Off-Road Ranger I
For all those concerned with using poisons around their family/pets/campsites, I recommend using soapy water:
Outdoor Illinois - The Afternoon the Wasps Went Down
Outdoor Illinois - The Afternoon the Wasps Went Down
Expedition Master III
Traditional Honey bees, your probably correct,, in most instances. However out West, and the South Central USA, we now have the Africanized Bees to contend with. These will mass attack, and even if your not allergic, you will probably die from the quantity of stings or hospitalized for a while at the very least.. Every year you read about people mowing, or gardening, or minding their own business, and being attacked. Unfortunately, you can not tell at a glance which bee species they are, so until they react, it is all a crap-shoot. Last year we had a tree service guy stung to death (using a chain-saw=noisy), along I believe, a dog. The year before a couple of instances of swarming, they lived. On another incident, some people just hiking on a foot path up Lone Mountain in Las Vegas..
Better to be safe than sorry, especially if your away from immediate medical care. Putting a bee sting kit in your 1st aid kit, is probably a good idea. As was posted above, some people are highly allergic, and just 1 sting can kill them, if not treated immediately. A cousin of mine growing up, had a sting kit he had to keep with him at all times. That was for a single sting, not the swarming that Africanized Bees are known for. BE CAUTIOUS out there.
Wasps irratate me immensely, and I don't like them around. And as stated, they seem attracted when your cooking, and your trying to mind your own business. When 2 or more start hanging around, is when I get concerned. One, I just keep an eye out.
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It is a serious thing. I'm not allergic, but i have been tagged a few times by the red wasps and one hit me on the wrist and it didn't really bother me until the next day and my lower arm swelled up like a balloon. Some of these insects are brutal. I'd definitely take some Benedryl along on trips just to have some help in case of a sting. I set up a ladder on the side of my shop to climb up and fix a leak. A couple days later I went to get the ladder and put it away and had some wasps come out of the rung holes and try to sting me. It doesnt take them long to set up shop and get all territorial and stuff.
Influencer I
I am allergic to honey bees! Have to carry eppy. Wasps....hate their guts and livers!!! Always carry wasp spray but the mud dobbers are pretty gentle. If you leave them alone theyll leave you alone. The wasp traps work pretty good. Hang them from an awning
Dave K
Rank IV
Off-Road Ranger I
Just a heads up. I am convinced that yellow jackets are now on the internet and reading English. I got into bed 10 minutes ago and felt something bite the hell out of my arm. Well, with my lightning fast, almost ninja like reflexes, I sprang to action and killed my would be assassin. What was it trying to kill me you ask?! A Yellowjacket!! The bastards put a price on my head for my earlier comments! I’m a marked man now!
Be warned gents. Keep a weather eye and stay safe out there!
PS: 100% factual story but may contain slight embellishment.
Be warned gents. Keep a weather eye and stay safe out there!
PS: 100% factual story but may contain slight embellishment.
Influencer I
Member I
I know this late to the party but depending on the time of year, wasps bees hornet dietary needs change. They will forage miles from their nests or hives. Instead of spraying set out away from camp, not in camp, before you start cooking or guzzling that soda or other drink, a lure. Invite them to the party but away from the party. Set out something to draw them away, but not kill. Believe it or not these guys are considered beneficial insects. They only become nuisance or a pest because 'we' invited them and it smells good. Same can be said during certain times of the year one of your buddies or family members gets harassed by them and not others. Maybe it's their deodorant or fabric softener used at home in the wash, perfumes, anything that may smell like food. They detect it and investigate.
I say this because in a previous life I was in the pest control business and provided service to one of our national soda brand canning plants. Bees were horrific around the towers where the syrup deliveries were made. Deliveries made, equipment immediately hot washed down. I couldn't directly spray the area out of safety concerns and wouldn't accomplish anything, drivers constantly getting stung. etc. What ended up happening to better manage and control the bees and wasps was to construct a small structure a hundred feet or so away from the syrup delivery area. We would occasionally apply concentrated syrup to the 'house' and lured them away.This area was not hot washed down and the bees and wasps went to it because it was concentrated and tasty, versus the sterile area. It worked really well. Just a thought.
