Prevent Bee & Wasp Stings (Easiest Life Hack!)

Bees and wasps have their pros and cons. They're very beneficial creatures, and yet they have a certain painful "charm" about them that most find annoying. Not too many people like to be stung--and some are deathly allergic to it--so sometimes it's in everyone's best interest to move the nest/hive away from one's living or work quarters.

Now, this is my first time testing out a potentially dangerous life hack...this is definitely outside of my comfort zone. But I will do it for you! :)

This hack not only keeps you sting-free when removing a nest/hive, but it also keeps you from getting stung when a bee or wasp comes near you in general. And if you're an animal (insect) activist, this approach doesn't hurt the bees/wasps at all (aka, it's not killing them). You also don't need any special equipment to do it (no smokers or vacuums).

All you have to do to stay sting-free is: HOLD YOUR BREATH. Not indefinitely (LOL), but in spurts, particularly when the bee or wasp is nearest you.

NOTE: Do NOT attempt this with a ton of bees as a go-to method, or if you are allergic (aka: don't go looking for trouble). There aren't enough scientific experiments done on the matter to say it's a fact. But to generally keep from getting stung when you absolutely need it, this works VERY well. :)

I wouldn't believe it if I didn't watch my pastor take down a big ol' bee hive from a tree without any protective gear and without getting stung even once!

In the video below, I took down a little wasp nest without getting stung (and without any protective gear) to show you that it works.

*Author's Note: The video stopped recording suddenly at the end because my storage on my phone was filled up. But I didn't get stung even after the recording stopped, and I walked through the angry wasps without getting stung too.

I have beekeeper friends and family. They have all told me that they notice that bees or wasps will often go for the face when stinging. This begs the question as to WHY???

Consider the following statements:

1. "Bees defending their colony are attracted to carbon dioxide, as the facial area is a sensitive place to sting. Heavy breathing around bees is therefore a bad idea." https://www.quora.com/Do-some-people-naturally-att...

2. "These actions, along with carbon dioxide in exhaled breath, could stimulate the guard bees to sting." http://www.pollinator.org/PDFs/NAPPC.NoFear.brochF...

3. From the book Letters from the Hive: An Intimate History of Bees, Honey, and Humankind, by Stephen L. Buchmann: "Holding your breath keeps bees from stinging your mouth and nose, since exhaled carbon dioxide is one of the cues that stimulates their stinging response." https://books.google.ca/books?id=vCqoog8WH3gC&pg=P...

4. "Here is more education for you: your exhaled breath contains carbon dioxide, which can be used as an anesthesia for bees, and since they don't like it, they become aggressive. This is [why] a bee constantly "flits" around your face, because it is aggressively aroused. Remember that the next time you think about moving bees by blowing your breath on them." http://www.mainebee.com/articles/beestings.php

5. Here, most experienced beekeepers agree that breathing on the bee hives induces an instant frenzy: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?263...

6. "Bees attack where carbon dioxide is expelled." http://phoenix.about.com/cs/desert/a/killerbees01_...

7. "A devastating trait of attacking bees is that they are drawn to carbon dioxide (CO2), the gas exhaled by all mammals." http://beealert.com/pages/bee_information_4.asp

8. And I watched a documentary on killer bees that put a stuffed animal on a hook and the bees did nothing, even when gently disturbed. The scientists put a carbon dioxide tube in the stuffed animal from a distance and it instantly created a frenzy! Let me know if you find out what documentary this is because I can't remember the name!

There you have it! Again, don't go looking for trouble and swarms of bees to "test" this on. I am NOT responsible if it doesn't work for any reason. It's just something that has personally worked for us and our friends consistently. As always, use your brain and common sense! :)