Wasps - Arrrrggggghhhhhh

[Metrobaby]

OK someone please slap me but I am petrified of the things.

The other day my worse nightmare happened. I was in the car with dd and ds, waiting in traffic, windows down, when a wasp flew in. I was practically in tears when it was flying around ds (14wks), and then started crawling around his face. I had to pull over and open the doors to try and get the wasp out. I was beside myself as as everytime I tried to get dd or ds out the wasp came near them. I then had a horrible time driving home as I wasn't 100% sure the wasp had gone. I was shaking with fear for a long time afterwards.

To top it all both my neighbours have got wasps nests in their roofs, but aren't doing anything about it

How can you tell a wasp from a bee? Which ones leave their stinger in & die (good riddance!) & which ones can keep stinging? DD & I were both stung on the weekend. Agony! I grasped the stinger & pulled it out of my foot but I think that's a no-no because I must have pushed more venom in. I had a terrible reaction... my foot swelled up & itched for days but DD had no reaction after the initial pain & slight redness. I pulled her stinger out by pinching it at the base with tweezers. Could I be at risk for anaphalaxis with bees/wasps? I already carry a kit around for a peanut allergy. Sorry this is so long! TIA.

insectstings website , sans souci. It says a bee sting (they're the ones that leave it behind and die in agony) should be scraped out with your finger nail "away from the puncture wound in the direction of the venom sac", so if you just pulled it that might be why it hurt so much.

bees tend to be furry and usually smaller than wasps (although bumble bees are bigger - but you can't mistake those for wasps surely ?). Wasps are just more mean looking, have a characteristic buzz and tend to move around a room a lot.

Wasps are the ones that will sting multiple times and so are less choosy about who they sting, bees die when they sting so only do it when they feel very threatened.

I guess any creature would feel threatened if it was stepped on! Silly me for setting a bad example by running around the house & garden all summer barefoot. I'm actually surprised a stinger managed to get through all that tough skin.

honey bees do look a bit like wasps but they are usually darker. Wasps are much yellower and more shiny. Plus they tend to be vindictive little sods who chase you around. Honey bees will only sting if threatened as they die once they sting. You know its a bee because they leave their inards attached to you. Contrary to popular belief they are LESS likley to sting when in a swarm as they have other things on their minds and bellies full of honey. Wasps however sting at will. Wasps are attracted to sweet things like cakes, sweets and juice. Honey bees tend to just collect pollen from flowers although they will sniff out honey.

I too think the wasps are horrendous this year. Our house has been full of them - 10 at any one time. We simply daren't eat outside and on trips out and camping they have been such a pain. I become really paranoid around the kids too. DD (4) got sting on her chest this morning when one went up her dress. She really screamed poor thing. I just grabbed the lavander oil and splashed a bit on. Then I dug out the lavender gel from boots and put some of that on too. An hour later there was nothing to be seen so I would recommend it as a treatment.

I put a jam jar trap out the front last night and there are about 40 wasps in it already. Yeah! I've also got one in the kitchen as there were so many in there at lunch time and have caught one there too. Releived that they do not seem to attract the bees - persumably because its just wasps after the sugar.

Anyone know how to spot where the nest is. We always have loads out the front so there is obviously a nest somewhere (cringe) but I haven't a clue how to locate it. They just seem to be everywhere.

DS (5) commented today that God must have made a mistake when he created wasps! (no we are not religious but someone certainly ballsed up on this one )

katherine your trap sounds fantastic,how did you do it?i only got 24 in 3 days with mine

I can't bear them and never go out without my wasp killing spray, i just hope i don't turn my children into wasp phobic's! It's that awful feeling of waiting to be stung knowing damn well that you don't even have to pi** them off to be a victim!

Katherine, stand away from the property and have a good look around. You'll see wasps 'hanging around' the entrance to the nest especially when it's hot. There's an old chapel next door to me and I can see them hovering around the entrance. they had it done a few years ago but didn't close the hole into the building so they keep coming back. It might not be in a building- could be in a bush or tree but wherever it is you'll see them. Article in the daily mail today, aparently they're worse this year because of the warm spring. Their purpose apparently is to eat other garden bugs...I'd rather the bugs than the wasps any day.....

my mother in law has found a nest inside her bird house,squatters!!!