I took a yellow-jacket into my helmet the other day. It managed to slip in on the left side of my goggles and wedged between my cheek and the helmet pad. I poked my finger in there a few times trying to dislodge it, and BAM, I got stung. By the time I hit the ground I had three more hits, and I had donated my pay-check to the cuss-jar. Now the left side of my face looks like I gained about 40 Lbs. on that side. Other than going with a street/dual-sport type helmet, is there a solution to the gaps that a traditional dirt helmet & goggles have? I know these little buzz-bombs live everywhere. This has to be a common problem. Somebody must have a fix.
I have been stung too many time by those dang things. They usually hit me in the neck and I don't notice that they are still there till they crawl down under the neck line of my riding jersey, where they promptly stab me in the wind pipe. A couple of months ago, I was riding at a motocross track following a friend over a jump. I thought that all that hit my face was some roost, but there was a yellowjacket hidden in the roost. He bumped the side of my head and got himself wedged between the helmet padding and my temple. He got me twice before leaving. It was the end of my riding for the weekend. Very painful, and I couldn't wear my helmet for a week, waiting for all the pain and swelling to go down. It seems to me that in my area, they are most prevalent between late July and early September. I don't usually get stung any other time of year besides late summer.
I feel your pain. I get stung every year or two, but it's usually on my arms or hands when I'm working outside. In most cases I can limit the stings to one by swatting or squashing the bug. In this case it was like being locked in a cage with with the damn thing. The swelling has gone down enough to see five individual stings. No fun. I really don't want to do that again.
I've been stung 3 times in the last two years, always on my neck just below my helmet and above the jersey.
