
Apiphobia or the fear of bees is a common zoophobia affecting a sizeable part of the population. The word is derived from Latin ‘api’ which means bees and Greek ‘phobos’ meaning deep dread or fear. Many people suffering from Apiphobia are not only afraid of bees, but also fear wasps (spheksophobia), yellow jackets and all other swarming and flying insects that sting.
To an extent, the fear of bees is absolutely normal and healthy. Many people feel apprehension at the sight of bees, since no one wants to get stung. But in case of Apiphobia, even the mention of bees (or pictures of bees) can trigger an anxiety response that is akin to that of actually being stung. Thus, normal and healthy apprehension turns into paralyzing fear which can disrupt the phobic’s day to day functioning.
Causes of fear of bees phobia
Fears and phobias are usually classically conditioned responses of the brain. A previous traumatic or negative reaction is most likely the trigger behind Apiphobia.
- A child, or even an adult, might have accidentally disturbed a beehive and, as a result, been stung several times. (In some cases, one might have only witnessed similar incident and not experienced bee stings at all).
- Socially conditioned responses are often the likely factors that trigger Apiphobia. Parents and caregivers tend to warn children to stay away from bees and wasps. Over protectiveness of this sort can amplify the fear about bees in the young minds.
- Likewise, parents or older siblings might show intense fear at the sight of bees and young children learn to fear bees as a result.
- Movies, TV shows etc can also trigger such a phobia of bees.
Most childhood cases of Apiphobia resolve by themselves. In some cases though; the fear may persist well into adulthood.
Symptoms of Apiphobia
The sight or thought of bees can trigger one or more of the following symptoms in the phobic:
- Breathlessness
- Rapid or accelerated heartbeat
- Sweating profusely
- Thoughts of death or movie stills about being stung run in the phobic’s mind
- Loss of control, detachment from reality
- Full blown panic or anxiety attack where the phobic tries to run or screams or cries
- Fainting
Often the Apiphobic realizes that such thoughts are completely irrational. Yet, s/he is unable to control them and continues to think them which result in greater anxiety.
Overcoming and treating Apiphobia
An important part of overcoming the fear of bees is to understand the facts about bees:
- Bees only sting when provoked
- A majority of the bees cannot even sting, (this includes the male bees as well as the solitary varieties).
- Bees are amazing insects that provide us with food and medicine. They are also essential players in the ecosystem.
These facts can help phobics rationalize their fearful thoughts.
Likewise, counter conditioning therapy is an effective method for overcoming the fear of bees. This therapy involves brining the fear producing stimulus, in this case bees, closer to the participant until s/he gets ‘conditioned’ to show a positive rather than negative response to it. This procedure has now evolved into systematic desensitization and gradual exposure therapies both of which expose the sufferer to bees in a gradual manner until they are completely able to control their anxiety.
It also helps when you learn to focus on the feelings you experience upon encountering bees. Deep breathing, counting numbers, diverting your attention away from bees etc are a few simple yet useful self-help techniques that can help one overcome their Apiphobia.
I used to have this phobia from disturbing an underground nest as a young child and being stung multiple times. I was so young that I didn’t even remember this incident, only being told it happened by my parents but I still panicked even at a bee being in the room.
The phobia went away in my teens just on it’s own as I realized it was a bit irrational.
I’ve had this since I was 4 when a Pepsis Wasp stung me, being one of the most painful things I’ve felt. Later I started to have a fear of insects in general, I never slept and had anxiety attacks about being stung or bitten at any moment of then. It felt like I constantly had bugs all over me. I still have the fear to this day, now being 23 and I almost feel childish and wish that it could go away.
I remember I was at a Jewish retreat I think at the age of 4. One of the adults decided it was a good idea to take the kids into the woods (we were on a campground) for a scavenger hunt. Well, right as the hunt was beginning, one of the kids stepped on a bees nest. This was the traumatizing part. I heard the buzzing of numerous bees, then five of them came down on me sequentially. I got stung on my legs twice, on my arm, in my ear and under my eye. The scary part was I had my eyes closed during the first four stings, then for the last one I opened my eyes and saw the bee right under my eye. I saw it sting me. I saw it stick its stinger into my face. Needless to say, my apiphobia came from that terrifying moment.
