MAJOR HURTIN' -- Wasps / Yellow Jackets

[snusgetter]

Based on my experience this year.. when ground bees attack.. they abandon the nest.

They probably figure there are tastier pickin's elsewhere!!

[Steez]

I've had my fair share of Yellow Jacket encounters.. Worst was when I was stung on my eyelid, eye swelled shut for nearly a week.

[snusgetter]

A Sting Primer

~
Allergic Reactions to Insect Stings


Bee, wasp, yellow jacket, hornet, or fire ant stings most often trigger allergic reactions. However, most people are not allergic to insect stings and may mistake a normal sting reaction for an allergic reaction. By knowing the difference, you can prevent unnecessary worry and visits to the doctor.

The severity of an insect sting reaction varies from person to person. There are three types of reactions -- normal, localized, and allergic:

• A normal reaction will result in pain, swelling, and redness around the sting site.
• A large local reaction will result in swelling that extends beyond the sting site. For example, a person stung on the ankle may have swelling of the entire leg. While it often looks alarming, it is generally no more serious than a normal reaction.
• The most serious reaction to an insect sting is an allergic one (described below). This condition requires immediate medical attention.

What Are the Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction?

Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (called an anaphylactic reaction or anaphylaxis) may include one or more of the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Hives that appear as a red, itchy rash and spread to areas beyond the sting
• Swelling of the face, throat, or mouth tissue
• Wheezing or difficulty swallowing
• Restlessness and anxiety
• Rapid pulse
• Dizziness or a sharp drop in blood pressure

Although severe allergic reactions are not that common, they can lead to shock, cardiac arrest, and unconsciousness in 10 minutes or less. This type of reaction can occur within minutes after a sting and can be fatal. Get emergency treatment as soon as possible.

A mild allergic reaction to an insect sting may cause one or more of the following symptoms at the site of the sting:

• Pain
• Redness
• Mild to moderate swelling
• Warmth at the sting site
• Itching

People who have experienced an allergic reaction to an insect sting have a 60% chance of a similar or worse reaction if they are stung again.

How Common Are Sting Allergies?

About 2 million Americans are allergic to the venom of stinging insects. Many of these individuals are at risk for life-threatening allergic reactions. Approximately 50 deaths each year in the U.S. are attributed to allergic reactions to insect stings.

How Are Normal or Localized Reactions Treated?

First, if stung on the hand, remove any rings from your fingers immediately.

If stung by a bee, the insect usually leaves a sac of venom and a stinger in your skin. Remove the stinger within 30 seconds to avoid receiving more venom. Gently scrape the sac and stinger out with a fingernail or a stiff-edged object like a credit card. Do not squeeze the sac or pull on the stinger -- this will cause the release of more venom into the skin.

Wash the stung area with soap and water and then apply an antiseptic.


>>FOR INQUIRING MINDS, THERE'S MORE<<

[Simplysnus]

Not yellow jackets, but I managet to get nabbed by some wasps screwing around with a pear tree in a pasture area by my folks home.

run Forrest run.

[sgreger1]

Bee stings are just horney bees having sex with your pores. Take it as a compliment.

[Frosted]

20+(?) some years ago while I was living in Tennessee I had my wasp encounter...

I was mowing the grass on a hill, and hit a wasp nest, they stung the shit out of me and the resulting swelling was so bad that I had a real difficult time breathing.

Life goes on.........

Sounds like you nearly bought it mate.

[CoderGuy]

So we got the exterminator to come out and get rid of the 2nd batch of yellow jackets last night. This morning we notice a couple yellow jackets flying around in our living room, bumping into walls and lights (obviously dying from the spraying). By the middle of the day we had killed/collected about 40 of them. Turns out they were coming in the fireplace (gas). I guess they were trying to escape the outside spray job. So he came back tonight and sprayed in the fireplace and sealed it. Told us to vacuum it out on Sunday and he will come back Monday to see if he finally got them all.

[snusgetter]

So we got the exterminator to come out and get rid of the 2nd batch of yellow jackets last night. This morning we notice a couple yellow jackets flying around in our living room, bumping into walls and lights (obviously dying from the spraying). By the middle of the day we had killed/collected about 40 of them. Turns out they were coming in the fireplace (gas). I guess they were trying to escape the outside spray job. So he came back tonight and sprayed in the fireplace and sealed it. Told us to vacuum it out on Sunday and he will come back Monday to see if he finally got them all.

Damn, those yellow jackets just don't like to go away!!

GOOD LUCK!!

[Frosted]

Vacuum it out? Well good luck with that - hope they're all dead.

[MGX]

Did anyone's parents send them off to live with the grandparents for a few weeks in the summer? Mine did.

Grandpa required everyone to pay rent, mine was to fill up an insecticide sprayer with diesel and go visit all the yellow jacket/wasp nests on the property and hose them down. Seeing countless little bodies spill out of a paper nest made you feel bad for about 1/10 of a second, then you remembered yellow jackets are assholes.

Being stung is no fun of course, the local remedy we use here is a bit of tobacco, a small mound of mud or a slice of potato on the wound. It seems to work, having been stung a few times over the years I've done all three. Replicating this in a science lab for effectiveness is something I'd rather not do.

[snusgetter]

... Being stung is no fun of course, the local remedy we use here is a bit of tobacco, a small mound of mud or a slice of potato on the wound. It seems to work, having been stung a few times over the years I've done all three. Replicating this in a science lab for effectiveness is something I'd rather not do.

If you get stung, just pop out that moistened snus and apply?

If so, another good reason to keep a snus upper-lipped when outdoors!