It Sure Felt Like A Bee ...But Was It?

[Teegate]

Our plans today were to meet up with Bob and explore some dense woods looking for plants. On the way there Jessica and myself stopped at Apple Pie Hill. I hadn't noticed this before so it may be new that the road for the power lines to Apple Pie has been blocked off. I guess since it really isn't a road they did not want anyone on it. Just saying.

We then met up with Bob and spent the next 3 or so hours plowing through some seriously tough woods. Here is Bob and Jessica at one of the few open spaces.

The day turned rather strange when Jessica out of the blue started yelling she had been bit by something. Her finger was in serious pain. I was right behind her and we quickly tried to get a cold bottle of water on it but nothing was cold by then. As she struggled to get something out of her bag to put on it she was hit again on her back. Then it turned it's attention on me and hit me between the eyes. At that point we started running. Jessica in the front with me right behind. During the adventure my glasses flew off and I did not even realize it. When I did I quickly returned to find them and was hit again on the arm. Jessica received three as well as myself when all said and done.

Then I noticed my phone was gone so I had to partially return to get that while Jessica was calling my phone so I could find it. Eventually we settled down and the pain started to subside and we continued on. And later after arriving home Bob had his own adventure right after we left him. Maybe he will discuss that


If you are interested here is a final push to get to an open area up ahead of us. It was a very tough few hours.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Portions of our route. We were all over the place.

 

[bobpbx]

That was brutal today. I'll wager some of our pines are as think as some jungles, or worse.

After you all left, I was sitting in my truck eating, and suddenly felt my leg burning/stinging like a bee was trapped in there. I had to get out of the truck and pull my pants down right in the street. Found nothing, but something got me good.

 

[Boyd]

Wow.... perhaps a wasp bite? I really don't know the difference between wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, etc. but I think they bite instead of sting. During the past few years I've been seeing more of these around my place and they seem very aggressive. Last year I opened the front door and without warning one bit me right on top of the head. It hurt like hell, but a few hours later the pain was mostly gone.

But the worst happened just a couple weeks ago. Went to the put the lawnmower in the shed and one of them came out of nowhere, flew into my nose and bit the inside of my nostril! Ran inside and put an ice cube on it quickly, but very painful with swelling at first. I was concerned, but it felt better a couple hours later, and by the end of the day it was hard to tell anything ever happened.

 

[Teegate]

Yes, it did look more like a bit than a sting. Whatever it was moved pretty fast because we never saw what it looked like.

 

[Toothy Critter]

Portions of our route. We were all over the place.

View attachment 12239

That's looks like a map of the route Capt. Wrong Way Peachfuzz used to take on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle show

 

[Toothy Critter]

IDK if there is any concrete proof as to what colors attract or repel bees, and or, wasps. Some claim white repels, some say avoid white altogether. I notice white shirts in your pics. I always lean toward white in the Summer because I was told it will not attract biting flies. Can't say the same for wasps. As to the head and eye bites, these are deemed as vulnerable spots on predators by wasps, thus those areas of attack. But I assume and expect everyone here is aware that NO perfumes, of scents that will attract insects should ever be worn. Unfortunately this includes scented deodorizers. I know that is a well established point, but sometimes we tend to forget. Having said all that I think your attacks were all defensive since it occurred in the same spot every time u returned. Just really wanted to put my 2 cents in to get others input into this. Go on the internet, and get 5 sites to say wear white, and 5 to say avoid it. IDK Recently I have been making my own concoction of DEER OUT, a product to repel critters from my landscape. It is mainly peppermint and garlic oil. It worked so well in my garden, I decided to try it as a bug spray on me. Seems to be very good so far. I know peppermint and garlic will repel insects so it is no surprise. Just a thought

 

[bobpbx]

But the worst happened just a couple weeks ago. Went to the put the lawnmower in the shed and one of them came out of nowhere, flew into my nose and bit the inside of my nostril! Ran inside and put an ice cube on it quickly, but very painful with swelling at first. I was concerned, but it felt better a couple hours later, and by the end of the day it was hard to tell anything ever happened.