Another terrifying part was hearing the screams of the kids around me as they were also stung numerous times… *shivers*
I’m jewish too!
I am terrified to mow my lawn because I fear I will accidentally disturb a bee, wasp, hornet. It has gotten worse and now I refuse to mow the lawn until it starts to get cool outside at around 5 or 6 pm. I am also a smoker and if I am waiting in my car and smoke a cigarette I am extremely paranoid that a bee, wasp, or hornet will fly into the car while the window is down. It has almost happened on a few different occasions but I was quick enough to roll up the window. I am not sure when I became so terrified of stinging insects. I’ve been stung 6 times in the past and I have no fear of needles or shots. I am perfectly fine with getting blood drawn or getting a vaccine but when it comes to those buzzing yellow and black insects I am terrified.
I am extremely afraid of all bees so much that I can’t enjoy spring or summer.
There is so much I miss out on because of my fear.
I won’t go out on my deck because I’m afraid . If there are bees at the front of my house I won’t go out until night fall.
My life is controlled by my fear of bees. Don’t know how to get over this fear.
Why don’t you consult a cognitive behavioral therapist where you can learn how to cope with and mitigate the fear? This wouldn’t involve more than 3-5 sessions. You deserve to be happy!
Same. It’s impossible!
I’ve been terrified of bees/wasps for as long as I can remember, I dread going outside in the summer, I have panic attacks when walking the dog through my local countryside. I work with children and have to stay inside while they’re playing out because if a bee comes I’ll end up screaming and running away, which will scare the kids. I’m really sick of feeling anxious every time it’s a warm, sunny day, I’d rather be absolutely boiling indoors than open a window in case a bee or wasp comes in. I just want this phobia to end and I don’t know what to do
I have a deep fear of any buzzing insects. It’s very hard for me to control the fear and even if I Really try to freeze instead of running away, I Will ultimately end up so scared and panicking that I Will have to go inside. I have Never actually been stung by a bee og wasp. Even a tiny buzzing insect Like a flie, Will paralyze me, until it’s gone.
It feels good to see that I’m not the only one. When I was a toddler my grandma would yell, “Bumble bee! Bumble bee!” and I would take off running and yelling. She thought it was “funny” and “cute”. After years of her doing that, I became extremely fearful, not only of bees, but anything that buzzes. Even if I know there is a fly in the room I will duck from it and dodge it because I’m so afraid that maybe I overlooked that it’s actually a bee!
Seeing a bee causes me to plug my ears with my fingertips, duck my head, close my eyes and hum loudly while running away. If I open my ears/eyes and I can see or hear it still, I will begin sobbing and running even further.
I am so fearful that when my husband and I wanted to take our 18-month-old hiking and I discovered that we parked the car under a hive, I refused to exit the car. When my husband opened his door, a bee flew in and I ran out of the car. I stood 20 feet away and yelled at him that there was a bee in the car (our son was still strapped into his car seat). My husband couldn’t hear me and repeatedly told me to get ahold of myself. I broke down crying and my son was left in the car with a bee for several minutes. I felt so guilty. What kind of mother wouldn’t risk a bee sting to save her son?!
Honestly, I think I knew that he wasn’t in any real danger and that I was just scared of something that I shouldn’t be. I know my fear is ridiculous and bees only sting when provoked, but I am so damn scared. It’s by far my biggest fear – it’s paralyzing.
At another time, a bee landed on my son’s swimsuit and everybody around me started yelling at me to brush it off. I was too scared!! So I calmly said, “I don’t want him to get stung because I swatted at it. Don’t touch it. He will be fine, it will fly away.” Seconds later it flew off and I picked up my son and headed for the indoors! Ugh! No thank you, Mr. Bee! I feel like such a bad mother. Who do I even see for help overcoming this fear?!
