Garden

[Julie928]

For those of you that have read about this please forgive me.  This past Wednesday I was out in my front yard watering.  What I didn't know is there was a yellow jacket nest in the ground where I was watering.  I found out about it the hard way.  I was attacked by a swarm of them ~ up my sleeve, in my hair, basically coming at me like pellets.  Turns out I was stung once on my left arm (and I had long sleeves on) and once on my right hand.  The reason I am bringing this up is this.  I went to urgent care this morning ~ I was feeling sick, the sting area is very swollen, red and itchy.  Turns out I am having an allergic reaction and have been put on prednisone (I hate that stuff).  They told me to stay off my treadmill (which I use every night) and stay inside out of the heat until this heals.   I was told that August & September are yellow jackets "angry months."  Seems I am the third person this week to be seen for this.  One lady was just out walking and was attacked for no reason.  Please be careful while outside ~ gardening, walking, whatever.  We have sprayed the nest once but I noticed a few of them near it when I returned home.  Scary.  I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

[hoosieroriginal]

It is good you bring this up.  My neighbor found 5 nests in his small yard.  I will be walking my 1 3/4 acre looking for nests before I take my mower out again.  I am HIGHLY ALLERGIC to stings - epipens are ridiculously expensive.  I have old ones, but can't afford $200 for a new one.  My dog saved my life a couple of years ago.   In the area where I use my weedeater, was a nest of hornets.  She saw something, got curious and went to check it out.  One stung her on the end of her nose.  That's when I found the in ground nest.  I would not have seen them as a rock hid their entry and I would probably have been rushed to the hospital had I used the weedeater in that area. 

[ECBG]

@Julie928,I've never heard of spraying them. Spray only gets in so far.  You have to kill the queen.  

Here, after dark when they are all in we pour gasoline down the hole and light.  If any "scouts' come up, the small flame takes care of them.

Yellow Jacket's nest and ground dug up.  You can see how deep it goes.

[StylishLady]

Be careful for sure. Hornets (yellow-jackets) can sting you more than once as their stingers lack barbs like a honeybee. Chemical warfare may be needed.

[RedTop]

@Julie928,

Sending good thoughts your way for a better day tomorrow!  

Yellow jackets and hornets are very angry bees, and their stings are absolutely the worst of bee stings.   We dealt with a hornet nest on the house last year, and a yellow jacket nest under our lilac bush.   My husband waited until dark when the bees are in their nests, and burned them out.   With the yellow jackets, he poured a very small amount of charcoal fluid around, and in the hole, then struck a match and left the area.   Bees will not come back to a burned out nest.    

[Perkup]

A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT YELLOW JACKET NESTS . . . .

Yellow jacket nests have more than one hole!   If you pour something down one, they will often come out the other.  Stop up one hole, and they will use the other as their base of attack.  The wise thing to do is call an exterminator who can come in and gas the holes.  Next door neighbor was hospitalized because he tried to burn out a yellow jacket nest that had multiple holes and was at least 50 x 50 feet when dug out.  Waiting till after dark might help, but not a sure thing.

[Julie928]

Thank you for your responses!  Ugh, that nest!  That picture gives me chills!  I have heard about people burning them out of their nests.  We have two areas in my front yard and I'm wondering ~ is it safe to burn them out & what kind of precautions should be take?  We have lots of shrubs around the areas and it's been so dry here.  We really need to get rid of them.  I love to garden and I'm scared to death to go outside.  Every time I hear a buzzing sound I freak out.  With so little of summer left I don't want to spend it inside, afraid to go out.

[Julie928]

@Perkup ~ Interesting you mention there being more than one opening.  I found two near each other in the front yard.  I think an exterminator is an excellent idea!   It's on now, lol!  :-)

[colliegirls]

About 10 years ago I was trimming bushes and must have stepped on a yellow jacket's nest.  There were only a few stinging me but they chased me and kept on stinging until I and my husband slapped them and killed them.  They are awful!!

[Julie928]

@colliegirls ~ Yes!  They kept coming at me!  I dropped the hose (with the water still running) and ran into the house.  I didn't know where else to go to get away from them.  I ran through the house to the back door and could hear them buzzing & feel them in my hair.  Honestly, I was never so scared in my life.  We found three of them inside on the windows which we killed.  I read about them online and learned they will keep stinging until their stinger falls off or you can get away.  I will heal and this will pass but for now it really stinks.  I hate the way the steroid makes me feel.  :-(