As summer ends, autumn is the time to clean up around the homestead. Cutting back dead ferns, shrubs and grasses are just part of the chores.

The garden gets put to bed for the winter.  I pull out the dead plants and put them in the compost pile; remove the tomato cages and posts to store for winter.  A stray acorn squash vine has grown on it’s own through the fence.  I cut off the squash, and proceed to pull up the dying vine. Under the vine that trailed along  the edge of the garden rock wall, a surprise waits.

I know this because a sharp stinging in my thigh, then another on my ankle, can only mean one thing. Dislodging the vine has stirred up a yellow jacket nest in the ground.  The vine covered the entrance hole, and I did not see the bees.  They sting me right through my leggings and socks.  Some continue to follow me even as I move away from the area. Another one sticks to my gloves and bites me as I retreat into the house.  My husband, working a short distance away, also gets stung on his side.  At least the dogs were in  the house – good thing.

Yellow jackets, unlike other wasps or bees, can sting multiple times.  I’ve waved them away outside, trying to keep from being bitten again.  To my knowledge, I am not allergic to bees stings. A quick response is the best way to ease the stings,  so I head inside.  Itching will come later.  For now, the fresh stings are just that – sharp, intense stinging pain.

Benadryl (generically diphenhydramine hydrochloride) will help prevent further reaction, as it’s an antihistamine that will counter act the bodies response to the enzymes of the wasp venom. So I pop a couple tablets, knowing it will also make me sleepy.  Calamine lotion may also ease some of the discomfort topically, so I dab on a bit of that too.

Luckily, I only have the typical response to bee and wasp stings – local swelling, itching, and pain.  The swelling and redness and itching may last for days.  People truly allergic, those that have an anaphylactic reaction, would have been in a truly life-threatening situation.  In fact, we had a local contractor who was highly allergic just die after being stung.

A week later, I still have large itchy red spots.  It’s amazing how long the reaction to such a tiny insect can last.  Over the last few days cortisone cream has helped curb the intense itching, but really time is the only cure.

Wearing clothing that covers extremities – long sleeves and pants – helps thwart most bees.  Yellow jackets are the most aggressive bees though. As with my experience, it’s not uncommon  for them to sting right through clothing or to follow you.  If you encounter a nest, and if they start to swarm around you, walk away slowly and cover your face with your hands.  Do not run, as fast movement will only excite them further, and draw more yellow jackets into the swarm. If possible, walk into dense brush, or into a vehicle or building.

Yellow jacket nests are usually in the ground.  Any hole or opening will attract them – an abandoned animal hole, a rock wall, a chipmunk tunnel are all inviting spots for them. Above ground, yellow jackets may take over a tree cavity or a space under a building or shed.  In the fall, the swarm (now numbering in the thousands after a summer of reproduction of the queen) is looking for a safe place to over winter.

Like bees, the yellow jacket wasp species are beneficial.  They eat other harmful insects and help pollinate plants. In late summer, as with my experience, they are preparing for winter. And our human activities around the property can incite them.  Vibrations from a lawn mower or vehicle,  or working too close to the nest, will create a vigorous response to  a perceived threat.  Pulling that vine was enough to upset them in my case.

If you notice bright yellow and black yellow jackets hovering around an area, beware.  Watch closely and you’ll probably see some land and disappear into grass or leaves.  Learn to identify the wasp species, which is anatomically different from bees.  Wasps have a narrow “waist”, not a stocky body like a honey bee.

If you decide to eliminate the nest, note the spot closely and go treat the area after dark when the swarm members won’t be flying around.  There are numerous products you can choose from. Although I would leave a nest most of the time, one near the house I would treat to kill, so children or pets would not be subject to stings.

Pets, by the way, have the same reactions – stinging pain, usually accompanied by some yelps, and then swelling, often around the face.  Personal experience talking here.  Benadryl can also be used to help stop the histamine with them as well. Contact your veterinary office for the appropriate dosage for your dog.

For more information about yellow jackets, visit Wikipedia .

What encounters have you had with bees and wasps?