I do the same thing with flies! I will act as if they are bees just in case it is a bee. People will act like I’m crazy or ridiculous and say “It’s just a fly, geez.” But I see it flying and buzzing and I immediately assume it’s a bee. I can’t help it.
I am terrified of bees personally this does not help I can’t control myself when I see a bee. Even if a bee is literally a block away from me I would start running
Seriously, what i think about bees is.. RUN AWAY AND PANIC, BEES WILL KILL YOU!
When I was two years old I was locked in a car with bees. I got stung badly. Ever since then I panic at the sight of bees. I don’t think it’s something that I can just overcome. My body reacts instantly to the sight of them. I’m 32 now.
My story is like many of the others, except I almost died (think of the movie, “My Girl”). My dad and I were exploring in the woods and stepped on a bumble bee hive. Had I not been with my father, I most certainly would not be alive today. I’m not allergic, but almost died due to the sheer number of stings and I was only 7 years old (in other words, I weighed around 30 pounds or so). It didn’t help that this fear was reinforced by stepping on a dead bee and getting stung, then came along the yellow jacket, and finally, the wasp. The wasp was almost as traumatic as the near-death experience, and was in some ways, worse. A wasp became trapped in my shirt and stung me. I clung to it inside my shirt, terrified, for almost an hour because my friend was under strict orders not to disturb her mom who worked from home when she was with a client. An hour later I was still crying, clutching my shirt. Her mom finally convinced me that it was dead (she probably thought it was a bee or that my hand, white from clutching my shirt so hard, had surely crushed it) and to let go of my shirt, promising me that there was no way it could hurt me again. I finally let go, and that “bee” turned out to be a red wasp, which promptly stung me two more times on the way out of my shirt. Once on my chin, and once on my ear, for a total of three times. That, coupled with the terror that comes when looking down after hearing what you think must be running water and realizing that waterfall you hear is the collective sound of thousands of bees rising up from the ground and swarming, put me over the edge.
I was 7 years old when I stepped into that beehive and was stung for the first time and around 10 or 11 when I was stung for the last time by that wasp (with those three or four other incidents in between). I’m 39 years old now and I still can’t even take my garbage to the curb until nightfall because I’m so terrified of those things. In fact, my fear has gotten worse, not better. I’ve never suffered from hallucinations or any psychotic disorders, but I’m so hypersensitive to where there MIGHT be bees/wasps, I can sometimes hear buzzing even when there is nothing there, which triggers the same response as if they were there (this symptom is relatively new, actually).
I know logically that I was just incredibly unlucky (like getting struck by lightning or in a plane crash kind of unlucky). I’m not a superstitious person and realize that the chances of even getting stung again are small, let alone getting attacked or stung repeatedly. Yet that deep, primal part of my brain has become so hard-wired and sensitized I am physically and mentally unable to stop the sequence of events that leads to my aversive reaction to those insects. I was driving down the road a couple years ago and saw/heard one in the back of my car and actually jumped out of my car WHILE IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. Fortunately, it was a residential street and the car stopped against a curb, but I couldn’t even put the car in park until a resident came outside and got rid of the bee. I felt humiliated but still unable to enter the car until the bee was gone.
Interestingly, my aversion to wasps is much greater than to bees (which is amazing, considering how scared I am of the latter), despite having almost been killed by bees and not wasps. I also appreciate the bees vital role in nature much more than the wasps. Bees are not nearly as visually aversive in an aesthetic sense to me either. Wasps creep me out just by their physical appearance alone.
This is such a problem, that I have seriously considered moving to someplace that has less of these insects overall, or has them fewer months out of the year (I live in Texas, so… yeah).
– Dee
I was at the ATM and drove away without getting my card first because there was a bee that flew up to the machine. I felt embarrassed, too, because someone was behind me in line and had to chase me down to give me my debit card.
