By the time I got the hose on 'Heritage', half overgrown with weeds at the back end, it was almost dark.

I felt a burning sensation in my ring finger and thought I had brushed a stinging caterpillar. But something was stuck to my finger--between the darkness and my 80% blindness, I couldn't tell what. While I'm shaking my hand frantically, I feel a sharp pain in my--let's call it, hip. Something has crawled under my loose shirt-tail and stung me.

At this point I realize it is probably yellow jackets, so I start sort-of-running to the house, flailing my arms in a dignified manner appropriate to a person of my age.

Then I'm in the kitchen getting ice and cortisone, and feeling lucky to have gotten away with only two stings. But then, bang! on the point of my jaw, there's a yellow jacket burrowing in my beard and stinging. Then he (or another one?) is buzzing under the turned-down brim of my deerstalker gardening hat (think Sherlock Holmes or Holden Caulfield). So I throw the hat on the floor and stomp it frantically, but the bug escapes. Fortunately he is distracted by the ceiling light.

Three stings; could have been worse. So I drink a couple of beers and contemplate the destruction of my enemies. I will need to pick up a can of that super-toxic radioactive wasp and hornet spray. But I also need to find the burrow entrance in all those tall weeds. I have read that, if you are going to mess with a nest, do it at night, when they are inactive. And behold, right now it's dark as can be!

I grab a flashlight and head out to the crime scene. I poke around carefully but can't make anything out. I pull a couple of volunteer lamb's ears (why did I let this horrible plant into my yard?), clearing a square foot. Then I feel something on the back of my right hand and redirect the flashlight beam. It is two of those "inactive" yellow jackets, doing what yellow jackets do.

This forum is a place where we can learn from each others' experiences. So remember, when you drink before hunting yellow jackets in the dark, don't forget to wear gloves.

Jeri

If we did not put a dozen traps up each spring, by this time of the year when they become so aggressive, we would not be able to so much as drink a cup of coffee out of doors. They even show up when I water anything. Nasty creatures.

So sorry you had to endure that, MichaelG. I hope you are feeling better now.

Rosefolly

Profound!

Kate : )

Cath

kay

It's close enough to winter that you can just ignore the nest. A friend up here told me that the bees/yellow jackets never make their nest in the same place twice. I am guessing there is some truth to that because last season I had a nest behind my 'Silver Cloud' rose and this year there is no nest.

Of course, I found the nest the hard way. The dang yellow jackets went down the back of my shirt when I was working on the rose. Owie ! is an understatement.

Also, if you keep the aloe vera they sell for sunburns handy and slap some on the sting as soon as you can, it stops the stinging immediately and, for me, there was no swelling at the site of the sting.

Having gone through this experience more than once, I certainly feel for you. Sorry you got stung.

Smiles,
Lyn

So far my worst bite was before I was even totally awake. I put my glasses on without looking at them, and the d**n thing was on the left ear piece and I trapped it between the glasses' ear piece and me. He got me twice before I got him finally.

We've had problems with them as late as mid November.

1. Fill bucket with soapy water up to about an inch from the top of the bucket.
2. Place a board with meat, rotten fruit, jam, bacon on top of the board and put it over the bucket.
3. After a few yellow jackets discover the "food" they fly around and then go back to the nest to let the others know where to get food.
4. Turn the board over and the yellow jackets will fly under to get to the food.
5. Since they usually eat too much when then drop off of the food to fly away, they drop into the soapy water and DIE.

I haven't tried it, but BJ entertains outside all summer long and never has a problem with them being uninvited guests at dinner.

Smiles,
Lyn

mad_gallica-- When I was telling my story yesterday, two people countered with stories about being attacked while on a riding mower. Even your Death Star of a lawn tractor could be vulnerable to an angry pack of YJs.

Kate-- Thanks for getting the joke!

Windeaux-- Cucumber has medicinal properties, does it not?

I can't ignore this nest because I would have to avoid the area for two months, and poor 'Heritage' needs me, after two months of neglect already. The YJs just become more and more viciously aggressive during September and October. I swear I once had one fly across my parking area with the sole idea of stinging me in the forehead, and nowhere near a nest.

I've no doubt that cucumber is medicinal.

But there's something else I must tell you.

Cucumbers contain trace amounts of the very same poison found in the venom of copperheads. Native peoples and pioneers, I'm told, often knew when copperheads were about because of the faint odor of cucumber.

So, if you eat enough cucumbers, you will die.

I learned this from reading the work of the poet Maggie Anderson.

(If it's in a poem, I tend to think it's true.)

I eat lots of cucumber sandwiches all summer long -- each sandwich piled high with thin-cut crisp cucumber. There's a seductive thrill in living dangerously, walking on the edge, tempting the fates . . .

