stung five times by a wasp on the way home this evening - it was evidently perturbed to to find itself on the inside of my merino base-layer. I am a little aggrieved by this, having defended the rights of wasps on the recent thread about dastardly ways to do them in. Clearly, if there is a God, he has a warped sense of humour. The wasp was released, I think unharmed, and I narrowly avoided careering into the sea, as well as embarrassingly divesting myself of clothing in rush hour on the Mumbles seafront. But I digress - my point is that, twenty minutes later, after stopping to chat to someone, I was rocketing up hills I usually dawdle up, and wondering why anyone bothers which such things as gears. It might be all in my head, of course, but I'm sure it's the wasp stings. I still feel a bit odd. Does anyone know what's in a sting, and can you buy it in a bottle?
Performance Enhancing Wasps?
- Thread starter theclaud
- Start date
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Headgardener
Armchair Cyclist
Didn't know that there was such a thing as rush hour on The Mumbles.
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
adrenaline....
longers said:Five?
There's probably definitely some chemical/physiological interaction going on that someone else will be able to explain better than I could. But five is quite a lot and it'd get my dander up for sure.
To be fair to the stripey little bastard, the second and third were reactions to my instinctive grabbing in the area of the pain, and it was lucky to get away unflattened. The other two were probably just panic - it was as keen to get out as I was to get rid of it, but I was moving quite fast into a headwind, and there was a lot of flapping fabric and general confusion. If I'd known that it was going to turn me into ilovebikes for half an hour, I might have asked it for another.
jonesy
Guru
"Another feature unique to the wasp and hornet is that the venom contains a pheromone which alarms all other wasps in the area and invites them to join the attack on the victim. Whilst one can see the evolutionary and defensive benefits of such an alarm system, it is particularly worrying for the victim. Whilst bees therefore do fly in swarms and have the reputation for attacking in swarms, do not let the comparitively solitary journey of the wasp deceive since not only can one wasp sting more than once, but it calls all wasps nearby to come and help."
http://www.insectstings.co.uk/waspsting.shtml
http://www.insectstings.co.uk/waspsting.shtml
Chuffy
Veteran
- Location
- On the banks of the Exe
Sounds like right-wingers on Guardian CiF thread!jonesy said:"Another feature unique to the wasp and hornet is that the venom contains a pheromone which alarms all other wasps in the area and invites them to join the attack on the victim. Whilst one can see the evolutionary and defensive benefits of such an alarm system, it is particularly worrying for the victim. Whilst bees therefore do fly in swarms and have the reputation for attacking in swarms, do not let the comparitively solitary journey of the wasp deceive since not only can one wasp sting more than once, but it calls all wasps nearby to come and help."
http://www.insectstings.co.uk/waspsting.shtml
Just stab yourself with an epipen next time. I must admit to chuckling at the thought of some deranged cyclist stripping frantically on the seafront while beating herself.
Reminds me of the time on a houseboat when just as my sister disappeared into the tiny toilet compartment so did a wasp. As the lock clicked shut, we heard an exclamation followed by a series of frantic thumps, a silent pause before a loud yowl, the air turning blue followed by some satisfied swearing.
There was no sympathy, we were all unable to breathe through the asphyxiation of hysterical laughter.
Thank you theclaud you've brought back a good memory.
Reminds me of the time on a houseboat when just as my sister disappeared into the tiny toilet compartment so did a wasp. As the lock clicked shut, we heard an exclamation followed by a series of frantic thumps, a silent pause before a loud yowl, the air turning blue followed by some satisfied swearing.
There was no sympathy, we were all unable to breathe through the asphyxiation of hysterical laughter.
Thank you theclaud you've brought back a good memory.
Chuffy
Veteran
- Location
- On the banks of the Exe
Pictures needed! I require a box of wasps and a train ticket to Swansea. Oh and a camera.Crackle said:
Tony B
New Member
- Location
- On the banks of the Thames
Last Sunday, I felt a pain in my stomach as thou someone had shoved a red hot poker there and upon reaching home from my ride I investigated my stomach, I had 5 wasp stings and it didn't do anything to my riding, infact I was slower still had the marks Monday but the swelling had gone down , whatever your wasp had mine was out of it, still don't know how the bugger got in and out of my shirt??
, whatever your wasp had mine was out of it, still don't know how the bugger got in and out of my shirt??
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
Probably is something as simple as a rush of adrenaline.
What you need, however, is a couple of these dangling off your handlebars, then you may avoid being stung.
What you need, however, is a couple of these dangling off your handlebars, then you may avoid being stung.