Oh my gosh!!! I would have died!!! I am terrified!!! I got stung at 7, also. I was at a rodeo and I was climbing down a fence a and a yellow jacket stung me on my vein on the inside of my wrist. I remember all I could see was the outline of things, like when you close your eyes and look at the sun. Then, I laid down in my Daddy’s very, and that’s all I remember. I also got stung this past year by a yellow jacket on my toe, and all I was doing was standing still! I didn’t even know it was on me! I am 38 years old, and I still screamed for my Momma and took 6 Benedryls. This is a real phobia, and no one understands it. Just today even, I was in my friend’ s car and a bee way on the window beside me, and I screamed and froze in fear until my friend got it out. I cried. This is why I was looking this up. No one understands us. I’d rather have s snake or spider on me than any kind of bee/ singing insect. I will stay inside or away from friends and family to avoid them, too. I am so sorry that happened to you. I cannot imagine your fear, bc I know how great mine is.
SAME
When I was a senior in high school, I was taking my senior portraits when I stepped on a covered meat bee hive and was chased/attacked by the entire hive. Even when indoors, changing rooms, they continued to chase me or I would find one trapped in my clothes or hair. It was extremely traumatizing as I had already had a fear of bees and to me, that experience rationalized it. My fear got much worse after that.. if a bee was even within 15 feet or so I was unable to focus and would hold myself as far away as possible, even if it meant walking in the road or eating indoors. Then, this past summer I was a camp counselor for the second summer in a row and previously, there were hardly any bees in the area, but this past summer there was a wasp and yellow jacket problem. Nests were getting built everywhere and wasps would get trapped inside tents and thankfully, I had good friends who were understanding and would help me, but the kids would often laugh until I told them that it was unkind and what had happened to me. I was able to do my job, but it did often get in the way of day to day activities/routines and I just wish it would go away.
There was a bee invasion in my room back in 2009. I can hear the (Bzzzz) sounds all day and all night. I couldn’t even sleep. I didn’t get stung though. I had “Weapons” with me. Windex (To drown them), a plate (to trap them and then punch the plate with my fist to crush them), and of course the flyswatter. I killed almost 49 bees in my room. Eventually a person came in and sealed up the hole that they were coming from. My dad later on killed the nest with “RAID”. However, in the last 2 years I was “Poked” by a bee once. To tell you the truth “IT HURTS!” The stinger didn’t went inside in my arm. It was just a small poke but it hurt badly. I cured it with toothpaste (Baking soda), and then my arm was all better within 6 hours. I’m still afraid of bees and wasps. But with fall coming they’ll get more aggressive.
I have a rational fear because of my highly deadly allergy to bees, wasps yellow jackets and hornets
same i have been afraid since i was 10 and i can’t bear even the mention of bees
When I was about 6 my grandfather cut down a tree branch with an old wood bee hive in it, and had “killed all” the bees. Later that day I was playing near the tree and stepped on a fallen branch. Next thing I knew I had been stung on the chin and was pulling something buzzing and small off of me. As a normal 6 year old does I ran screaming and crying into the house where my parents and grandparents made sure there was nothing else wrong with me. The rest of that day seems like a haze because of the medicine they gave me for the pain. I’m still afraid of bees. Whenever a bee gets near me I freeze-up and start to whine and cry, I can’t help myself even though I know that the bee isn’t trying to harm me.
I dont freeze up, i start to shake.
I just run and start whimpering. I was like 4 or 5 and I was hiking. I stepped on a bee by accident and got stung in so many places. Now I think, “how much worse will a wasp sting be?”
