Autumn brings aggressive hornets

By KATHLEEN WOODFORD

At least once a summer I get a nasty hornet sting and this year was no different. While hiking around in mountains I found myself under a large pine tree and without warning was attacked by a savage vampire hornet. OK, there’s no such thing as an actual “vampire hornet” but this one landed on my neck and stung me very aggressively. I ended up grabbing it and pulled it off with some force as I ran away from the area. Looking back I saw that I was directly under a large gray hornet’s nest swarming with the awful little things.

I didn’t go back and investigate too closely, but I think they were bald-faced hornets rather than the more common yellow jackets. Despite their name, bald-faced hornets are not true hornets but are more closely related to yellow jackets, which are a wasp. Hornets are a large wasp and no matter what they are called, all of them pack a nasty sting.

None of them leave a stinger embedded in the skin like honey bees and are capable of stinging multiple times. They also inject venom but it is rarely fatal to humans. However, if swarmed by hornets or wasps an encounter can turn deadly. These vivacious little insects are also more aggressive in August and September and often interrupt summer BBQ’s by swarming around savory helpings of chicken or steaks. Their aggression can be traced back to what happens earlier in the summer.

Hornets and yellow jackets start their colonies from scratch every year. In the spring, a young queen emerges from winter dormancy and builds a new nest by herself. She then lays her first round of eggs and once those are hatched she has her first batch of workers. This cycle continues and colonies can grow to more than a 1,000 wasps.

During this cycle of growth, workers are busy feeding the young larvae and don’t bother people as much. But once the last batch of eggs are hatched and the youth have flown from the nest, the remaining workers turn their focus to themselves. At this stage, they want sugary foods that give them a boost of energy. Sort of like a last hurrah before they succumb to the cold and die, usually by Thanksgiving. In the fall, only the freshly mated queens survive by hibernating beneath rotted logs or behind the siding of a house until spring.

Some home remedies too keep them away from your BBQ fun is to leave dryer sheets on or near tables. They don’t like the smell, nor do they like the smell of mothballs, cucumbers or cloves which all work as deterrents. Another remedy is to hang up a blown-up brown paper bag. Hornets and wasps are territorial and will not venture near areas where there are other wasps and the bag looks like a nest.

If you are out fishing, another trick is to hang a dead fish in a tree close by. Set a bucket of water under the fish and the wasps will gorge themselves until they are too full to fly and end up falling into the bucket. Not only does this get rid of the pest but it can be entertaining for the kids to watch. If you’re feeling hospitable you can simply set a piece of meat or other sweet nearby, which will attract them away from your dinner plate.

If you do get stung expect painful swelling around the area. You may also experience swelling around the face, lips and throat, especially if you are allergic to the venom. People can also break out in hives, have difficulty breathing, become dizzy and may even get nauseous. The pain and swelling lasts for several days after the sting.

Icing the injury can help with the pain and swelling, also take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. For the itchiness, take an antihistamine or apply a mixture of baking soda and water or calamine lotion. Seek medical attention if you have difficulty breathing, experience a tightness in the throat, have hoarseness or trouble speaking, have severe abdominal pain or vomiting, or a fast heartbeat.

Kathleen Woodford is the Mineral Independent’s reporter. She can be reached at reporter@vp-mi.com