Them little critters can take out a human right on the spot. I went into anaphylactic shock (ground nest of yellow jackets.) Had there not been an urgent care place very near my house, my life would have been over in my early 30s. In fact, a friend from church died from bee stings a couple of years ago. He was on his tractor and hit a ground nest of yellow jackets. He knew he had an allergy but did not have an epi pen with him.
When our children were small and we only had four, we went camping at a favorite spot in North Carolina. It was getting dark, so we wanted a small fire and we sent the kids out to cather twigs and stuff for firewood. Suddenly they started screaming. They had come across a yellow jacket nest in the ground, but it was too dark to see what was happening to them. We managed to get them away form the insects and calm them, but it was shear terror for a few minutes, due largely to the fact they couldn't see what was causing the pain.
I was cutting my grass when I came across the ground nest. I got stung maybe 10 times though my socks. I went inside and got a can of Raid--ready to exact revenge--when suddenly I didn't feel so good. I had to stop at a friend's house on my way to Urgent Care for a ride the rest of the way because I was not gonna be able to make it. They made me fill out paperwork, and partway through I guess I passed out. For 2 days hives came and went like some weird alien movie. The weird thing is I had been stung that very summer with no reaction...they say that venom can accumulate in your body. This put an end to my barefoot summers. The evening after I got stung, I went out and saw where they were "homing" to. I got revenge with a can of unleaded gas. The interesting thing is that they tried to save the hive (which is like a wasp's paper nest built underground.) The next day there were pieces of it littering the ground it all around the entrance. I almost felt guilty, they were so determined to save the nest. This is one reason I like having skunks around...they'll dig up these underground nests and eat the yellow jackets.
My husband bought some tubes of mason bees thinking they would live in the tubes. They left because, I think, they live in the ground. But they came back to pollinate over the years. They look like little bumble bees. Kinda cute. Not as noisy. They don't do anything for us except help the environment. I had natural mason bees in the ground under my clothes line at a house I had in town. I never minded them until one day I pulled on a pair of jeans and had folded up a mason bee in them before putting them on. I don't think the mason bee minded me, either, until just then.
Over the last 3 days on different occasions we've had two yellow jackets flying around our living room. They head straight for a bay window like they're trying to get out. I vacuum them up and release them outside. We're still trying to figure how they got in?
I posted a pic of my moonflower the other day. I have sunflowers and California poppies blooming too. We had a good rain recently and everything's going crazy. I love it.
Old camera plus this first one is through the screen. Blsck Eyed Susies,umbrella ,couple ferns canna lily's, New dogs decided they didn't like flower beds or flowers, of course Foxie eat a couple Mexican Petunias. Canna Lily, Confederate Rose bush.
That is good and I'm hoping someday to get to our lawn and flowers soon. I'm old and can't keep doing all this clearing myself.No tractor just manual tools. I found out turning compost just how old and able I am.I won't be shovel filling any more holes to level trail path. But I'm so bored here in the woods.Plus I don't smoke as much when working in the woods. tic's are bad but not as bad as boredom and smoking.
OK boys and girls, although it might be too late below the Mason Dixon line. Don some gloves and long pants and sleeves. Grab a bag and go out and pick off the tops of stinging nettle plants. Pick more than you think you can put in your pot because they cook down. It rained last night so I didn't even wash mine. I could not find my tongs so had to use a fork to pick them out of the bag, just to be sure. I brought them to a boil and swished them around. Drained and put on some butter and salt. YUM! They are nutritionally THE best vegetable. They are free and if you get stung pick up a bit of plantain and/or jewel weed, crush it up and rub on your owies.