Man, that was an aggressive wasp! I hate that. The worst thing that happened to me this year was a deer fly bite. I was standing in someones driveway talking to someone who asked me a question. I had some plant specimens in my hand. Suddenly I felt pain on the inside of my finger at the second joint. A very aggressive deer fly was attacking myself and this other person. That was a bad bite, my entire finger blew up and turned an angry red. It was not until the following evening that I could bend my finger without feeling stiffness.

 

[old jersey girl]

Our plans today were to meet up with Bob and explore some dense woods looking for plants. On the way there Jessica and myself stopped at Apple Pie Hill. I hadn't noticed this before so it may be new that the road for the power lines to Apple Pie has been blocked off. I guess since it really isn't a road they did not want anyone on it. Just saying.

View attachment 12236


We then met up with Bob and spent the next 3 or so hours plowing through some seriously tough woods. Here is Bob and Jessica at one of the few open spaces.

View attachment 12237

View attachment 12238


The day turned rather strange when Jessica out of the blue started yelling she had been bit by something. Her finger was in serious pain. I was right behind her and we quickly tried to get a cold bottle of water on it but nothing was cold by then. As she struggled to get something out of her bag to put on it she was hit again on her back. Then it turned it's attention on me and hit me between the eyes. At that point we started running. Jessica in the front with me right behind. During the adventure my glasses flew off and I did not even realize it. When I did I quickly returned to find them and was hit again on the arm. Jessica received three as well as myself when all said and done.

Then I noticed my phone was gone so I had to partially return to get that while Jessica was calling my phone so I could find it. Eventually we settled down and the pain started to subside and we continued on. And later after arriving home Bob had his own adventure right after we left him. Maybe he will discuss that


If you are interested here is a final push to get to an open area up ahead of us. It was a very tough few hours.

Guy

Happened to me last year mowing the backyard and suddenly got stung on ear, neck, and felt something on my leg. Looked down and swatted what turned out to be a yellowjacket on my pants leg. Yellowjackets are hornets and can sting repeatedly. Turns out there was a nest of them in the ground near where I was using the push mower and the noise/vibration roused them. Iced the bites, which ached for days. I was lucky not getting stung on my face.
I know now to look for their presence in likely spots: loose dirt under bushes, debris piles. When possible I just avoid working near them. We had a big inground nest in the decayed roots of a tree stump close behind the house. Eradicated that by spraying it with long distance can of wasp spray and then using a hose to douse the area with water so the insecticide would permeate the nest. Did this in the evening when they are less active, standing a good 10 feet away!
I am an organic gardener, not a fan of pesticide/insecticide/herbicide use, but sometimes they are appropriate. Don't want to get stung again.

 

[Boyd]

We had these really bad at our place in Central New York, people called them "ground bees". I also ran over a nest while mowing and was stung dozens of times on my legs, it was terrible. I always did a lawn inspection and wore long pants when mowing after that. But I've never seen those kind of pests at any of my places in the pines, I assumed the sandy soil doesn't suit them.

 

[Teegate]

Check out Jessica's heart rate during the bee sting incident. Her heart was working overtime

 

[manumuskin]

I"ll bet anything they were ground nesting yellerjackets.Remember that nest near the E.D.1796 stone you almost walked into Guy? That time they were already stirred up and you saw them.

 

[Teegate]

They may have been Al. I just did not see them.

I have a slightly black eye from either hitting myself trying to swat them off my forehead, or when Jessica poked me in the eye after the incident.

 

[manumuskin]

And why did Jess poke you in your eye? I have been attacked several times by Ground Yellerjackets and have never seen them till after I was hit and ran away only to come back later for lost articles as you did or just out of curiosity to see where they were.Three attacks came in different spots in what is now my yard while I was clearing the brush out from under the trees.I went back and found them after retreating and ended their miserable existence.

 

[Teegate]

I am not sure why she did. We were standing there and for some reason she hit me.

 

[Teegate]

To clarify, not intentionally.

 

[Pan]

Some ferocious insect dive bombed me in the Arizona desert last year and I had to run for it. I didn't even see what it was. It bit my nose and was coming back for more. It was very fast and made a loud buzzing sound.

A few weeks ago I was bit by an ordinary bee. That was unusual because ever since reading Maya The Bee I've been a friend of the Kingdom of the Bees, but I startled it. I felt something on my neck while driving with the windows open and thought it was my shirt or something and tried to brush it away. But the one last year was much scarier.