Wasps!!

[haggis]

I have just been stung by a wasp! I was sitting reading when I heard a buzzing and the next thing I was stung on the back of my neck.

Last December when we came down to KELPIE we, over several days, disposed of several wasps ,- we leave the windows open for ventilation when we leave the boat. This year at the start of the trip we found two wasps

but that was 2 weeks ago. Meg is very good at alerting us to the presence of a wasp but she is out with Iain just now. 

Don't know where the wasp went after stinging me but I have never taken my top garments off so fast 🤔

After Bite applied.

Edited January 6 by haggis

[Tracy D'arth]

10 minutes ago, haggis said:

I have just been stung by a wasp! I was sitting reading when I heard a buzzing and the next thing I was stung on the back of my neck.

Last December when we came down to KELPIE we, over several days, disposed of several wasps ,- we leave the windows open for ventilation when we leave the boat. This year at the start of the trip we found two wasps

but that was 2 weeks ago. Meg is very good at alerting us to the presence of a wasp but she is out with Iain just now. 

Don't know where the wasp went after stinging me but I have never taken my top garments off so fast 🤔

After Bite applied.

They are very aggressive at this time of year. I have friends who ended up in hospital due to a huge wasp attack.

Be very careful that the nest is not nearby.

[haggis]

1 minute ago, Tracy D'arth said:

They are very aggressive at this time of year. I have friends who ended up in hospital due to a huge wasp attack.

Be very careful that the nest is not nearby.

I think the wasp had been hiding in the curtain. That window was closed at the time. 

Wasps seem to be lethal this year as two dogs in our village died after being stung in the summer.

[magnetman]

Thats terrible! 

 

At the country estate I noticed a distinct lack of wasps last summer. Was quite surprised. The pleasure gardens where I moor are derelict no management so wildlife has a free rein. Hardly saw a single wasp all summer. 

Plenty of brambles and hawthorn mainly populated by bees. 

 

I did see a couple of English hornets which scared the bejesus out of me but hardly any wasps. 

 

 

Edited January 6 by magnetman

[matty40s]

I remember picking a boat up from Whilton a few years ago, taking it to Ely the day the Middle Levels re-opened.

On the 2nd day, it was very cold so lit the stove when we reached Wellingborough. As the evening progressed, and the boat warmed up, all of a sudden buzzing, then more buzzing.. 

They were all hidden in curtain folds, I spent ages swatting them, killed at least 10!!

.

[Naughty Cal]

5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Thats terrible! 

 

At the country estate I noticed a distinct lack of wasps last summer. Was quite surprised. The pleasure gardens where I moor are derelict no management so wildlife has a free rein. Hardly saw a single wasp all summer. 

Plenty of brambles and hawthorn mainly populated by bees. 

 

I did see a couple of English hornets which scared the bejesus out of me but hardly any wasps. 

 

 

Funnily enough we have not seen many wasps this year either but have had several English hornets in the garden which we have not seen previously. 

 

They are scary! 

 

We definitely have not had as many bees either this year.

[haggis]

Yes, I think the heat wakes them up. When Meg alerts us to one, I catch it in a tissue and cremate it. A bit cruel but I don't like sharing my space with them

[Chris Lowe]

Camping for an event at Kirkubright some years ago, on opening the tent in the moring I had a wasp invasion, the locals jokingly said they are Scottish wasps and our attack in sqaudrons.

 

[BWM]

I've often noticed wasps in bags of coal, which then start waking up again when the heat inside the boat warms them up to break winter dormancy. Vinegar is an excellent antidote for wasp stings. 

[Chris Lowe]

Spray starch is an excellent antidote to wasps

[magnetman]

I found that the Wood Silk polish spray is good for flying insects. It stops their wings working. 

 

I use it on the parquet floor. 

 

Ironically it has bees wax in it. 

 

Bees I do like wasps I do not like. No qualms with killing them they are nasty. 

[haggis]

Thank you for the helpful remedies. The lump is getting bigger so I think the After Bite is a bit elderly. Will try vinegar as I don't have any starch on board.

[magnetman]

 

I meant stopping them flying not a remedy for the stings

[Tracy D'arth]

Ice the lump too.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, haggis said:

I have just been stung by a wasp! I was sitting reading when I heard a buzzing and the next thing I was stung on the back of my neck.

