Wasp Stings - avoid 31 July

[rustylady]

Haven't seen many round here yet. One in the garden yesterday, but it's raining here at the moment so hopefully the little ******** will find somewhere dry to hide (preferably not in my house)

[Nicos]

Gosh- I'd forgotten!!!....that's come around rather quickly!!!!

Not many wasps here either- also the hornets ( which I think have killed off the local wasps ) have been few and far between too this year
Strangely- quite a lot of bees of various varieties.
Will certainly watch out for them though -thanks!

[Glutton4...]

We have a wasp nest halfway down the track along the field opposite. My Mum's dog won't walk down there at the moment!

We have a wasp nest in a corner of one of the fields at the stables. I don't poo-pick that area at the moment!

I know they're supposed to be good bugs, but I don't like 'em coz they like me!

[Caro]

We've just discovered a wasps nest in the gubbins of out hot tub

Must be lovely and cosy in there for them. Certainly puts it out of action for us

Must phone pest control ...

[w33blegurl]

Loads of wasps round here, think there is a nest very nearby as we saw them all "collecting" wood from the fences over the last few months. Lots of them too.... Set out the wasp traps and within 5 minutes both were full. Very not keen on wasps as I've been stung several times now plus they are a real pain if you try and eat outdoors!!

[rogesse]

My Lottie neighbour found a wasp nest in his manure bay last weekend and ended up with multiply stings and a trip to A & E - mind you he was poking it with a length of bamboo at the time. It was when he got out some petrol and a lighter that I decided I'd done enough watering for the day and left smartish

[Welsh Wizard]

I got stung on the sole of my foot when I trod on a wasp while posting on the Grapevine earlier this year. It had been crawling on the carpet unseen under the computer desk. Felt like a nail had been hammered in to my bare foot, and took all day for the "hot and cold at the same time" tingling to settle down.

[Nicos]

And so......

....did any of you get stung yesterday?

...or know someone who knows of someone who did???

[Madasafish]

I can recommend Boots anti histmaine pills..

Since I started beekeeping this year I have been stung 12 times (yes I am counting).. and prompt pill taking stops any swelling... Always take a box when I go to any apiary.. pills are small enough to swallow without water.


Spent an interesting 5 minutes this morning watching a bee which had stung me (lightly) on the back of my hand twisting one way and then the other to release the sting. Eventually succeeded and flew away - free to sting a wasp.

Lots of wasp/bee battles outside the hives.. and casualties from both sides on the ground number tens each day.. (corpses eaten by foxes or shrews overnight)..

[Dekzion]

Madasafish,
sadly I'm an ex beekeeper now, but when I was I built up an imunity within the first dozen stings or so and the swelling got less each time, but at the same time years ago, ibobrufen was invented and the old beekeepers, that were immune to stings as well, were given this by the doc's to ease the old arthritus niggles, the only trouble was that it seems that ibrobrufen wipes out your imunity to bee venom! within 4 years, 2 good (who were a bit arthritic) friends died from anopholactic shock within half an hour.
It's the 'fen' part of the drug that does it it seems. my sister has to carry an injection with her at all times because she was taking nurofen pain killer before she was stung by her OH's bees that he kept in the garden, he's got rid of them now, and her neck swole up when she was stung on the hip!! it was touch and go really and it was lucky that he was home and got her to the hospital which was only five miles away.
It's kinda worrying that children are now given a mix of 'fen' as a painkiller isn't it??!
The best cure that I know of as an immediate relief is to hold an ice cube on the sting area until the area goes numb from the cold, that way the body stops sending histamine to the area which in turn makes it hot so that it sends more and more thereby compounding the swelling and pain.
I've since had to take nurofen and as yet haven't been stung, and no I'm not going to give it a go in the cause of medical research ta!
and any wasps or hornets that come indoors dont leave.

[Madasafish]

Dekzion
Sorry to hear of your problems..

Ibudrofen is a known NONO when working with bees... (But many Beekeepers are unaware of it).

Total stings todate: 30
Wasps :3 (all at once when attacking a hive).
Bees 27

The wasp sting hurt most - all in the fleshy part of the back of my hand which swelled up a bit for three days.

When it went down, three bees decided to subject me to the sting test and sting me in the same place! It hurt less and only swelled up for three days..

So I am not immune



Wiped out the offending wasps' nests - under our slates - with powder.. Overnight they went from 150 + to 10 to zero...

[Garden Smallholder]

Interesting thread!
I got stung on the arm by a wasp last summer....late July! First time ever and boy did it hurt

[Two_Sheds]

ibrobrufen wipes out your imunity to bee venom!

Ibudrofen is a known NONO when working with bees...

Ibuprofen?

I've looked round the Net, but can't find anything about the link between ibuprofen and bee stings. However, I've found plenty of advice (from doctors) saying you should take it for bee stings

Can anyone cite any sources?

[buzzingtalk]

After last year's wasp debacle (which included hospital trips, a foot in plaster and a cancelled holiday) we have been very careful this year!

There are a lot of wasps near our apple trees, but we can't see an obvious nest etc, so we're just staying clear!!

Wasps love feeding on apples, and burrowing into them! Do you have any Ivy growing up/around your house/allotment? Apparently they feed on that too. At my OH's mums house, she has a lovely Discovery Apple tree, and lots LOTS of ivy. Every year, they had wasp problems, and OH found a nest last summer! Got the wasp man to come round, and he said they like to feed on Ivy, so watch out if you have this near you and your allergic.

Also they used to nest in the ground really near the apple tree, its quite hard to see the nest until you follow one of the buggers with a beady eye but careful when your weeding etc

[OverWyreGrower]

Wasps love feeding on apples, and burrowing into them! Do you have any Ivy growing up/around your house/allotment? Apparently they feed on that too. At my OH's mums house, she has a lovely Discovery Apple tree, and lots LOTS of ivy. Every year, they had wasp problems, and OH found a nest last summer! Got the wasp man to come round, and he said they like to feed on Ivy, so watch out if you have this near you and your allergic.

Also they used to nest in the ground really near the apple tree, its quite hard to see the nest until you follow one of the buggers with a beady eye but careful when your weeding etc

There is ivy on a wall about 6 ft from the orchard

The swarm that attacked us were nesting in the ground, in a turf banking that caught the sun. It was only after the attack that we realised where they were living.