A PLEA TO ALL CLIMBERS

Warren Scott wrote:I was climbing at Isle of You years ago and felt the air vibrating. Seconds later my partner and I heard the noise--the sound of thousands of bees. It was coming from over the top and on the other side of the crag. We beat a hasty retreat from the belay ledge, leaving all the colorful webbing and gear in place. We never did even see the hive, but the static electricity sound of the buzzing was frightening. There's a big hive at Sitting Bull Falls on the far left. I wonder if they've been Africanized?

I believe so, any time I've been there and someone has even climbed on that left wall there have beens stings, myself included. Though I've not heard of any outright attacks ... yet, from that hive. All the incidents were climbing routes in the middle to very right edge of that wall, well away, but apparently not far enough, from the hive which is at the left edge of the left wall. I've not heard of or had any issues at the Big Horn Wall.

Colonel Mustard wrote:On a serious note, I blame hip hop.

I blame the Illuminati.

I put two of them in my multipitch pack. They are tiny. I hope that I never have occasion to use them but it makes me feel better that they are there.

Thanks Robbie for the good idea.

Although a head net would keep the bees out of your face, if they are still able to sting you, you are still at risk for anaphylaxis - even if you are not "allergic." The systemic swelling and airway closure is due to an over reaction of your immune system; it doesn't matter where they sting you. If you are not allergic, you will have more time since your immune system is not already hypersensitive to the antigen; regardless, that systemic swelling needs to be controlled, but how many people climb with EPI, Benadryl, and prednisone. The head net does give you the advantage of better keeping your cool because they are not stinging your face but it will not help stop that which is going to stop your breathing - giving you false security.

This is a very complex issue that needs to be talked about specifically in the climbing community; this is any climbers nightmare and is extremely pertinent to specifically to climbers since killer bees commonly make their homes in cliff faces. The bees are excessively aggressive and will attack you; DO NOT take your chances if you know there is a nest in the area. I have been attacked twice by killer bees in central america; in both cases, I was over 200ft away from the nest - luckily I was not climbing.

Maybe a conversation with Access Fund to partition money for exterminating known killer bees' nests (the species is invasive) in popular climbing areas.

Locker wrote:Making sense on climbing forums is forbidden.

Logic is aid

Michael Douglas wrote: "this is any climbers nightmare and is extremely pertinent to specifically to climbers since killer bees commonly make their homes in cliff faces. The bees are excessively aggressive and will attack you; DO NOT take your chances if you know there is a nest in the area. I have been attacked twice by killer bees in central america; in both cases, I was over 200ft away from the nest - luckily I was not climbing. Maybe a conversation with Access Fund to partition money for exterminating known killer bees' nests (the species is invasive) in popular climbing areas.

Thanks for some well thought out insight. MP needs more of this.

Geir wrote:I put two of them in my multipitch pack. They are tiny. I hope that I never have occasion to use them but it makes me feel better that they are there. Thanks Robbie for the good idea.

Thanks for taking it. I'm still looking foreword the 5/25 clinic. Keep me posted.

I think the head net tip is worthy. This was posted over on Supertorpor, and worth checking out the whole site as well as the product: beealert.com/pages/aerosol_…

As far as Epipens go- I'm alergic (once went temporily blind) to yellow jackets and carry a Epi, but if you get attacked by Africanized bees, an Epipen ain't going to do you shit.

The info's out there. Read up, watch videos if you're inclined.

Thanks for the thread.

... And this just happened yesterday. Number one environmental threat in S. AZ will always be dehydration due to heat, now it's looking like bees are making their way up the list.

kvoa.com/news/helicopter-bl…

Mean Mr. Mustard made my morning... thnx Locker!

Thanks Steve.

Michael Douglas wrote:Maybe a conversation with Access Fund to partition money for exterminating known killer bees' nests (the species is invasive) in popular climbing areas.

The recent death was tragic of course, but let's not over-react.

Africanization is hybridization. ALL bees in Arizona are now Africanized. It's not a case of good species versus bad species.

I'm not a bee expert, but it seems to me that in light of colony collapse disorder we shouldn't make destroying colonies a policy.

There at lots of objective dangers in climbing, even sport climbing. Some of these dangers come from non-human species. Just be careful.

A while back, I routinely climbed through a tree that was abuzz with bees at Pinnacle Peak in Scottsdale, AZ to TR solo a route. Freaked me out at first, but the lure of a crumbling, low quality hike of a handcrack called too strongly. One time one buzzed close and his headphones fell out. The languid tones of Burt Bacharach spilled out of his face plugs and I breathed a sigh of relief while taking my trigger finger off the epi pen. If it had been Wu Tang I woulda been audi fo sho.

I picked up a couple headnets at SummitHut several years back and have since kept them on hand when climbing. I also keep Benedryl in my pack, along with the butterfly strips, advil, gauze, bactroban, etc. The headnets are about the size of an egg and weigh almost nothing. Like Geir, I've never had to pull mine out except once for mosquitos.

Be safe out there. Ounce of prevention...

Mods, some modest pruning could make this thread a little more valuable and a little less.. well, you know. I just don't get why ppl feel the need to go on about how much they think someone else knows, etc.

Anyway, thanks Robbie for the thread. Solid advice.

Daryl Allan wrote: Mods, some modest pruning could make this thread a little more .

I think I know this one: . . . Fascist, boring, and easy to ignore? Also it would have been seen fewer times by fewer people meaning it would have been less effective. Why would you want to make this thread less effective? Are your personal feelings that delicate?

What do you do to makeosquitos bite you less? I dont like deet or any other products...i think honey may help...

Robbie honestly your advice is not very practical. Its like me, a nurse, warning people here about the effects of cigarette smoking , alcohol and drug abuse...all i got is ridicule. I did not post pictures of lung cancer or liver cirrhosis though. Stupid kids are gonna mess with bees, working creatures trying to protect their home. And yes you will get bit. There are rattle snakes at crags too. Antivenum would be a godadvice juiced with a knarly pic. Dude gro up and get a grip....you just wod nted people to see your picture which you though was rad.

My advice kids: don't climb where there are beez! Using the net on your head not only will give you the false sence of security that you can " climb through them" but also will endanger passer by's if you are aggravating the bees. Climbing is a priviledge, fun and pasttime. Don' t put your life at more risk in a risky already sport
Stop messing with the bees! If you are so desperate to climb contact professional exterminator services and have them remove the hive, for a fee im sure. We had it done on the hospital premises once.

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^It's just truly sad that you have nothing better to do with your time, or nothing better to say. You're not even a good troll. Your main goal is to get under my skin to fulfill some empty corner of your life, and you cant even suceed at that. You don't bother me, rather I pity you. Better luck next time.
-Mackley

Robbie is being nice. Trolling and tits are great fun, but there are threads that don't need that kind of BS. This is one of those threads. Fuck you floatingturd.

how many people have been attacked by these bees and put on the headnet during the attack and been saved by it?

it seems a bit like clipping your helmet to your harness just in case but WTF do I know, I'm in tick country