I’ve been afraid of bees ever since I was 3. I was outside playing and I saw a carpenter bee flying. I ran to my aunt and a sweat bee stung me. Ever since I avoided the outdoors until 10.00 if I were at some place late. I forced my parents to buy candles, a bug zapper, and other bug repelling things. I don’t exactly know what caused the apiphobia, but I think it was from watching Winnie the Pooh. How he tries to get honey from the hive and the bees attack. I’m not sure. Every time I see a bee, I run away and not come back until it leaves. One time I saw a wasp on my arm and almost fainted. Thank goodness I could swat it away before it stung me. Some times my hair scares me. My hair gets on my arm and I think it’s a bee so I have the same reaction. Then I realize it was my hair. When I was a kid, I would have constant nightmares about bees. About being chased by bees, stung by bees, e.t.c. I watched a video about bees eating a spider once. It scared me so I turned it off. I’m sensitive to the buzzing. Just like how my senses have been sensitive to a bunch of things as a kid. My sister teases me about this ridiculous fear. She says that there is a bee on my head when there isn’t. I want to get rid of this fear, but I can’t. I always have to say no to my friends when they ask to hang out at the pool. I want to be able to be outdoors. This fear just won’t end. I don’t know how to get over it. I don’t know what to do. I guess I will just have to deal with it.
I want to get rid of it too! My parents get mad at me when i can’t take the trash out or go swimming or go outside but i can’t help it! I get major panic attacks and i’ve never experienced anything to trigger this. My parents want to send me to therapy but i’m scared. I just turned 13 a couple of days ago. It’s been getting worse.
Same
I’ve never been stung by a bee before, but I have a traumatic memory of them. My dad and I were out on a bike ride, miles away from any big cities, when my dad got stung in the throat by two bees at the same time. He’d never been allergic to bees until that moment. And because I was the only person who could properly breathe, I had to dial the emergency services. Take note that I was only 14 at the time. I was scared of bees before that day but afterwards I couldn’t even have one anywhere near me. If there was a bush with bees in it I would genuinely turn around or try and keep as far away as possible. Bees are scary.
I’m 16 and part of my high school’s marching band. We start practicing in August, which is basically still summer here in New Jersey, so there’s usually bees. Freshman year was especially bad, and it was when I realized that this is more than just a fear. I’m probably not gonna be part of the band for my junior year, in part because of my fear.
Needless to say, I’m moving as far north on the east coast of the USA as possible when I turn 18. This phobia is even affecting where I want to go to college. Fortunately, I’ll be able to drive myself home next year, or at least get an Uber. I avoid walking home during the warmer months at all costs. When I do walk home, I’m hyper vigilant of any bees or wasps. One time we had a huge hornet in our living room. After that, sometimes I don’t even feel safe in my own home.
Summer is the only time I don’t have school, and I’m stuck inside for all three months. I only go out on very windy days, or if there’s a light rain.
I’m seeing a therapist for this.
Once a carpenter bee slammed itself into my back, this scared the crap out of me.
When I was two almost three years old, I was playing outside and sniffing Momas flowers before a bee stung my nose.
Ever since then if I heard buzzing around me and saw any stinging insect I’d freak out and have panic attacks with chest pains, uncontrolled sobbing and nausea.
I get stung every year. At least once every year, no matter what I do to avoid it. But since that day I’ve gotten stung every year in the summer time.
I forbid myself from staying outside whenever I see any stinger wielding insect buzzing around.
Just recently I was cleaning a trailer outside and both a bumblebee and a wasp flew past me and I crouched down where I was and sobbed like a child. Soon as I saw more wasps I left as quick as I could.
Getting yelled at for not completing a chore is way better than getting stung.
