A stinging competition as contestants fight it out to win best Bee Beard
It is a competition not for the fainthearted, but several brave Canadians rose to the challenge at the Clovermead Bees & Honey, Bee Beard Competition in Ontario yesterday.
It was a case of who dares wins as the contestants bravely wore thousands of honey bees on their face and body.
Tibor Szabo was among those who took part and was pictured with his head completely covered with honey bees.
Top contender: Tibor Szabo of Guelph, Ontario has his head completely covered with honey bees, at the Clovermead Bees & Honey, Bee Beard Competition in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada
Body armour: Albert de Vries of St. Thomas, Ontario walks while covered with over 5 lbs of honey bees
Bee bonding: Tibor Szabo reaches his arm around fellow competitor Christy Hiemstra of Alymer
Beebearding is thought to date back to the 1700s when an English beekeeper discovered he could create a beard of bees by tying the queen to a thread around his neck and would parade through the streets wearing the unusual costume.
In a recent interview with The Australia Telegraph, professional beekeeper Melanie Kempers explained the beard process.
'Every colony has one queen,' she says. 'They all recognize her by smell. We put her in a small plastic cage and tie it around the neck, and we take the bees from her colony.
'We put them onto newspaper, and then pour them into a pair of hands just below the queen. They smell her and walk up towards her. Once they smell her, they huddle around her, that’s what creates the certain look'
Can you see me? Szabo reaches out towards the crowd, while covered in bees
Bizarre hobby: Beebearding is thought to date back to the 1700s
Most watched News videos
- Terrifying moment driver overtakes van and narrowly avoids crash
- Russian plane spiralling out of control crashes in sea in Crimea
- Camilla hands out gifts at Royal Maundy ceremony on behalf of King
- Queen Camilla greets children after traditional Maundy service
- Starmer and Rayner embrace as they launch election campaign
- Three men seen running out of Beckenham station after knife attack
- British man fighting for Putin posts video from Russia online
- Heartless criminals steal van terminally ill boy uses
- Tourist is filmed napping in his tent on the beach with a crocodile
- Hilarious moment King's Guard shout 'make way' at pigeons in London
- Police carry slingshots to defend themselves against crazed monkeys
- 'Satan took over me': Hamas terrorist confesses of raping woman