When insects attack!

[Candaules]

Thanks for all the medical tips. Carrying antihistamines sounds like a good idea to me.
The hornet picture looks terrifying, but the hornets we get round here In the Charente) are not quite so huge. They raid our fig tree at this time of the year, so care is needed when picking fruit, as well as cycling. Maybe I should invest in beekeeping outfit.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

Thanks for all the medical tips. Carrying antihistamines sounds like a good idea to me.
The hornet picture looks terrifying, but the hornets we get round here In the Charente) are not quite so huge. They raid our fig tree at this time of the year, so care is needed when picking fruit, as well as cycling. Maybe I should invest in beekeeping outfit.

For hornets I would use one of these:

 

[Randochap]

I got stung last year in the soft bit at the back of your neck (base of the skull). It was very painful and I had a headache for a couple of days.

Very same place here, last September. Headache was nasty.

All I could come up with was that it maybe got in my helmet and came out the back on my neck.

That's what I figured. I wear a cap over my bald pate, under helmet, but he got me in neck. Had a hard time completing the 35km home.

 

[Candaules]

Here is a picture of a hornet from my French garden:
View attachment 4041
It's dead: the only good sort.

 

[Jonathan M]

oh, FYI this is how big a hornet is:

Tame hornet. Nice.

 

[zacklaws]

At least the chances of one of those getting into one of the holes in my helmet would be reduced. Nothing worse than something crawling around on the top of your nut inside of your helmet not knowing what it is and whether it bites or stings.

But on the other hand, a bee can wallop the top of your helmet hard when you have a bit of speed on, what would one of those feel like?

 

[Panter]

I'm afraid that Hornets are very much found in the UK..........

 

[Wheeledweenie]

I'm afraid that Hornets are very much found in the UK..........

Yes but, particularly in urban areas, they're very rare. One flew into my sisrter's bedroom the other night and her other half (a bit of a wildlife buff) was incredibly excited as you almost never see them over here. He caught it in a pint glass and released it.