Bees, oh how I dislike them!

For as long as I can remember, I've disliked bees of any kind with a passion. I know those tiny little buggers play a vital role in our agricultural industry, among other things, and it's for that reason that I've done my best to come to terms with them over the years. Some say I fear them but I don't think that's the case, though I fully admit that their buzzing sound creates an immediate response from my body, as if I was somehow traumatized by bees at some point in my life. My parents told me once that on a visit to the beach, they set me down on a blanket for a moment and when they turned back around, I was covered in black sand flies (or some sort of fly related to the beach) from head to toe. There were so many, their buzzing was supposedly very noticeable. Perhaps that left an imprint on my mind, one that triggers an immediate fight or flight response when a bee buzzes my head but I'll never know for sure. I do know that when one buzzes me though, they've signed their life away. The battle is on.

So where is all this leading, you ask?  Well, today on the drive home from the dump, a little bugger decided that my left arm was the perfect place to sting, not once or even twice but a few times. I almost lost control of the car when the pain hit and my first swat only pissed him off. I ended up having to stop in the middle of the road in the opposite lane (where I'd swerved) and finally kill it. By the time I got home, my arm was swollen and sore. A dose of Benadryl and a nap and the swelling has come down some but its still red and sore. If this was their opening assault for the summer, I can tell that I'll need to put on my battle gear and get ready :)

So, tell me, what little bug from the animal kingdom do you hate the most?