China's She Ping, who covered himself with 331,000 honey-bees in an effort to break the world record for the most bees worn on a human body, may have failed on his brave attempt.

The website of the Guinnness Book of World Record shows that Indian Vipin Seth wore a calculated 613,500 bees in his 61.4 kilogram mantle on March 2009, at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute in New Delhi. A total of 54 colonies were used in the attempt.

Apiarist She Ping, 32, from the south-western city of Chonqing, beat the previous Chinese title-holder Ruan LIanming, who wore 26.8 kilograms of bees in 2008.

At the beginning of the heart-breaking challenge, he had a queen bee placed on his body. Then, an apprentice poured bees into a basin where he was standing still. They gradually climb up to get to the queen and cover up his body. The whole process takes an hour.

She Ping put cotton wool buds on his nostrils to avoid bees entering inside his nose. The assistant also keeps bees away from his face with burning incense.

Belonging to a third generation of beekeeper, She Ping told China Daily that he did not wash for three days to better attract bees.

The Daily Mail reports that in 2011 beekeeper Wang Dalin won a duel with fellow beekeeper Lu Kongjiang reaching 26.8 kilograms of bees.

Another beekeeper, Zhang Xinglu, 59, performed a "bee-bearding" show, wearing bees also on his face.

The practice was started in Russia in the 1830s, The Sun reports, but has become more popular with the Guinness World Record.