I have a terrible fear of anything that stings. When I was younger I used to love to be outside and play but I kept getting stung by bees and it traumatized me. I remember one incident very clearly. I was around 4 or 5 and I was outside playing. My neighbor was digging a hole to plant a tree and I was over helping him. I remember just feeling a bit nervous as there were bees around but I didn’t really care. I then kept feeling a pain in my leg and I ended up hopping away only to look down and scream because there was a bee stuck to my dress. I hate going outside for multiple reasons. One I’m allergic to plants flowers pollen dust trees anything under that category. And two I’m deathly afraid of bees. I was just outside playing around with my dogs and there were some bumble bees out. I was like okay don’t disturb them and you will be fine. I was bringing out some food for the dogs and the bumble bees went right in front of my face and flew by. I threw the food and was shaking. Then I gave them the food and was taking them inside so I grabbed their water bowl and was dumping out the water as it was all warm. The bees came back and I threw the water bowl and ran away. They weren’t trying to hurt me but it scared me so badly that I grabbed the dogs and ran inside. When I got inside I couldn’t breathe and was hyperventilating. I was so terrified that I had been stung that anywhere that hurt because I of course got hives (stupid allergies). I freaked out because I thought I got stung. I’m still a bit freaked out but I need help. The only time I enjoy going outside is in the winter when there is snow as I don’t get hives and there is no bees but it’s way too cold in Ohio to be outside in the winter all the time. So I’m practically inside all the time. I’m a gymnast and sometimes we will go outside to condition. I always panic that there will be bees and if there is a bee I freak out inside. I’ve tried to get over my fear but it has just gradually gotten worse over the years. It all started around age 5 and I’m now almost 14. If anyone has any advice as to how to get over this or make it a smaller fear then please respond.
Im almost 100% sure that I have a phobia not just some fear. The funny thing is that I have never been bitten by a bee, only a wasp. Those 4 times that I have been bitten by a wasp werent traumatic experiences. When I see any insect with a stinger I either run or stiffen up and my face becomes white from fear. Sometimes I hear a fly buzzing and I freak out.
You cant get bitten by a bee, only stung.
I have never been stung by a bee/wasp/hornet/etc. Yet I’ve been terrified of them since childhood. I got made fun of in school for crying in fear when a bee came in the window. Even now as an adult I’m scared of them. I actually stopped my workout today because there was a wasp hanging around by the exercise bike.
I’m 39 years old, and I’m still terrified of bees, mostly wasps. I was stung as a child, and I remember one incident when my brother and his friends got stung by wasps. I didn’t get stung that time, but watching them get stung traumatized me. Whenever bees come near me, I tense up and usually run away. That is an automatic response, but it then makes me scared that my sudden movement will provoke them and I could get stung. I love being outside in the summer, but being afraid of bees makes it uncomfortable.
When I was younger I was stung on the head by a wasp and now if I see a wasp/bee/hornet I scream, start hyperventilating, and run away. I think you just have to breathe normally and remain calm. If you do anything else the risk of you getting stung increases.
I am 29 years old. My mother is deathly allergic to bees. As a child we watched her minutes from death. If the EMT’s were there just 6 minutes later she would’ve died because she didn’t have her epipen. If there is a bee in my vehicle when I’m driving I come to a complete stop. One time I swerved into the oncoming lane! I can’t control it. Luckily I haven’t been in an accident. I won’t go outside if there are bees. Even if I hear one I run inside. It’s to the point where I feel like they’re gonna kill me. And now my 9 year old has the same anxiety.
I can relate.
I haven’t been stung but when I see a bee or wasp I freeze up and then I have a cold chill down my back, then I get hot and start sweating. I haven’t seen anyone get stung and I haven’t ever personally been stung. I know that most bees cant sting and I know they do good things, but I still have this reaction.
I have Asperger syndrome and I have been told that we have sensitive hearing. Ever since I was a child, I have been afraid of any type of flying insect, not only because of my fear of getting stung, but I don’t like the buzzing sound insects make. I don’t mind seeing pictures of them or on tv. So every time I go outside, I wear ear plugs. That way I can sorta handle the flying insects buzzing around everywhere I go. However, I have been wearing ear plugs everywhere, even in my own house and at my job. I haven’t told any of my coworkers or managers/supervisors about the reason why I do this because I don’t want to be looked at as an individual afraid of going outside with no plugs in.
