Yellow Jackets

[Jess from VA]

Stung me on the back of my left hand ten days ago.

Today one got me on the back of my right hand.  

Not anaphylactic, but it hurts a little, and swells up like a balloon and gets stiff (this second one down past the wrist).  Wash aggressively immediately, topical and oral Benadryl, ice, elevate.

I watch for them.

Both times I was working outside, and wearing these gloves.  After today, I'm convinced they were attracted to the bright safety yellow on the back of the gloves (right where they got me).  I was wearing Tshirts, but they got me through the yellow weave material.  



Oral Benadryl knocks me out.... Bedtime for Bonzo.  I'll put on the fan to mask the fireworks (my neighborhood is full of pyromaniacs).

[Oss]

plantain leaves, pick em, chew em, put on the sting area asap
pulls out the poison

every lawn has them

[cookiedough]

bee sting stick helps with the pain a tad.  been stung a few times as most have, no fun.  Just glad I am not allergic to bees like my mom is.  some people swell up tons worse than I do the next week or so.  good luck on the pain and being back to normal.  maybe the bees though yellow was a flower and attracts them. 

[Chrisj CMA]

Jess, the same thing happens to me with wasp stings. It’s a royal PITA. I feel for you brother.

[da prez]

Oss , that was a normal remedy growing up. Mom used it on us for most injuries.

                         da prez

[Jess from VA]

Well I got my long walk in and a few chores done and wanted a little ride, but the throttle hand is a swollen sausage and stiff, and it might be OK (but weak grip).

Ice no longer makes it smaller, just colder.  

Not me, but just like me (and over the wrist).


Did I mention I hate yellow jackets.  

[Patrick]

When I find them usually by mowing, I burn them out. I'll find the hole and at night I'll fill the nest with old fuel and touch it off. Its amazing how big those nests are.

For white/Bald face I'll get them at night too. You get hit buy those guys its just like getting shot.

[Jess from VA]

The thing is, I hunt and destroy them too.

Yesterday, I got up inside a huge overgrown bush on a 12 foot step ladder, and hacked it down to a third it's size, periodically moving the ladder and dragging out the cuttings.  One yellow jacket buzzed me, and I stopped and looked all over.  None.  So I finished, and when cleaning out the last clippings, one got me on the hand through the yellow glove.  THEN I discovered they were coming out of a hole in the root ball of the bush I had been working on for 2 hours.  That nest was just getting started.  

Just lucky I guess.  

When I've found ground nests, I do exactly like you.  Night time (when they're all home), gas, burn, cover with big flat rock.  Done.  

I didn't want to gas the big bush, so I poured a third bottle of car wash soap down the hole and that did it.

[Patrick]

The thing is, I hunt and destroy them too.

Yesterday, I got up inside a huge overgrown bush on a 12 foot step ladder, and hacked it down to a third it's size, periodically moving the ladder and dragging out the cuttings.  One yellow jacket buzzed me, and I stopped and looked all over.  None.  So I finished, and when cleaning out the last clippings, one got me on the hand through the yellow glove.  THEN I discovered they were coming out of a hole in the root ball of the bush I had been working on for 2 hours.  That nest was just getting started.  

Just lucky I guess.  

When I've found ground nests, I do exactly like you.  Night time (when they're all home), gas, burn, cover with big flat rock.  Done.  

I didn't want to gas the big bush, so I poured a third bottle of car wash soap down the hole and that did it.

Soap ?  Would never have thought about that.

[Jersey mike]

 I thought plantain was a banana

[Jess from VA]

Soap ?  Would never have thought about that.

A mix of Dawn and water in a spray bottle kills all insects and bees; it clogs them from breathing through their bodies (exoskeleton).  Now I'm not going to take on flying yellow jackets with a soapy spray, but pouring soapy water (or pure liquid soap) down a ground hole will wipe them out.  There's also powders. 

But on a big established nest, I like gas.

I get after them and will never have big established nests again; my stings this year have been from brand new barely populated ones with juvenile jackets. 

[Thunderbolt]

Yep, soap and water solution, heavier on the soap from a cup with a wide top tossed on a wasp nest underneath an eave will do the trick but you have to get them all.  Just as good as petroleum products, they all just drop to the ground and die.

