There is nothing worse than relaxing by the pool and suddenly hearing a buzz right in your ear. To many, the sound of a bee is one of the scariest sounds in the world. Though a buzz sounds like any other noise, you instantly know when it belongs to a bee. This intense dread is known as apiphobia, the fear of bees beyond normal caution.
Nothing triggers immediate panic quite like that sharp, unmistakable buzz next to your ear. A peaceful moment—whether you are sitting near flowers, enjoying lunch outdoors, or swimming in a pool, is instantly stolen the second you hear it. The primary instinct for most people with apiphobia is to run away, and I am certainly guilty of that impulse. However, from spending most of my life running from bees and their annoying sound, I have learned one important lesson which is that they follow.
Bees follow and react to sudden movements and physical reactions when humans get scared. So, no matter how frightened you are: freeze. Do not move at all. Your willingness to stand still can determine whether you get stung in the next five minutes. Freezing might sound like a terrible idea because it leaves you exposed, but take it from someone who has never been stung before: just freeze.
Much of my intense paranoia stems from the fact that I have managed to go fifteen years without ever stepping on or getting stung by a bee. Never experiencing a bee sting actually fuels my imagination. Because I do not know how much a sting truly hurts, my brain assumes the worst. A tiny bumblebee creates the exact same sense of threat in my mind as a killer bee. I believe the only way I can truly overcome this fear is by finally getting stung. Experiencing it firsthand will solve the mystery of what it actually feels like.
Until that day comes, the mysterious threat of the bee and its buzz will continue to rule over my outdoor peace.
DISCLAIMER: I love bees and understand that we cannot live without them. They do so much for our environment, it is really just the buzz that gets to me.🐝