I say this because in a previous life I was in the pest control business and provided service to one of our national soda brand canning plants. Bees were horrific around the towers where the syrup deliveries were made. Deliveries made, equipment immediately hot washed down. I couldn't directly spray the area out of safety concerns and wouldn't accomplish anything, drivers constantly getting stung. etc. What ended up happening to better manage and control the bees and wasps was to construct a small structure a hundred feet or so away from the syrup delivery area. We would occasionally apply concentrated syrup to the 'house' and lured them away.This area was not hot washed down and the bees and wasps went to it because it was concentrated and tasty, versus the sterile area. It worked really well. Just a thought.
Advocate I
My trick has been to make a death trap. Take a red Solo cup and put 2 holes just below the rim and jam a stick across the top. Tie a piece of meat and hang it 1/2-3/4 from the bottom. Fill with water to just below the meat. Set away from camp. The stripey a..hats find it, bit off a chunk of meat and when they try to fly off they always lose altitude first and that puts them right in the water and well, they can't swim very well.
Traveler III
I love the electric "tennis racket" zapper. Makes short work of anything annoying flying around camp....
Advocate I
Yellow jackets usually enter areas where humans are camping because they smell food or other attractants. Meats and sweets often attract these pests to grills and cooler areas. Pack mothballs or ammonia-soaked rags in onion sacks or cheesecloth and hang them near coolers , and near where you are working or cooking.
Good one. The whole purpose of a bait/lure to draw them away. never ceases to amaze me the number of folks that put bug zappers right outside their doors. Oh yeah, you'll hear it zappin'em and think it was money well spent. Problem is you are attracting that many and more towards the house. Set it away from the house. Bug zappers emit the light spectrum insects see
Good idea though.
I'd still suggest hanging it away from the area. Wasps and yellow jackets and hornets can be aggressive. Honey bees not so much in this type of situation (Africanized bees is a different story). Any concoction like this to lure or bait is an attractant drawing them in. I'm just saying place it away from your cooking/cooler area to draw them away.
Good idea though.
Enthusiast III
Last camping trip the yellow jackets where a menace.
I ended up pouring some coke on the end of the table to keel them away from me..
Worked for a bit. Couple days later. One of them decided to sting me on the wrist. And that was when I discovered my epi pin was not in thebfirst aid kit. It was never replaced after it went bad. Well past expiration date..
So it 100mg of benadryl, it was. Kept the reaction to some bad swelling in my wrist an i made sure everyone knew to keep an eye on me and look for signs of breathing issues.
This was the first sting in roughly 30 years an I was not sure how the reaction would be.
I ended up pouring some coke on the end of the table to keel them away from me..
Worked for a bit. Couple days later. One of them decided to sting me on the wrist. And that was when I discovered my epi pin was not in thebfirst aid kit. It was never replaced after it went bad. Well past expiration date..
So it 100mg of benadryl, it was. Kept the reaction to some bad swelling in my wrist an i made sure everyone knew to keep an eye on me and look for signs of breathing issues.
This was the first sting in roughly 30 years an I was not sure how the reaction would be.
Trail Mechanic I
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Hi. It is a common problem in Greece when camping or going to tavernas. The one trick that works best is to burn Greek Coffee. Wasps don’t like it and go away. This combined with finely chopped garlic does the trick for me.
For most people - ignore them, they don't eat much.
For people with allergies obviously it's necessary to protect yourselves - use repellent and suitable clothing.
For "killer bees" - run away at 90 degrees to the flight path or drop to the ground and cover your face.
For people with allergies obviously it's necessary to protect yourselves - use repellent and suitable clothing.
For "killer bees" - run away at 90 degrees to the flight path or drop to the ground and cover your face.
lhoffm4
Rank III
Advocate I
About rolled off my chair reading Dave's manifesto... If all the SJW stuff don't work tho, try some Citronella oil lamps/candles. I've always had good luck keeping all flying pests out of camp. My wife always takes Skin So Soft lotion to camp. Works amazingly well without the deet after effects.
Advocate I