As a child, I’m still 13, I have been stung by wasps, hornets and bees way too many times, so when I see one close I hyperventilate, and I shiver and run inside as soon as I can. I love animals and stuff but the majority of the stings were at the zoo, and right now I have nightmares about them, and I don’t like it when they come close. When I was younger I had absolutely no fear and I would just free-handle them to someplace else when we played cricket, but it’s terrifying.
I have this phobia too. I was stung at the zoo by a bee, and have been afraid of stinging insects ever since. Surprisingly I don’t have as much of a fear for honeybees.
I’m 22 years old now and I’ve been terrified of any insect with a stinger since I was 3 due to being stung. My phobia unfortunately has only gotten worse over the years. I’m looking for a therapist for it. It got to the point where eating outside in the daylight during the warm weather, especially near flowers, is mentally exhausting because I’m always on the lookout for one ready to sprint (which I know is the opposite of what you should do, but for some reason my body has conditioned me to). If I see a bee up close (even if it’s just a picture of a bee, though cartoon bees are fine) I hyperventilate. If it’s a real bee, pretty much hell breaks loose and people are staring because I’m crying and covering my ears (I assume I do that to escape the buzzing) and frozen in fear. I’ve heard the sayings “don’t bother it, it won’t bother you” and “it’s not after you”. My parents have also told me to “ignore it“ but that hasn’t helped. One of the more hurtful comments I have gotten about this, although I know they don’t intend it to be hurtful, is “you need to act like an adult”. Yes, I know the way I react to a stinging insect is not the usual way a 22-year-old woman would react, but it’s not as if I can just instantly turn it off. I wish I could but I can’t, it’s not that easy. The best way I can explain this to them was (and of course they didn’t get it) imagine if someone was running at you with a big knife drawn-out. I think the majority would have the natural reaction to run. They wouldn’t think first “is the guy with the knife actually chasing me?” That’s how it is for me with stinging insects. It’s my natural reaction. I can’t just shut it off in 5 minutes, it’s probably gonna take months or maybe years to get me to be calm around stinging insects. Being told, “act like an adult” when I express symptoms of my anxiety to me is like being told, “you’re an embarrassment“ which hurts cause I know it’s embarrassing for them to be near me. It’s probably even more so for me and extra scary. I don’t need a reminder that my reaction is abnormal, I already know. Hopefully, I can get help for this phobia soon.
Move to Antarctica, no bees there, at least I think.
I have the same phobia, and it’s only gotten worse. I’m not afraid of pictures, but seeing or being near flying, stinging creatures can make me have an anxiety attack. Once there was a yellow jacket on my hand while I was eating a popsicle. I was trying to be calm as my parents were telling me to do so, but all of a sudden, I couldn’t take it anymore, and I flung the popsicle (accidentally hit my mom on the head) and ran faster than my mom had ever seen anyone run.
This is the same exact thing that happens to me.
Same here. I actually start shaking and stuttering if a stinging insect flies anywhere near me. I was trapped in the house once because bees were hovering in front of my front and back doors.
My little brother used to be scared of bees.
I like learning about bees, wasps, etc. But I can’t kill, catch or be in the same room with a wasp. A couple of days ago, I had a panic attack in a store because there was a bee on my back! Jesus, I’m thankful it didn’t sting me.
I am so glad that I’m not alone! I’ve intensely feared bees and all other bugs with a stinger since I was little. My parents always told me that I was overreacting since I ran screaming whenever a bee came close to me. It’s improved as I’ve gotten older, but only a little. Once, a bee came in through the window of one of my classes, and I was ducking and scurrying from the left side of the classroom to the right to evade it. I’m scared to sit on my back deck when it gets warm because there are always so many bees. Since it’s entirely wood and there are these big, flowery bushes on the other side of the fence, it tends to attract a lot of bees and wasps. One time, I was sitting back there, and bees kept flying over the wall to where I was sitting. I sprinted across the yard, fell and scraped my leg, then shot back up and kept sprinting. I returned shaking and in tears, and my whole family laughed at me. I felt so embarrassed.