General Chat

did you know that wasps can build their nests in the ground? well they do as I just found out to my cost - mowing the lawn and ran over a wasps nest - boy were they nasty and one stung me on the ankle - what pain - excruciating

Ouch Ann. Are you ok now. I didn't know that, Not doubting your intelligence but they were wasps and not a type of bee?

We have had several nests like that, they nest in the cracks. nasty things. Easy nests to destroy though.

Hope your ankle soon feels better.

AnnC wasps are nasty little blighters.

I was stung a couple of years or so back and it knocked me off my feet for a couple of days - really tired and drowsy.

I was also plagued by the beggars for days because the sting releases a pheromone which alerts other wasps that you are a marked "kill" so it is a good idea to buy some repellant.

That is why you should try not to kill wasps because, again, the pheromone is released whilst they are dying and acts as a distress signal to other wasps in the area who will buzz over to help.

pretty sure they were wasps - ankle sure is sore now, though I did apply a vinegar soaked pad to it for quite a while and just popped out to buy some sting relief

There was an old cough sweet on the window sill at the head of my bed (domestic goddess!) and a wasp was coming in and out to it.

I did all the effing and blinding and shutting the window bit then I realized that she just wanted to get on with her life and not bother me so I left her to it. All summer she was in and out, gathering sugar and bothering nobody.

Likewise was one who came into the kitchen. I left her a tiny bowl of jam on the sill and she worked all through the summer, leaving me alone and only ever bringing one other wasp with her.

They are not out to sting, just to get on with their lives.
Ask yourself how pleased you would be if somebody went over your house with a big mower.

well I would have apologised had they given me the opportunity but they went for the kill :-D

We had a wasps' nest last week built flat against the side of a shed. I'd never seen one that wasn't round before. It was rectangular and measured about 18 inches by 10 inches. We sent for the terminator and the wasps are no more.

Annie

Unfortunately people are only too keen to eliminate wasps.

I hope we don't live to regret it. They eat aphids and blackfly and other things which would be free to devastate crops if there were no wasps.

I have known wasps to build their nests in areas around the roots of trees, nasty insects, my gran told me that if a wasp stung you, to cut an onion in half and put it directly on the sting area.

thanks Carol by the way <3

Well it still hurts like hell so I might give the onion a go!!! I would not have destroyed the nest had it not been where it is - we had one in the attic and it was quite beautiful

It's at the base of a rose tree right by my shed door and I have to go in and out of the shed a lot this time of the year

Moving on, what about bumble bees?

we seem to have a collection in and out of a gap under one of our windows.

Long window bottom is about 4 inches from the ground........

just found this site........

http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/do_you_have_a_swarm.php

I had a bee nest over the window a couple of years ago.

They only stay about six weeks and then go wherever they go.

thinking about it now I don't think it was a wasp - much smaller than a wasp

Reading your post caused me to 'go Google' lol

These are just the ones in Nottinghamshire

http://www.eakringbirds.com/eakringbirds2/insectswaspsidentification.htm

I did not realize just how many different kinds there are :-0

I was stung by a wasp while trying to swipe one away from my little niece, it tung me on my hand....I felt so ill afterwards took a few days to recover....not nice at all...hope your ok Ann.

Few years ago I was stung on the bottom!! I'd been swimming in the sea and was drying myself when the little blighter crawled up me leg :-0........went home and lay on the bed (on tummy) until the swelling went down.....not good :-(

edit: sorry Ann hope your ankle improves soon :-)

well it still is painful and all the skin around it just fell off!!!!

Could it have been a hornets nest ...

I found a hornets nest in the passenger door jamb of my car on Sunday !



x

AnnCardiff that sounds more like a crocodile