It was a beautiful day at the farm yesterday...I got some things done (more on that in another post)...and then disaster...OK so maybe not an actual disaster but it did put a damper on the afternoon.
I was watering the plants on the porch. I have another, larger watering can that I use since it holds more water. I filled, it and then came here to water the pineapples (you can see the leaves in the photo above). Obviously to reach them I had to stand over this smaller watering can.
So I did.
Do you see what's there inside the top?
Yep, here they are. Back on the nest resting after stinging me FOUR times on my leg.
Yes I was standing over this, shorts on of course since it was hot. I guess I bumped it with my foot and out they flew. I don't know if it was one wasp four times or four wasps once each (or maybe two twice...oh wait I can't go down that math tunnel, ha).
Those suckers hurt.
One on the back of the calf.
One behind the knee.
Two on upper thigh.
I guess I can be grateful I got away quick enough before they made it higher up, LOL!
The pain was sharp for a few minutes then subsided. I rested a bit and then it started coming back. It's a weird pain kind of like a splinter. Then it went away once more and came back as an inflammation where it feels like it's stretching the skin.
I decided to call it a day.
But not before I killed them...all of them.
This morning it is puffy...I put some Benadryl cream on the spots to help.
Hope you are having a good weekend. Today is rainy. And tomorrow is supposed to be as well.
I have been stung a few times myself and it sure does hurt.
ReplyDeleteWhat you need to do first thing;
First, if any, remove the stingers by scraping the stinger with a credit card.
Wash the sting area with soap and water to remove as much of the venom as possible.
Apply a cold pack to the wound site to reduce swelling and pain.
Keep the wound clean and dry to prevent infection.
Cover with a bandage if desired.
Apply ice for 20 minutes once every hour as needed. Wrap the ice in a towel or keep a cloth between the ice and skin to keep from freezing the skin.
Taking an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or a nonsedating one such as loratadine (Claritin) will help with itching and swelling.
Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin)for pain relief as needed.
Wash the sting site with soap and water. Placing hydrocortisone cream on the sting can help relieve redness, itching, and swelling.
If it's been more than 10 years since your last tetanus booster, get a booster within the next few days.
Next, put your watering can in your shed or secure it up in a trash bag. Them wasp with build a nest anywhere; a place you may least expect it.
Yes they build anywhere, ugh. I never thought about inside the can. Inside the shed sounds good to me ha. Thanks for the advice. I did several of those items. I haven't had a tetanus in more than 10 years so yeah probably time for that.
DeleteI was stung by a wasp on two separate occasions. The second time I ended up in ER because of the infection climbing up my arm. I'd advise you to draw a circle around the red parts and if the red spreads call your doctor - it's infected! I have to carry an EPI pen now in case I'm ever stung again by a wasp.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that's scary. I'm glad you are ok and thank you for that tip as well. I will keep an eye on it, didn't know that could happen. Thanks again!
DeleteI've treated the stings with a poultice made of tobacco & spit, held on with a bandaid. Works very well to take the sting out. Any tobacco will work.
ReplyDeleteWell that's a new one. We love hearing about home remedies. Thanks for the tip!!
Deletelil bastards! thank you for killing them!
ReplyDeleteTobacco and spit works. I was standing about 20 feet inside a lumber yard, minding my own business and standing still. The guy and I saw a wasp dive bomb into the wide door and head straight for my elbow. The guy who works there was as shocked as I was. We both saw it happening, but who would have guessed? My elbow was swollen and aching for a week. I do have an epi pen now. There are wasps under Tommy's ramp but neither of us can see that far down. I suppose I will have to ask a neighbor for help. This is one reason I hate to wear flowy skirts in the yard--stinging things from the ground, like bees and yellow jackets.
ReplyDeleteWay back in the day, when I was about 13 my cousin and I were at her parent's ranch and saw a huge Wasp nest in the barn. We decided we would knock it down. Big mistake! They started after us and we ran as fast as we could. Not fast enough! We were both stung numerous times on our legs, arms and face. My Grandma dipped snuff but never around anyone. Well, that day she did. She rubbed the wet snuff out of her mouth all over the bites. It was nasty I tell you but the pain stopped immediately. She did the same thing when I got stung by a bunch of red ants. Worked then too. My Grandma is long gone and I'm not gonna dip snuff but I do keep it around just in case. Never had to use it but if I ever do I will wet it with a little water. Not going in my mouth. lol
ReplyDeleteOwww! I have been stung by yellow jackets several times and it HURTS! Like piercing fire. So, I feel your pain. I would be out for vengeance also.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sad you got hurt! I'm glad you are, apparently, not allergic to them. I have been bitten in the past but four times is just overachieving at it's worst! :-)
ReplyDeletePlease take care of your wounds! <3
I recently saw an article about wasps. One of the tricks was to take a brown paper bag and stuff it newspaper so it resembles a hornet nest. Hang it wherever they try to make a nest and it supposedly deters wasps and yellow jackets from building a nest in that area. I haven't tried it, but a friend told me it it works. The last time I was stung I had a pretty bad reaction. I did get a tetanus shot and an EpiPen. I probably should get a prescription for an EpiPen this year just in case.
ReplyDeleteI have cedar siding on my house. Last year I had a nest of yellow jackets inside the siding from where a knot hole had a little gap. I had to get an exterminator. He was here an hour spraying to kill them all. I have no idea why God in all his wisdom decided we needed stinging wasps & yellow jackets on this earth.
Ouch! That must've hurt real bad. Wasps can build their nests anywhere. Just any place suits them. I was stung when I tried to remove a nest from a Metal gate Singapore . The intensity of the pain had me feeling dizzy and nauseated for quite some time. Stay away from these feisty buggers!
ReplyDelete