We just moved to a kind of an open rural area. At this time of year, there are an incredible amount of wasps in the air during the day. I’ve been told that they are some sort of solitary wasps, in other words, there isn’t a nest/hive to get rid of. Even if that’s not true, I don’t have the time or the ability to go around here trying to find the nests and get rid of them.
Yesterday we were taking a walk to a nearby town, and suddenly my 2 year old son let out a scream. He had been stung.
So here are my questions:
a) What is the best thing to do immediately after a wasp sting? Neither my wife and I have ever been stung by a bee or wasp, so we weren’t sure what to do.
b) Is there anything that can be done to prevent a specific individual from getting stung? Is there a smell or a color the wasps can’t stand?
c) Can something be done to an area that wasps like to frequent? Like our front lawn for example?
I think if you tried to destroy the nests at this time of the year you run the risk of forcing the wasps indoors. The trick is to get them when they first appear in the spring. Get the Queen and the early nests and your wasp population can be controlled.
I am one of those people who bugs just love…I even got a mosquito bite last night. We’ve had a frost and the weather got warm again and out came the mosquitoes again.
I get stung by wasps a couple times a year. I don’t do anything when I get stung anymore, I am not allergic and usually just get a lump, but I remember my mom putting meat tenderizer (make a paste with a little water) on stings when I was a kid. In the fall wasps get more agressive, avoid the areas you know have wasps nests nearby. Remember…wasps can sting multiple times, unlike bees who die after one sting.
My last house was a wasp paradise. As stated, the best thing to do is to knock down, or spray, the nests as they are being built. The best time to do this is in the spring and early summer. Around sunset the wasps are more inactive, making it easier to do this. I still run like hell after an “attack” though. By late summer on, the wasps become much more aggressive, as they have a bigger investment in the nest and young.
When stung, I have a bad reaction. My whole wherever-stung swells up, and I get nauseous. Three years ago, I started using echinacea tincture on the wasp sting itself, and it helped the swelling. The next time I got popped, I used it on the sting, as well as an immediate internal dose of a teaspoon/dropperful every two hours. The swelling was greatly reduced, and there was no nausea. I, and others I’ve told, have used this to great effect. Echinacea has been traditionally used for snakebite, as well as insect stings. The crux is to make sure you have a potent tincture or extract. Several companies make quality products.
Echinacea doesn’t have a history of toxicity. For a child as young as two, ask your physician for a proper dosage. If they are unfamiliar with echinacea, ask them to consult the PDR for Herbal Medicine. Echinacea is normally used for the onslaught of cold and flu. It’s mechanism for insect/snakebite/spider toxin is not clearly delineated from what I can gather, but from my experience, is wonderfully effective.
My little brother fell into a wasp’s nest at age three, while I looked on. (We were climbing on a fence.) Because of this, he became especially sensitive, and had a danger of anaphylactic shock from a wasp sting. So, with a two year old, I would be cautious and ask your doctor’s advice.