Yellow Jacket attack (bug, snakes, mowing, yard)

[Towhee]

Have any of you encountered a nest of yellow jackets while working in the yard, and if you did were you stung?

I was mowing yesterday and was attacked by a swarm. Mostly they clustered on my brown jersey gloves, but I was stung (through the gloves) on my right index finger, and my left thumb...also on my right ankle through my sock. As soon as they attacked I jumped off the tracter and made a mad dash into the back door. I headed for the bathroom to doctor the stings, then into the kitchen to take a couple of antihistimine pills, and a couple of pain pills. Suddeningly I discovered one inside my t-shirt ! I grabbed the shirt, and bug, and squeezed as hard as I could, then shed the shirt and stomped the bugger as it fell to the floor. I sustained another sting on my upper chest.
Man, those things hurt immediately, and the pain increased until it was almost unbearable. I treated them with everything I could think of, but it was at least 4 and 1/2 hours until I got any relief !
All are okay this morning, except the ankle sting.

I am so thankful I had the gloves on. They were concentrated on them, and not on my bare arms and legs. I imagine they stung the dickens out of those poor gloves , all around the wrist band !

BTW, one apparently either followed me in, or came in on my hair! It was zipping around in the bathroom ! I sprayed it vigorously with bug spray.

What a hair-raising experience !
My husband went out and sprayed the swarm with the long range spray, and then treated the hole that their nest was in with gasoline. They are all gone this morning. He dug out the nest, and I filled up the hole.

Needless to say, I did not mow close to that spot when I went back out and finished the mowing yesterday.

Marian

[BagongBuhay]

Depending on how many stings you sustained, you may want to consult with your doctor to see whether you have been bit enough to be sensitized to wasp venom. Another incident, even with just one, could cause more severe reaction. Knowledge is power!

[jmarquise]

I hate yellow jackets. they are sneaky. I have been attacked several times, but one time sticks out in my mind. got stung probably 25 times or so in the woods before I turned tail and took off back to my house. stung a couple more times while running. once inside, they were all over me. crawling up my leg, inside my shirt, inside my shorts, just everywhere. stripped down and hopped into a cold shower, which killed any remaining ones. I think I got stung about 35 times. no allergic to bee stings, but that much venom can really cause some problems. I felt sick for an hour or two. this is why I will never buy anything besides a condo again. I hate bees!

[Thyra]

I've been stung several times by yellowjackets and wasps...none as serious as your case...I make a past of meat tenderizer(Adolph's) and water and apply it asap after the sting...takes away the burning almost instantly and helps with the pain.. sometimes it does not even swell. good luck...I would also advise seeing a doctor if needed

[TheDragonslayer]

My first time being stung was 14 years ago and I stepped on a yellow jacket aka ground wasp nest and was stung at least nine times on my bare legs. I went in and out of intense body rash, all over swelling and hives for almost 18 hours and decided to go see a doctor when it would not stop. I was told that I would always be allergic from then on. Now if I get stung even once, I get a 10 inch diameter welt with intense pain that does not go away for a week or more. I also have a problem with paper wasps, though they are not as aggressive. I rarely get stung by bees and when it does happen, the reaction is very mild. I always have an A kit available, but I prefer to use a homeopath called Apis mellificica and it works well at relieving the itch and a bit of the swelling. I will have wasps and hornets single me out in the yard and chase me down and even avoid other people around me. It is like I release an aroma that says " sting me, sting me". I have asked others that are also allergic to stings and they are also prey to persuit. It really bites, because my career is a gardener.

[jmarquise]

I also heard that putting tobacco on the sting can help. it was kind of a hillbilly that told me that, but people told me that it worked.

[harry chickpea]

When I was a teenager, I hit a nest when trimming a hedge. I ran inside as fast as I could and stood under a cold shower. When they were off me and I got out of the shower, there were about fifteen of them on the window of the bathroom. I refused to trim the hedge from that point on, so there was one good outcome. I had a heavy head of hair and was wearing long pants and a long shirt, so I got stung a lot fewer times than I would have otherwise.

Bees and wasps (other than ground bees) don't bother me. They do their bee and wasp thing, I do my people thing, and we just ignore each other. Hornets and yellowjackets, however, invoke a massive shock and awe warfare from me.

[Towhee]

Thankfully I did not have any type of allergic reaction. My hands are fine today, but the ankle still has some pain and itching.
Believe me , I will be paranoid about them from now on.

I have no fear of honey bees and bumble bees, but I try not to annoy wasps.

I would rather encounter a poisonous snake anytime, rather than a nest if yellow jackets ! (I do see them in our yard now and then.) I have no fear at all of non poisonous snakes.

[tudorjason]

I had a bee sting while working on the yard when I was in high school. I didn't even want to work out there, it was a chore. It was on my hand and it hurt. It felt like my hand was being stepped on.

I did have a yellow jacket sting me inside of my shirt in the middle of the cafeteria in junior high. It didn't get much attention...at least I think it didn't.

[Towhee]

It must depend on the part of your body that you get stung on. The one on my upper chest did not hurt at all. I hardly have known it was there, but it did have a welt. It was my hands and ankle that hurt so dreadfully.