Last December when we came down to KELPIE we, over several days, disposed of several wasps ,- we leave the windows open for ventilation when we leave the boat. This year at the start of the trip we found two wasps

but that was 2 weeks ago. Meg is very good at alerting us to the presence of a wasp but she is out with Iain just now. 

Don't know where the wasp went after stinging me but I have never taken my top garments off so fast 🤔

After Bite applied.

Saw a Bumblebee in Rugby, don't know if it cane out of the boat or just flew by. I was just moving over the canal to fill with water 

[matty40s]

31 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Saw a Bumblebee in Rugby, don't know if it cane out of the boat or just flew by. I was just moving over the canal to fill with water 

Was it this one...

[cuthound]

When I was about 10 years old I went to my friend's to play with his Scalextric set.

 

Unbeknown to me his mum had sprayed a wasp with insect killer just before I arrived.

 

As I plonked myself on the floor next to one of the controllers, I felt a burning pain in my right hand. I looked down to see a wasp stuck to my knuckle, with it's sting embedded in me, writhing away.

 

I pulled it out and my friends Mum applied vinegar to the site. However my hand began to swell until after a short while my fingers looked like fat sausages.

 

I was carted off to the local hospital where they gave me a tetanus injection and put my arm in a sling to raise my hand to shoulder level.

 

Apparently the wasp continued stinging me as it was in its death throes and because circulation on the hand is fairly low, the poison didn't dissipate, hence the swelling.

 

I've hated the buggers ever since and usually strike first when I see one.

Edited January 6 by cuthound
Spillung

[Chris Lowe]

1 minute ago, cuthound said:

I've hated the buggers ever since and usually strike first when I see one.

I've hated the buggers ever since walking our dog in Windsor Great park I walked over a nest entrance and got chased around the park by dozens of the little sods I can't remember what Mum put on all the stings.

[ditchcrawler]

51 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Was it this one...

No, not that big and had wings

[magnetman]

53 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

Apparently the wasp continued stinging me as it was in its death throes and because circulation on the hand is fairly low, the poison didn't dissipate, hence the swelling.

 

I've hated the buggers ever since and usually strike first when I see one.

Nasty. The worst I had was when making a swing in a willow tree. The wasp got me right on the inside of my wrist. That did hurt. 

 

I've never been swarmed but twice hammered mooring pins too close to nests and had to leave the pins behind. 

 

On one occasion I was collecting firewood with my mum in tring cutting (fallen maple tree) and one of us upset a wasp nest. Because at the time I was moving down the slope back to my Boat they swarmed her and she had about 15 stings. She took almost all her clothes orf while they were attacking her as they get in under garments. Scary ! 

 

Back at the Boats discussing it later on I had a wasp in my hair and it scared the hell out of her. 

 

There is a story with wasps that they put markers on and only attack a certain person. I was close by but it was only her they were swarming. 

Edited January 6 by magnetman

[Chris Lowe]

7 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I've never been swarmed

It's not a pleasant experience so I hate them, I did at one point get to be good at anti wasp fire using rubber bands shooting the buggers down.

[GUMPY]

I once at Lechlade knocked a mooring pin into a wasps nest, I was badly stung and my head looked like The Mekon.

Took a load of antihistamine tablets that helped reduce the pain and swelling.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

3 hours ago, magnetman said:

I found that the Wood Silk polish spray is good bad for flying insects. It stops their wings working. 

Fixed that for you. 🪰

[magnetman]

Its the change in tone specially if there are flies around which is particularly pleasing. 

 

I like insects but flies and wasps are surplus I feel. We want bees and creepy crawlies for the birds and flowers but what use are wasps? 

 

do wasps actually have a valid place in the egosystems supporting human life? 

 

 

It seems to me they are in it for themselves

[Jerra]

1 minute ago, magnetman said:

Its the change in tone specially if there are flies around which is particularly pleasing. 

 

I like insects but flies and wasps are surplus I feel. We want bees and creepy crawlies for the birds and flowers but what use are wasps? 

 

do wasps actually have a valid place in the egosystems supporting human life? 

 

 

It seems to me they are in it for themselves

Wasps are carnivores so reduce the number of insect pests.  While there are grubs in the nest they excrete a sweet substance that the adults eat.   Wasps become a problem when the number of grubs decreases and they start to chase sweet things e.g. jam