Wasps on The Warpath

Discussion in 'The Lounge Bar' started by toki2, Aug 15, 2014.

  1. toki2

    toki2 Junior Member

    Has anyone else noticed the profusion of wasps this summer? While camping recently four of our party got stung all at different times and places. I go stung on the tongue whilst drinking out a can that the little blighter had sneaked into. My nephew (claiming first aid experience) got me to wash my mouth out with gin. It did nothing for the pain but I felt much better.
     
  2. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Toothpaste for bee stings and vinegar for wasps, at least that is what my Mum used to say, or was it my Nan?
     
  3. DavidW

    DavidW Well-Known Member

    As it happens, quite the opposite here. The awful weather in late July and all of August means that I have hardly seen a wasp.
    I should say that you were very unlucky.
    The sting in the mouth sounds awful!
     
  4. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    And here is me thinking this thread was about the Bren Carrier fitted with a flamethrower aka 'Wasp' :)
     
    Chris C likes this.
  5. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    My thoughts too. :)

    Having said that being on the receiving end of either would be a painful experience.

    Here in Berlin the wasps are out but get worse in late August and September as they seem to get grumpy towards the end of summer and can sting for no reason.

    The Mossies are far worse here, but this hot summer has not seen too many, which is great for me as they appear to love my blood!!

    Regards
    Tom
     
  6. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    I hate wasps with a passion :mad: . I've been stung by some-got one up my trouser leg last year and it hurt for days.
    Haven't seen as many here this summer so far but I guess the wet weather earlier in the year didn't help (thank goodness!)

    Lesley
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I have a very positive attitude towards Mosquitos - and other nasties - IF they sting me - THEY get Malaria….and NO quinine...

    Cheers
     
  8. hutchie

    hutchie Dont tell him Pike!!

    I was thinking this was about wasp class aircraft carriers
     
  9. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hutchie, I was thinking the same when I saw the subject heading and thought mmmh I wondered what type military vehicle a "Wasp" might be. As it turns out there were a few with the Williams Aerial Systems Platform being the most interesting.
     
  10. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Not seen many wasps in this part of the world so far this year, but reminds me of what happened to me in 2008. I have a row of raspberry canes growing alongside my fence in the back garden, in among them I had a wooden bird nesting box on top of a six foot pole.

    It was late evening on July the 7th, I was busily picking the Raspberries, when I heard a buzzing noise. I did not take much notice, as I thought it was a fly buzzing about, then suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my neck, I had been stung by a wasp. I looked up and saw wasps were swarming out of the bird box, and another one stung me. My dog Baz, who was with me, had them swarming around him as well, I am sure he got stung several times (he was ok, no bad reaction) We made a hasty retreat into the house me trying to swot as many wasps as I could with my cap.

    After a while I went out on a recon mission and found that the wasps had built a complete nest inside the box. So now I had to plan how to get rid of them without too much expense. So came up with a cunning plan, I would wait till it was nearly dark, when all the wasps would be back in the nest.
    Then I would creep up to the nest with a step ladder, climb up and block off the entrance hole with some masking tape, then slip an empty thick plastic dog food bag over the complete box and secure the bottom then knock the box off the pole with big hammer. Then build a bonfire to cremate them.
    All was going well, I had taped up the entrance hole, and was about to place the bag over when I realised that the 6in nail which was used as a perch for the birds before they entered the box would be in the way, so down the ladder I go, got a pair of pliers to pull the nail out.
    Back up the ladder, I then noticed that there were a few late home coming wasps flying around the box trying to find their way in. No problem I thought, soon swot them with my cap. One was crawling near where I had taped the hole up, right I thought you are a goner, took an almighty swipe with my cap, got him spot on.
    Snag was I had hit the box so hard that the front fell off
    and the wasps annoyed that they had been disturbed again. swarmed out and stung me again. Another quick dash to safety. After a coffee I came out and had another look and replanned my strategy. Light was fading by now. Alright you little blighters I thought, I have got an old gas blowlamp I’ll burn you out where you are. Anyway found the blowlamp in the back of the shed, took it indoors, to see if it was ok, yes still gas in it. Wonder if the ignition still works so pressed the button, my mistake, it worked alright but some gas must have leaked out from the sealing ring and my hand was enveloped in flames. A Quick exit from the house this time. Another plan gone wrong. Never mind, I have a small butane blowtorch, I will use that but how to get near enough to the nest to use it. Ah what I need is a long pole so taped the torch to an extending linen prop. Right got dressed in my battle kit, wellington boots taped to my trousers, waxed jacket all buttons fastened and collar up, bush hat crammed on my head and heavy gardening gloves on, no wasp was getting past my defences lit the blowtorch and advanced cautiously with my fiery lance. Got you, you little blighters will sting no one else, and I burnt the nest to a cinder.
    I was really pleased with myself that I had fought and beaten the enemy.
    Time to retire indoors for celebratory drink. Oh best shut greenhouse door before I go in, as I reached to close the door
    I spotted a container of Ant killer I had in there, so picked it up, and read.
    Is suitable for Wasps, just puff into nest entrance. DUH.

    Wife had been watching the whole episode and was creased up with laughing.
     
    dbf and canuck like this.
  11. toki2

    toki2 Junior Member

    That is just sooo funny RCG! It actually sounds like some of my misadventures. Never say die! (except to the wasps of course)
     
  12. Bernhart

    Bernhart Member

    on a similar note
    The mayor of a Montreal bedroom community who was enjoying a weekend in the country has died of anaphylactic shock after wasps attacked her with repeated stings.
    Lucie F. Roussel, the mayor of La Prairie, was near her cottage in the Eastern Townships Sunday when she stepped on a wasps’ nest, and was stung repeatedly. A friend said she suffered at least 15 stings. Ms. Roussel, 51, was transported from her cottage near Stratford to hospital in Thetford Mines, Que., where she was pronounced dead.


    MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY

    Colleagues on city council in the community just west of Montreal and other friends said they were not aware she suffered from allergies. But a neighbour in Stratford said she was indeed allergic to venom from bee and wasp stings but did not have an epinephrine injector with her to counteract anaphylactic shock.
    Deaths from venomous insect stings are very rare in Canada.
    Forty people died from bee, wasp or hornet venom in Canada during a 12-year stretch ending in 2011, the most recent period for which national numbers are available from Statistics Canada.
    The annual death toll ranged from a high of seven in 2009 to a low of one death in each of 2006 and 2011. An average of 3.3 Canadians died from stings each year.
    By comparison, about 10 Canadians die from being struck by lightning each summer, according to Environment Canada.
    La Prairie city manager Jean Bergeron said he was in a “state of shock” at the sudden death of a mayor he described as conscientious, devoted and deeply engaged in her community long before she became mayor. “It’s unbelievable,” said Councillor Christian Caron before referring further questions to the city’s spokesperson.
    Ms. Roussel leaves an 18-year-old daughter, Constance, and a 19-year-old son, Antonin. Before she entered politics, Ms. Roussel practised law in partnership with her husband, Yvon Lemay. He died of a heart attack in December, 2009, at age 47.
    “I feel just infinite sadness, so much pain for them,” friend Hélène Ste-Marie told reporters. “She was just so full of life.”
    Ms. Ste-Marie said the mayor faced the death of her husband with enormous strength. “I hope her children will have similar strength,” she said.
    Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre and Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard were among those offering their condolences over the death of the mayor, who was a provincial Liberal candidate in the 2012 election and finished third.
    “Their children must now go through another test that will demand great courage,” the Premier said. “I want them to know they can be proud of their mother’s accomplishments.”
    Compared with Canada, deaths from bee and wasps stings are more common but still rare in the United States, where longer summers and milder winters in much of the country extend stinging season.
    According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 665 people died in the U.S. during the same 12-year period. Most of the deaths were linked to allergies, according to the CDC.
    Unlike bees, wasps can sting repeatedly.
    About 2 per cent of the population suffer from allergies to the venom from bees, wasps and hornets.
     
  13. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    In Ontario, this has been an unusually quiet summer as far as wasps and hornets are concerned. We usually have several traps (2 litre plastic bottle with fruit juice and holes punctured near the top) set out to keep them away from the deck but they have been a complete no show this year. Mind you, it has been a cool summer relative to past seasons.

    In my first childhood encounter with wasps (sat on a ground nest) I was stung eighteen times and about twelve stings from the second (stepped on a nest) run in. I've had only the odd sting since then.
     
  14. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Hardly seen any wasps round here, but recently Mrs Axe complained of "funny noises" when sitting watching TV in the lounge late at might.
    Obviously concerned, (ahem!) I also heard these noises last night, akin to heavy solitary raindrops ......

    out I went, with 13 week labrador puppy in close attendance. Security light by back door comes on and there are a dozen or so humungous wasps, queens or hornets, busily swarming over the light, large spiders also in attendance waiting for them to get snagged in the webs around the light. Every so often one would get caught and the spiders would advance for an attack, unless the wasp got free, when it would simply buzz back at=round the light, repeat ad nauseum...

    OK, swatted a few then had to get puppy aware from investigating the corpses, never sure if they are completely dead or still able to sting).

    Round the corner to investigate these raindrop noises when I realised there were about 50 more of the humungous beats battering away at the lit windows.
    Swatted thos silhouetted against the window, again having to keep puppy from investigating, as some of those on the ground were definitely still alive, and there were still more buzzing with a deep noise flying around.

    Discretion being the better part of valour, we retreated indoors.

    Will be out tonight as although they seem sleepy their behaviour is quite bizarre to me, they seem attracted to the solar lights around the path, then beat against the lit windows. Of course, stepping outside sets of the security lights which then bring in others.

    None of them were what I call "wasp" sized, but 2 or 3 times the size. Never seen so many, nor have I seen any during the days I've been in the garden.
    Perhaps they are hybrids crossed with moths!
     
  15. Mark Hone

    Mark Hone Senior Member

    Funnily enough I've hardly seen any this summer then, today, having lunch in a friend's garden in Cheshire whole squadrons of the blighters swooped.
     
  16. toki2

    toki2 Junior Member

    Looking back through all the posts it seems that the world's population of wasps have centred here in Scotland. Perhaps Salmond has invited them all here to vote in the coming election!
     
  17. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Plenty here in Twickenham. I had several inspecting my work on the cricket squares today, they are at that low flying, end of summer period, sluggish, but still potentially hazardous sting wise. In 35 years working in horticulture/sports pitch provision, I have yet to be stung. Famous last words no doubt!
     
  18. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    toki2

    Have a look at my article in the BBc page below entitled "Strassburg 2" - there's always a laugh somewhere

    Cheers
     
  19. toki2

    toki2 Junior Member

    Boys will be boys! And cads and bounders too!
     
  20. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    toki2

    Boys will be boys indeed - BUT - we didn't rape anyone- which to-day's cads and bounders are liable to do….

    Cheers
     

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