At the annual Clovermead Bee Beard Competition contestants heads and upper torsos are covered by “beards” made up of thousands of the buzzing insects. Now in its 9th year, contestants cover themselves in bees and then strut their insect facial fashions on the catwalk for gathered crowds. Bees flock on to the contestants faces and upper torsos around their queen as the recognize and are drawn to her scent, the BBC reports.

Veteran competitors use petrolatum, a substance bees avoid, to help sculpt and “grow” their bee beards into particular shapes, the news organization goes on to report. In addition, to keep the participants from being stung the bee keepers keep the colonies well feed with sugar water and sedate the bees with smoke before letting them amass on the contestants. To determine the weight of the beards judges weight the contestants before and after the bees collect on their face, according to the BBC. It takes about 5,000 bees to weight a pound.

Marenda Schipper and Patrick Boelsterli show of their bee beards at an annual competition at Clovermead Adventure Farm, Saturday August 10, 2013 in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Dave Chidley/AP Photo/The Canadian Press)

Marenda Schipper's nose peeks out under her bee beard at an annual competition at Clovermead Adventure Farm, Saturday August 10, 2013 in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Dave Chidley/AP Photo/The Canadian Press)

Patrick Boelsterli is surrounded by flying bees as he shows of his bee beard at an annual competition at Clovermead Adventure Farm, Saturday August 10, 2013 in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Dave Chidley/AP Photo/The Canadian Press)

Marenda Schipper shows of her Bee Beard at an annual competition at Clovermead Adventure Farm, Saturday August 10, 2013 in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Dave Chidley/AP Photo/The Canadian Press)