Attacked by hornets/yellow jackets

[coinworld]

Hello Fellow diggers,

I had a terrifying experience this past Sunday, while digging with my hunting budies, I overturned a small log, and a few hornets/yellow jackets came out-no big deal I thought, I swatted them away and began swinging my F-75. Maybe 10 seconds later I swear the entire hive came out and I was covered with hornets/yellow jackets on me (yellow with small black bands). I began to swat them as best as I could while holding my detector in my right hand. At this point I was covered and I began running away from the initial site-they followed me for at least 10-15 minutes. if there was a body of water or stream near by I would have gladly jumped in-but there was none.

After going to the ER last night to get my shot of penicillin and a shot of benedryl, after being stung maybe 30+ times over my entire body, I am happy and very blessed by the good Lord to be alive first and foremost to detect yet another day. But this has been a very sobering and learning experience for myself. How many of my fellow diggers carry a can of hornet/wasp repellent (other) into the field? Besides the typical first aid kit, snake bite kit etc, I think it is also important to carry along a can of bee/wasp/hornet/yellow jacket repellent. My entire purpose for posting this is to educate and make the detecting community aware of "hidden" dangers in the woods and like the boy scout creed: "be Prepared". What insect repellent do my fellow diggers use in the field and has anyone also experienced being engulfed by an entire hive of pissed off hornets-and if so, what did you do? I pray no one else has to experience what I just did. Be safe and vigilent my fellow diggers....

Happy Hunting.

Wayne

 

[John(Tx)]

Have gotten stung before, not any fun. You are very lucky, could of been much worse. Wasp spray killer is a good idea to carry with you. John

 

[Streak!]

once yellow jackets key in on you.....all you can do is RUN!! you should have skedaddled the second you saw the first one. We run into them regularly in this neck of the woods.and you learn REAL quick not to hang around once you see the first one. Glad you didnt get it too bad. Streak!

 

[bottlebum]

n/t

 

[Ray-Mo.]

I have had normally tame honey bees attack at the detector sounds coming from my earphones before.As soon as I shut the machine off they calmed down.
Glad to hear you are ok ,Ray.

 

[RonNH]

I was hunting a field Sunday when I spotted a paper nest on the ground. I've never known a bee to build a paper nest that way but this one came alive when I nudged it with my coil thinking it was an old nest that fell from a tree. Luckily I can run faster than they could fly. These were yellow jackets, mean but not as mean as something we call white - azz wasps. Glad to hear you're OK, it could have been worse. Ron

 

[jmaryt]

hi wayne!..you was lucky you ONLY got "hit" a minimum of thirty times!..you made your mistake when you tried to "swat" them!..quick movements of ANY kind around hornets ,or wasps is strictly verbotten!"..all this does is "enrage" them as you quickly found out!.believe it or not!..the best course of action to take when confronted with a nest of hornets ,or wasps,as YOU were is to "STAND PERFECTLY STILL"..yes!..make like you are invisible with NO movement at all!..if you do this ,you WILL be investigated,however they will not land on you,and further they will NOT sting you!..this is NOT a joke!..it works everytime!..i know i lived on a farm growing up,and it SAVED my ASS,and everything else many ,many times!..granted it is NOT an easy thing to do,but if you can muster the courage,it WILL work,and all the time!..(b.t.w!)..you have my sympathy!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

use that sh*t when they are airborne,and all you do is pi%% 'em off more!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[John(Tx)]

Just burn their wings off......

 

[Brandy[Ma.]]

I put the gear down and run though the thickest part of the woods.Thought I got away but bees can smell and I was up wind and it only took them a minute to find me.They smelled my boots from standing on the hole and were was a 100 of them on my boots.I run the thick stuff again off to the side and lost them all.Got off ez with only 10 stings.So run in the thick stuff and make sure your down wind.Don't stand were waving them away,that just pushs there button.Put the gear down and run.

