Here in Northern Illinois, this has been a banner year for Yellowjacket wasps. As a DIYer, of course, I had the urge to deal with them myself. It has been quite a battle. With injuries on both sides.
I just got done dealing with two such nests. The first was in the underside of a bay window, up inside a small hole in the caulked perimeter. I got stung on the face the first day. They pack a serious punch. Days of discomfort. I spent weeks spraying as they came and went, because I could not get near the opening (up underneath and close to the ground) to locate it. After knocking down the vast majority of them, I was able to put the straw from a foaming wasp spray in tho hole, which I located by setting an iPhone nearby and watching the stragglers come and go. I sprayed up inside 3 or 4 days in a row, before the activity dropped to near zero. Then used spray foam to fill the void.
The second one, I accidentally discovered by my woodpile, as I was cleaning up. One got on my cloth glove and stung my thumb really good. Four days later, it still hurts. That was when I discovered the full extent of the situation. I started using a rake to pull back all the kindling from either side. This left two pieces of punky wood on the ground. Using the rake and standing well back, I flipped one of the logs over. That is when the SHTF. I got stung twice 8 - 10 ft away, and a third time as I ran like hell. Now exposed, I waited for the furor to die down, then I used wasp spray from a good distance to douse the exposed nest.
Note to self: Next time wear a heavy long sleeved shirt and use leather gloves. I may even consider a suit, should I have to do this again. In both cases, trying to deal with them at night was not really possible. The first nest was impossible to see in daytime, let alone night. The second nest might have been possible, but moving wood in darkness under a tree, is not optimal for finding the opening. Or remaining calm. lol
Anyhow, I now know that I am not allergic to yellowjackets. Anyone else seeing a proliferation of these critters this year?
Comments
PS - I emptied 2-3 cans of hydrocortisone spray over that time. Some relief. Baby power + frequent cleansing with warm soap & water seemed most effective at stopping the itch - but not completely.
”Anyone else seeing a proliferation of these critters this year?” Likely. Before this summer I’d only been stung by bees 2 or 3 times in my life. So 2 in one summer is unusual.
When I was a kid my brother and I, on vacation out in the country, disturbed a yellowjacket nest and they not only attacked us near the nest but chased the two of us about a half mile back to the house, where our parents had a hell of a time swatting them all to death. That's probably the fastest that I've ever run in my whole life.
My brother and I were "Calamine Lotioned" real good for a few days.
Evidently each nest exists for only one year, and at this time they are grooming a queen to survive over the winter and start a new nest next spring. Getting near their nests is especially dangerous right now.
Also, it's interesting that there is some difference between "Eastern" and "Western" yellowjackets. We ordered "RESCUE! Disposable Yellowjacket Trap - Mountain & Pacific Formula" from Amazon, and man! do they head for those traps. The RESCUE people are very clear about using the correct version, depending upon your geographic location.
From the supplier- Who would have guessed that yellowjackets keep track of the time zone that they're in? I wonder if Daylight Saving Time confuses them at all?
Fascinating isn’t it? Saw a flock of geese flying south today and got to wondering how they know winter will soon arrive and how they’re able to time their exit from this region so skillfully. I’ll guess it’s the shortening of daylight hours. David mentions in this month’s Observer how some plants bloom in the fall, triggered by the shorter days and longer nights.
Home remedies include Benadryl or Zyrtec, cortisone ointment or cream. If those don't work, call 911 to be taken to hospital emergency.
The sting on my face was the worst reaction, with the whole side of my face tender for at least 24 hours. Then the thumb, which still hurts 4-5 days later. That one was stuck to my cloth glove and really gave it to me. The third worst being my right index finger, which is still swollen 2 days later. The ones on my arms just itch now, which seems to be the progression. Sting, burn, ache, itch. Heavy gloves and a heavy shirt would have been the smart move. Of course, being 90 degrees, I was wearing a t-shirt. And thought that thick cloth gloves were fine. Foolish move.
For a day, I've stayed back from the nest in the ground, except to douse it with spray a few times more. When I first pulled away the punky log that covered it, a few layers of nest came away. This allowed me to soak it directly later on the day that I found it. This morning there were more layers torn away. I expected that raccoons or possum would get to it for a tasty meal. The hole in the ground is about the size of a basketball. Big nest. And still some minor activity. So I doused it once more this morning. That should do it.
Thanks for the background info and Rescue trap info.
Over the years living here in a wooded area I’ve dealt with bees in various ways. Cooler temps are preferable of course. Those liquid sprays are wonderful. It doesn’t really take a lot of it to discourage them, though they’ll stick around several hours trying to get back into the hive. Inside the detached garage they’d get in between the siding and some pegboard I hang tools on. What worked somewhat was to use my propane fueled insect fogger intended for large area outdoor use and fog inside with doors closed. Eventually I got smart and keep a good quality bug zapper lit up in there. I’ve even had them come in through the vent pipes on the home furnace and build nests inside the heating work. So there’s another bug zapper on 24/7 in that room.
I have some prescription strength cortisone cream on hand. Didn’t seem to help with the itching which was making it hard to sleep at night. The non-prescription cortisone spray available at Walmart worked some - but didn’t last long. Baby power + gentle cleansing yes - but messy.
I had been to the dermatologist early in the week and had a few benign patches frozen off. And done some tree trimming this week, which always leads to scratches and cuts.
So, I look like I've been in a fight. lol
@Derf, despite my fondness for the flavor of scotch I keep myself on a “short leash”. Not an option for pain relief unfortunately.
Not nsaids or steroids first
This is even for those who are not “allergic”
No stinger to remove almost always
Then cortisone
Just went through this
One more thing that we haven't mentioned- yellowjackets, unlike many other species, can sting multiple times and don't die from doing that. Only female yellowjackets have stingers, and they use them to defend their nests.
https://ramblinwreck.com/
And, correct, I found no stingers at all.
Side note: I buried the hole where the nest was, and a critter dug it up again at night. And tore through the old nest pieces on the ground too. Today, I saw one lone straggler circling where the nest used to be, agitated and forlorn!
I finished cleaning the area, and am burning all the old wood today before the rains come.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is older antihistamine that causes significant drowsiness, so is a night-time antihistamine. I grew up on Benadryl (-:).
Some take Benadryl with 1-2 drinks to sleep through their flights.
I may need to add Zyrtec and Benadryl to the shopping list!
The info sources shown are: Healthline, and the Cleveland Clinic.
it also is connected to cognition changes in older adults
you can take several loratadine and that class daily if necessary, as they are very safe; I take two a day anyway year-round, quite aside from stings, when I took 3-4
I completely failed to mention icing it pronto, oi, sorry
@Old_Joe
Thanks again!
You know, funny thing is that ice works good immediately after. The next day, however, even cool water running over the hands seemed to re-activate/irritate the fingers that were stung.
I did wonder if a second dose of loratadine was bad or good. Glad to know it is safe to take a second dose, as needed.