Another Freakin’ Bee Sting - OUCH!

Last Saturday, I got stung again on another ride! I can’t believe it. What are the odds? O.K., I guess that I should go out and by a lotto ticket now.

After my first sting about a month ago, I did a lot of research. Some websites suggested carrying Benadryl or Calamine Lotion in your saddle bag. Others cyclists I talked to suggested other insect sting topical ointments that you can find in your local drug stores. All of which, were said to help but not cure.

Somehow my “sting incident” came up in a conversation I was having with a friend of mine from Mexico the other day. Her suggestion was garlic. Yes, GARLIC. She said that when she got stung as a child that they put a smashed clove of garlic on the sting and that the garlic drew out the insect poison. My friend swore by this old remedy and so I thought it was worth a try.

Well, ever since that conversation I have been riding my bike with a couple of large cloves of garlic wrapped in cellophane in my saddle bag. You know…just in case.

This last Saturday about 30 miles into my 60 mile ride…ZAP, I got stung on my leg near my knee. I screamed…“CRAP, I got stung again!!!!” and then yelled to my cycling buddy that I was stopping to get out my garlic. “Garlic?” he said, “What’s with the garlic?” So, I told him the story about my friend as I was getting it unwrapped from the cellophane.

First, I pulled out the stinger since I could still see it. Then I smashed a clove with my shoe on the road and put the smashed innards on the sting and sting area (you gotta hold the garlic on the sting the entire time). At first, it just hurt like heck and then all of the sudden the pain started to subside. Within about two minutes, all you could see was the small point where the stinger was pulled out of my leg.

After this episode, I got comments like...“you have to ride in the back now, no one wants to ride down wind of the garlic.” Yes, my garlic cure was the material for a few more jokes along the ride that day. However, every time I showed someone the sting area they were amazed at the result.

When I got home I told my husband about the incident and showed him my leg. It was truly amazing! The last time I got stung the area had welted up to a 4 inch red swollen bump. Burning and itching for about a week.

All I can say is that garlic is just as important as an extra tube on my rides!

FY I- Next week, I am going for 65 miles!