[cookiedough]

my wife works for the company that owns spectracide so she can get wasp spray killer for like 2 bucks per can.  I have at my former mom's house (now sold thankfully in May) more than a few times used up well over 1/2 a can down ground bees homes keeping spraying and spraying and spraying.  Found them mostly while mowing and have gotten stung 4x's in prior years by a swarm of them coming at me.  NO MORE MOWING and NO MORE BEE STINGS - luv it!  house is sold.    Drove by mom/dad's house where I grew up Sunday and talk about your white trash move in.   old truck parked in the lawn beside house (very odd no one does that where I live) and 3-4 power wheel electric jeeps for young kids parked in yard and garage door open tons of junk already piled high doubt it was all my parent's stuff still? 

[0leman]

Just go word yesterday that my youngest grandson, 10 years, stepped on a dead bee (not yellowjacket) while walking on the beach.  He reacted to it.  Foot swelled up with fever   Daughter is calling doc this morning as his fever is not going down.   Not good. 

I tend to get localize swellling form bee stings.   Wasp and yellowjackets just hurt. 

[Serk]

Just go word yesterday that my youngest grandson, 10 years, stepped on a dead bee (not yellowjacket) while walking on the beach.  He reacted to it.  Foot swelled up with fever   Daughter is calling doc this morning as his fever is not going down.   Not good. 

I tend to get localize swellling form bee stings.   Wasp and yellowjackets just hurt. 

Sounds like they may need to keep an Epipen on hand from now on...

[RP#62]

Yep, soap and water solution, heavier on the soap from a cup with a wide top tossed on a wasp nest underneath an eave will do the trick but you have to get them all.  Just as good as petroleum products, they all just drop to the ground and die.

I was reading about that - the soap defeats their body's natural anti-wetting capability and causes them to suffocate/drown.  They make a similar product that's in an aerosol can that you can put in your back pack in case you encounter killer bees.

-RP

[..]

My foot a couple of years ago from a sting. I don't know what did it.



Antibiotic horse pills helped as wel las Benadryl.

Brown marks on toes were post first Covid. They've since faded away.

[SPOFF]

Those yellow gloves may be a problem. I clearly remember the first gen 1976 yellow Gold Wing attracted bees. Thankfully my 1997 Valkyrie bumblebee doesn't.

[ridingron]

I saw this on another forum.

[..]

I saw this on another forum.

 

[Bret SD]

Sorry to hear Jess. Never been stung by a yellow jacket but I'm sure it hurts. I did get stung by wasps a bunch of times as a kid, being stupid and attacking their nest with a badminton racket in the mailbox wasn't a very good idea haha.

Last summer I got stung on the face by a bee while riding.. twice... they got stuck between my face and the helmet strap assembly. A little local swelling happened but nothing major at all. I take loads of vitamin C which I believe helps to stifle any reaction.
As an aside, the first time my German Shepherd pup got stung on his mouth his face swelled up pretty good and he became lethargic, we were going to call the vet but held off as his airway was unrestricted. About 20 mins later the swelling subsided, now he gets stung and no reaction is there at all.

I feel for people who are badly affected by stings.

The worst I had was being hit by a ray in the ocean here, they showed up early last year. It was like a pocket knife was shoved between my toes, the wound was at least an inch deep and a half inch tall. I had ridden the Valk to the beach with my son to do some running, I like to jump into the cold water on occasion when running and that's when it happened.
Luckily it was on the right foot, as I rode home I couldn't feel my foot other than Mega pain and it hurt like hell to press the rear brake so I did that minimally. The only thing that gave relief from the pain was soaking my foot in as hot of water as I could stand. Even then it hurt like hell after the foot was pulled out of the water. To this day I have some nerve damage and the toe spread is a little wider between those two toes. Now I drag my feet every time, so that wouldn't have helped. A big wave knocked me over and that's when it happened.

[Jess from VA]

Well bless me, day three and the swelling is all but gone and return of good function.  I couldn't ride yesterday, but today I went. 

The other hand a couple weeks ago stayed swollen for 4-5 days.