 

[Scully]

Carrying a can would be worthless unless you have it ready, in your hand every second, and thats just not practical. I am intregued by the suggestion to stand perfectly still. Granted, I can see why that might work, but at some point you WILL need to move so, then you run? Do you wait for them to disperse before quietly sneaking off?

 

[coinworld]

Thanks for the suggeston, somehow standing perfectly still like a statue while the hole hive is swarming over you gos completely against "human" instnct" to run like heck. I will try this next time-but I hope there is no next time. I've been relic hunting now for 10 years and although I am stung at least once a year by a wasp/hornet/bee/yellow jacket, I have never had the entire hive cut loose on my A#$$. I will take your kind and suggestive words next time and hope your suggestion works.

Wayne

 

[jmaryt]

no!..iadmit you have to fight the impulse to take off,but if you do, then you will surely get whacked,and time and time again!..if you do not move,then you will be investigated "closely",but they WILL fly away!..(really!)..I KNOW it sounds unlikely!..it IS the truth..i have done this manytimes over the years when i disturbed a nest!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

hi wayne!
i can understand your reluctance to do this,but i can reassure you,if you run,you WILL enrage them and they will attack!..funny thing about a hornet,or a wasp is that a single insect can "belt" you time and time again,unless it leaves the stinger in you, and then it will die!..

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

spray that sh**t around and you will become very familiar with an emergency ward in a big hurry!..trust me!..you DON'T want to smell good!..the "best" product that i am aware of is ortho hornet,and wasp killer!..when this stuff "hits" 'em in a nest or in mid air,they drop instantly!..the stuff is so damn good,it will kill you too!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[coinworld]

Hi JT,

I will try your suggestion on staying still next time out-which I hope I do not experience what I went through last Sunday. I have to trust and believe you living on a farm and all and have done this. My quesiton to you, surely you must of learned this from someone "staying perfectly" still-no?

Wayne

 

[therover]

Because they can sting you over and over again.

J.T....I don't know how much I could stand still if one or two stung me first. Those suckers HURT !! I am sure glad the only time I hunt the woods is in the fall when its a little cooler and I have thick pants and a jacket on. I could not imagine getting attacked in jeans and a t-shirt.

Best thing about the beach...no ticks, no bees/wasps, no poison ivy !!!! But...sometimes the green head flies can sting the crap out of you !

JC

 

[jmaryt]

believe it or not..moving slowly away from them after you have disturbed them is the way to go..just get a short distance away,and THEN stay still!..as mentioned they WILL investigate,but they will leave you alone!..actually it's just mother nature's way of protecting themselves and their nest!..IF you stumble upon them,they are just reacting the way god intended them to!.unfortunately,YOU are just in the wrong place at the wrong time!..remember IF you RUN they WILL follow you,and be ON ya in a few seconds!!.i believe the worst ones i have ever encountered was the "mud" wasp!..nastiest (s.o.b) in the insect world!.they got a"long" black ass,and when they "hit" ya,they will put ya in a hospital!..they really HURT like hell!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

hi wayne!
i got hit a lot,then i learned because i knew i couldn't out run 'em,so i just "kinda froze,and realized it worked!. yes i.was scared because they still buzzed around me,but then took off,and to this day i dont know why,HOWEVER it works,and now i am NOT afraid to stand still when i disturb them as they have ALWAYS left me alone!..can't figure it!,but i gotta tell ya,DONT RUN!..fight the impulse to "bolt" because ya cant out run 'em,unless ya can fly,and they will be on ya in a heartbeat!
and sting the livin' shit outta ya!....remember they can hit ya over and over again!!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[mikewaz]

A few years back I was detecting an old blueberry farm in Michigan and got swarmed by bees.

As soon as I got close to the office they came pouring out of a hole in the eaves. I moved back a few feet and turned off the detector.
It was like I threw a switch each time I turned the detector on or off. I had headphones on and had the volume off and they still came out. I turned down the sensitivity, and poof. No more bees. They must hear the frequency.
Mike