Wild Animal Encounters - Bees

Part 1 - Anecdotes in the wild

Hello Readers,

This is a rare short post from me, and one that just comes off the top of my head with very little research just some rambling memories of times past. It is the first in this mini series of anecdotes.

I hope you enjoy these little anecdotes.

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After reading a recent post from Julia on peeing in a tree and getting bitten by ants in very sensitives places, I started to remember all the times I had encounters with wildlife.

Photo by Timothy L Brock on Unsplash

Bees

As I commented in Julie’s article mentioned above, I also came across a situation involving bees. It happened long ago when I was young and was very interested in exploring Canada’s Northern Ontario in a canoe. These trips were either done through my school’s “Outer’s Club” or through the Girl Guides on camp weeks specifically organized for canoeing.

On this particular trip, there were nine of us in the midst of a 7-day canoe adventure in Algonquin Park. Our days typically involved three hours of paddling in the morning, a lunch stop, and two more hours of paddling in the afternoon before settling for the night at a predetermined campsite by the lake. During one lunch break, one of the girls needed to "go." She ventured off the beaten path to find a suitable spot and located a fallen log to sit on, her bare bottom hanging over the opposite side.

While relieving herself, she inadvertently peed on a bees' nest hidden on the other side of the log. Angry bees swarmed, stinging her multiple times as she stumbled and ran back to the open water to escape. Fortunately, she wasn't allergic to bee stings, nor were any other group members who also got stung.

fallen log with bees nest beside it

Later on the same trip, it happened again, only this time the bees nest was inside the hole of the outhouse. Again, running, screaming, stinging, pain. Maybe that’s why I am not a fan of outhouses now?

Moral of the story?

If you have to “go” in the wilderness, double-check where you are and carefully assess your surroundings. Consider any wildlife that might pose a risk to you. By taking a couple of extra minutes, you can minimize the risk of an unpleasant encounter.

Do you have an interesting story to tell about wildlife encounters?