Ground hornets! [emoji2962]

[Darth_DMack]

I was cutting with my rotary cutter this past Saturday, trying out my new chain guards. Backed it up into a thick area, let it eat... then pulled forward. Pop, Pop, Pop, POP!!!!

One hit me four times in a fast succession, under my left T Shirt sleeve. Then another got me twice on the back of my neck...

As fast as I could get out of the area, I still got seven (7) stings. Thank Odin I'm not allergic! Now, I have to go find the nest and deal with them.

 

[WinterDeere]

A coworker's young (age 8, maybe?) son literally fell into one of those nests. He was walking home from the school bus stop, stepped off the edge of the road to let a car pass, and his leg went into a nest up to his thigh. He got more than 100 stings, and ever since has been extremely allergic to any type of wasp or bee sting. His father killed the nest, and when they dug it out, he said it was larger than a portable propane bottle.

I know three people who've had the misfortune to have dozens of them get under their clothes, all while mowing. One buddy has a hilarious story, of trying to park his mower and run, while getting stung by a whole swarm of them, but catching his shoelace or pant cuff on something as he was jumping off the mower. Somehow he hit one of the control sticks (zero turn), and the thing started reversing in circles, while dragging him repeatedly across the opening of the nest. He got a free ambulance ride out of that one, but if you knew the guy... it was just one of many.

I put a grub control product down every June, usually Allectus, which also controls ticks. I suspect I have that to thank for the fact that I've only had one ground wasp nest in the last 12 years, in the yard that I mow.

 

[BnRidge]

Last year we had a high population of yellow jackets, both in ground, in trees, haymow etc. They seemed to like spots right near high traffic areas, like right outside barn doors, and back door to the house. No lighting a match there, and different sprays didn't stop them. In desperation I took a syring and tubing, stuck that deep inside and gave the nests a shot of 20cc of diesel. Huh, they did not like that one bit, at all. They werent mad, but more like concerned, like someone just pooped on their pillow. All those nests were completely empty in two days.

 

[BleedingOrange]

Be very careful with these things. Our neighbour died because he disturbed a nest while weed wacking and he got stung so many times, including inside his mouth, that they killed him.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Time for my traditional bee sting post:

Apply the juice of an onion to a bee sting and it will stop the pain immediately. It really works.

I was mowing, and mowed under a Rose of Sharon that was in bloom; a bloom fell off an into my lap, and I brushed it off with my bare hand, not knowing it hid a bumble bee that stung me on the hand. It was very painful. My Dad was sitting there on the deck, saw what happened, and said "Go get an onion and put some onion juice on it and it will kill the pain".

I thought, "Yeah, right", but thought I would humor him. Imagine my surprise when it did just what he said!
As for ground hornets, got stung on the foot by one many years ago, and my foot swelled so badly that I had to soak it in Epsom salts water to get the swelling down enough to put my shoe on.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I've told this before, years ago a friend had a large hornet nest like this in his back yard and wondered how to get rid of it. One evening he climbed a step ladder with an old suit case and snapped it over it, snipping the small limb off. We drove downtown with it and he left it on the sidewalk, pulled over and watched. Soon a Chevy Impala came along with 4 guys in it. One guy hops out, looks all around, tosses it in car and they take off...for about a block. Brake lights come on as all 4 doors fly open, guys running 4 different directions. They left the car running in the street.

 

[CalG]

I can not remember the last time I was stung by a bee. Neither a honey bee, nor a "Bumble"bee.

It's the yellow jackets and the white face hornets EVERY DANG TIME!

If I recall correctly, the different types of insect stings and bites take different relief treatments. Something about acids and bases. I'll need to leave that to the chemist.

 

[BnRidge]

One of many that year. Could have had a face full if I hadn't been looking.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

One of many that year. Could have had a face full if I hadn't been looking.


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Thank God you saw it! Many years ago an old timer farmer told me you can throw one rock at a hornet nest.
One. Because the second one they will follow it back!

 

[ponytug]

@WinterDeere, yes, I do know that there are a few species around. I would file the ones here in the generally "shoot first and ask questions later" category. I believe them to be the Western (aka Eastern) Yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica. However, there are the German ones around (V. germanica) as well. Both are definitely "shoot first" yellow jackets in my book.

Photo from UC Riverside.

We do get stung by the ground dwelling yellow jackets, especially at horse (endurance) rides. By the time half a dozen horses have trotted or cantered over the top of a ground dwelling yellow jacket hive, the yellow jackets are pretty wound up. One of our poor horses got stung thirty or so times, and his rider half a dozen more. The trail was narrow and the horse/riders in front weren't clued in on what was happening. The poor horse spent a couple hours on IV antihistamines before perking up. I rode him the next year on the same trails, and we got stung again, but luckily as soon as I was bitten, we were out of there. He was such a level headed horse, and a complete pleasure to be around and ride. He would trot down the trail like a metronome, all day, and, if needed, all night. My wife rode him on the Western States 100 (Tevis), and he just got stronger all day, and night. I think that horses are such amazing athletes.

All the best,

Peter