You're also right to tackle the nest now before it gets out of hand. We had a nest we didn't know about under the eaves of our roof right by the bedroom of the same daughter two years ago. All winter we had to check both her windows and the floors, gathering up an average of 15-18 YJ per night, fortunately a little groggy from the cold. Still, I can attest that they still pack a punch if you step barefooted on one you've missed. Ah well, at least if this daughter develops a complex it won't be about her mom like the typical teen.

Still, I believe there's documentation that alcohol provides relief from insect stings, rubbing for the outside of the skin, and Tanqueray's for the inside.

Cynthia

I'm interested in trying Lyn's trap, but when do you turn the board over? During the daytime the yellow jackets would kill you. After dark the coons will clean up the jam, unless the bears beat them to it. That's life within the Asheville city limits nowadays.

First you should use the aloe vera for treatment. It truly does take away the sting and the swelling. You can use the plant, but it stains my skin. I don't even mind being stung very much because I know I can make the pain go away as soon as I put the stuff on the sting.

You can put the trap out any time you are going to be outside during the day. Keep watch and once a few of the YJs have found the trap they will fly over and around it to kind of lock in the location before they go back to the nest. That's when you turn the board over.

Yes, you don't leave it out at night. We have as much wildlife as you have described in your post. Right now, BJ has a problem bear that has decided to take up residence on her property. So, I know what you mean about not wanting to attract night critters to your property.

For my 'Silver Cloud' rose, I just used the hose and let it dribble all night to give it a deep watering every week last year. Even with the triple digit temps I get, the rose made it and the bees have moved. No, it didn't look as good as it would have had I been able to get closer to care for it, but having bees down my shirt once was enough to make me keep my distance.

When I talked with BJ this morning, I asked her how to get rid of the nest and she said if the bee hole is not near a plant you value, just pour some gas or kerosene down the hole and put a rock over it. The bee holes are about a foot to a foot and a half deep, so that should give you an idea of how much gas you might need. She said the best time to do it is very early in the morning or at night when the bees are less active.

Good luck and I do hope you are feeling better soon.

Smiles,
Lyn

Cath

Cath

Of course, he forgot where it was until I got stung....just a little closer...oh a little closer..wait no you can't see it from here...

That hurt! And I had had a lot of bee stings (dad was a bee keeper)

All my welts were gone the next day. I was Very Angry that nothing was left because it Wasn't Fair! (We counted to 100 stings the day before and quit counting) Best friend's war wounds stuck around for a week. Gram, poor woman, had one welt on her elbow that was red and angry and quite swollen for a month.

To this day, I get very small welts from bee stings (don't think I've had a wasp or yellow jacket sting since I was young) and no welts from mosquitoes. DH gets large welts from both.

I got a can of Raid jet spray. The insecticide Dursban (chlorpyrifos) which provided instant knockdown in these sprays, has been withdrawn (for good reasons), and the remaining products contain various synthetic pyrethroids. I hope they work fast enough. I haven't used it yet because I haven't located the burrow precisely, owing to weeds, poor eyesight, and terror.

I decided to try Lyn's trap, but the jackets weren't foraging this overcast morning, so I left some bait in the location and brought the trap in for another day when I can flip the board in more timely fashion.

Didnt think about the aloe vera for the stings. I have a big pot of it. Put a paste of baking soda on the stings - it helped but they were still bothersome. I am much more observant about flying insects now!
Judith

Was thinking about putting soapy water in a jar, put a rock in the jar that sticks up above the water, put a piece of meat on the rock, and then put plastic wrap over the top. Punch smallish holes in the plastic wrap. They get in but have a harder time getting out. Or you could put a funnel over the top. Might be worth a try so you wouldn't have to flip the board. If the water level was close to the plastic wrap it would be harder to avoid.

I got stung 5 times a couple of weeks ago. I was a solid day out of the ER, recuperating from a virus that had brought me there, and I was stir crazy enough to pull a few weeds. I was just glad to be feeling some better, really.

The first couple attacked and before I figured out what was going on, I threw my cellphone at the nest! Wtf? Why would anyone do that?

The rest of the evening was spent trying to figure out how to get my phone back from an angry nest of yellow jackets! I had to email the same person for help who took me to the ER. I felt like a giant pain in the rear, lol.

Fortunately all the drama died down well since then, and the YJs died nicely with a can you can spray from something like 20 feet away ;)

My YJ story has a big finale! Yesterday and today, some critter came at night and completely dug up that burrow. My Renae rose was pulled out and to the side with dirt covering her up (I moved her elsewhere now). There is a huge hole and dirt pulled everywhere. There are also some honeycomb-looking pieces scattered around.

Something thinks yellow jackets are yummy! Imagine that :D