Ruan Liangming has been keeping bees for 19 years

May 16, 2014 10:57 GMT  ·  By
Experienced beekeeper spends 53 minutes and 34 seconds with his upper body covered in bees
   Experienced beekeeper spends 53 minutes and 34 seconds with his upper body covered in bees

Ruan Liangming, an experienced beekeeper from Fengxin County in China, has set a new world record for the most time spent being covered in bees.

The man has become immune to bee venom after keeping bees for many years, so he managed to spend 53 minutes and 34 seconds with the upper part of his body cloaked in bees. His daring feat was witnessed and certified by Guinness officials.

“I have been keeping bees for 19 years, so I know their habits and characteristics. I am quite confident,” he said, according to Daily Mail.

Shirtless and smeared with honey, Ruan sat on a chair calmly waiting for the bees to cover his face, shoulders and torso. After 53 minutes and 34 seconds, it was not his upper body that gave up, but his legs, which went numb.

This isn’t Ruan's first world record though, as in May 2012, he obtained the Guinness World Record for the heaviest suit of bees weighing 62.1 kg (136 lb 14.51 oz).

Whether it is for endurance or the weight of bees, this insane practice of covering your body in bees, called “bee bearding,” has become a widespread phenomenon, with competitions organized every year to try and beat the previous records.

The bee bearding technique consists of attracting the bees into position by placing a queen bee in a small cage hanging from one's body.