Treasure hunting and yellow jackets-a deadly combo

[Michaelangelo]

My wife wanted to hit a spot we haven't been before next to our property. Too hot for me so I told her to let me know what she found. Two minutes later I heard the most God awful shreiking-she had uncovered a yellow jackets nest. Ran outside and she had stripped to the waist running like the devil himself was after her-and then I saw the swarm. They were all over her and the only thing that come to mind was "jump in the pool"!!! She hit the pool to rid herself of the sob's and ran to the house to get her eppi pen. I was right behind her trying to make sure I had gotten all the little critters off me as well when I heard a thunk in the bathroom. She had passed out before she could get to her lifesaving pen. She is highly allergic to bee stings-one can kill her-so I knew what I had to do-911!!! The paramedics arrived within three minutes of my call and by the grace of God managed to save her life (she was already in total shutdown when they arrived). After a trip to the hospital she is now fine-except for sore ribs, a black, eye, and numerous bruises from where she hit the sink when she fell.
A happy ending to what could have been a terrible day.
Keep an eye out for yellow jackets when you hit the woods folks. They can be deadly!!!

 

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[Rasputin]

My heart goes out to your wife. I am so relieved she is okay. That could have easily gone the other way. I will say a prayer for her and your family.

 

[Michael in SC]

Holy crap! I'm glad to see that she is "ok" though; quick thinking about jumping into the pool. My dad is also very allergic to bee stings and we never go out with both of us having an eppi-pen for him.

Once again, I'm glad she is doing well.


Michael

 

[Monty]

Wow! That was scary. Thank God I am not allergic. A couple of summers ago I was detecting near the local tennis court and I saw a small hole by the sidewalk. I had picked up quite a bit of clad change along that sidewalk and I noticed some tiny bugs flying out of the hole. I didn't have a clue what it was so I poked at it with my detector and found out! Several of the little bugs flew out and one of them landed on my forearm and stung hell out of me! It was a tiny yellow jacket. Apparently there are two kinds of them in this climate. The little tiny ones that live in the ground and the bigger ones that build paper nests along wooden fences and near fruit trees. I had never seen the little ones before. That darn sting hurt like blazes and kept hurting for hours! I noticed that the school kids walked on the sidewalk to and from school and I was afraid one of them might get swarmed so I went home and got my can of flying insect killer. I snuck up on the little hole and put a continuous spray into it for several seconds. Not a thing came out as I had expected and I noticed on checking several days in a row that nothing flew out of the nest. Last time I checked it I caved it in and sealed it off. Good ridance! Monty

 

[Michaelangelo]

Rasputin and Michael- Thanks for the well wishes for my wife. I'm sure she'll appreciate them as well.

Monty-always wait until dark when the bees have returned to the hive. That way you'll get almost all of them. I pour gasoline in the hole to kill the little buggers. Don't have to light it-kills them instantaniously (but it is more fun to light the hole if it doesn't present a fire hazard!!)

Plehbah-You're out there dude!!!

 

[cntrydncr1]

that is my worst nightmare and i'm not even allergic! glad she had a good outcome!

 

[NGE]

I've never had to use mine.........yet, but I have it on me all the time. I worry when I go out alone, as I don't have a cell to call 911 after I inject myself . If I even see bugs flying around a tree or up and down from the ground, I HEAD THE OTHER WAY ...............NGE

 

[Sheldon J]

After getting blasted by the little buggers twice last year, and finding out I am now allergic can sympathize with you. I keep my epi pen handy, and WD-40 close by, the WD will knock them out of the air STAT... Ground nests can be a real pain too...

 

[longsocks]

I do hope your wife is doing ok that was a horrible ordeal to go thru.. those little buggers seem to always show up at picnics or when your drinking a soda... at work we used to deal with them, if there were a few not a cloud of them .. go to the dollar store and get some cans of of the strongest heavy duty hair spray ... spray at them down wind spray gets on the wings and they go down.. then you can deal with them with the bottom of your shoe.. humm it could become a new sport.

 

[nova treasure]

Glad you was close for the 911 call, it has to be tough to deal with the allergies.
My wife went out with me a couple yrs checking a site and stepped on a dead tree that also was a yellow jacket nest. The time I got the bees off her she was dang near in shock. She was stung around 60 times but fortunately she wasn't allergic.


Take Care,
Nova Treasure

 

[baylorhall]

Thanking God that she survived!

 

[BIG61AL]

I've only seen one bee swarm, about a thousand bees, and that was enough for me. Luckily myself and youngest daughter got stuck safely inside a craft store for about 45 minutes until they flew away. Glad to hear the events were just really bad and not tragic. Hope your wife gets well soon.

 

[truckinbutch]

You are so fortunate . I have lost 2 friends to reactions from stings . Carry an EPI pen when my grand
-son is with me for his allergies . Left it home since he wasn't with me 3 days ago while I was mowing pasture and hit a major nest .....Farm tractors can't outrun yellowjackets ....Today when I shake my head my ears flap like a monkey's . Amuses the grandkids and my wife (cheap date) .
Safe way to deal with known wasp colonies : Make a rag/fueloil torch that you can stick in the ground
in close proximity to the bee's nest and away from structures . After dark light the torch and then disturb the nest with a long pole . The angry bees will boil out of the nest and fly straight to the flame
where they burn their wings off .
Case closed without you suffering any stings or burning down a building by accident .

 

[NGE]

When we find a nest on our property, we wait until it's really dark out and most of those buggers are in their nest, then we spray the H**l out of it. There is a spray out there that creates something like 70,000 volts of electricity as the two chemicals in the can mix as they are coming out, and it instantly knocks down and kills any flyers.........NGE

 

[IronSpike]

What a scary experience for both of you and all of us. Thanks for sharing.

Have to admit your wife got 'metal detecting moxie' and I know she'll be back out sooner than later this Fall.