Getting up close and friendly with bees can deepen the bond between insect and human… some people create a unique relationship with honeybees and let them settle on their faces, heads, shoulders and entire upper torsos.
Bees On The Head in India (June 2020)
In India a 24-year old Indian man named Nature M.S. allows 60,000 bees to cover his face. He has won a Guinness World Record for having his head fully covered in bees for four hours ten minutes and five seconds. He says these precious insects are his ‘best friends’ and that he has been letting bees settle on his face since he was seven-years old in Kerala. He says the bees do not see him as a threat.
His father, Sajayakumar, is an award-winning beekeeper and purveyor of honey. He taught Nature to be calm and breathe deeply, not to be fearful or impatient.
The first time bees landed on him was when he put a queen bee on his hand. A swarm soon gathered to protect the queen, and within 15 minutes his arm was covered. The next day he put the queen on his head, and that was the first time his head and face were covered.
Here is a 1-minute video by Guinness World Records of his amazing feat:
Nature does not fear stings and says when he gets stung it is his fault, not the fault of the bees. He feels awesome when the bees cover his face and is deeply bonded with them. He can see out between the bees and can walk and even dance when they cover his face.
Nature has studied apiculture, and he and his father campaign for bee protection and teach the importance of beekeeping.
He hopes people will love bees the way he does, instead of fearing stings. He believes it is our duty to protect bees. Without them, earth could not sustain humanity.
Bees on the Head in China (May 2014)
In China in May 2014, a beekeeper Ruan Liangming sat on a stool covered in a layer of honey without any protection for his eyes, nose or mouth while people poured more and more bees onto his head. The top half of his body was covered in bees for nearly an hour, until he stood and shook them off.
This 1:07-minute video of Ruan covered in bees is by Euronews:
Ruan set a new Guinness World Record in Yichun City, east China's Jiangxi Province. The part of the body above his shoulders was fully covered in bees for 53 minutes and 34 seconds, so he actually smashed his own previous Guinness World Record win of 20 minutes.
Enjoy these stories but don't try this yourself as it could lead to bee stings, allergic reactions and even death if you get too many stings at once.
Happy weekend, and please BEE safe no matter where in the world you are.