Dangers in the garden (fence, move, property)

[Barkingowl]

I was outside a couple days ago trying to remove dirt from my fence line. The fence around our property has split apart at a corner because it takes the brunt of dirt that washes down a hill.

My wife had asked me to remove the dirt so that we could nail the sections back together. So I went outside with a spade & began shoveling the dirt away from the fence. And as luck would have it my spade split open a wasp nest. I had been bitten 4 times, once on the left knee, twice on my right leg & once on my left elbow before I could make it in the house.

I have never felt that kind of pain before & it took most of the day for it to fade away. My wife gave me ice for the bites & I took Benedryl as well. I spoke with a friend yesterday who told me that I should've taped copper pennies to the bites. I was wondering if this actually worked & what sorts of remedies y'all had used.

[sundrop]

Cigarette tobacco works like a charm....

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

I was outside a couple days ago trying to remove dirt from my fence line. The fence around our property has split apart at a corner because it takes the brunt of dirt that washes down a hill.

My wife had asked me to remove the dirt so that we could nail the sections back together. So I went outside with a spade & began shoveling the dirt away from the fence. And as luck would have it my spade split open a wasp nest. I had been bitten 4 times, once on the left knee, twice on my right leg & once on my left elbow before I could make it in the house.

I have never felt that kind of pain before & it took most of the day for it to fade away. My wife gave me ice for the bites & I took Benedryl as well. I spoke with a friend yesterday who told me that I should've taped copper pennies to the bites. I was wondering if this actually worked & what sorts of remedies y'all had used.

Get a good quality clay mask from a cosmetic department. Keep it for insect bites & slather it on. By the time it dries the pain & swelling are gone. Works like a charm every time.

[bs13690]

I ran over one with my lawnmower one year. Those bites hurt like the dickens and I didn't know where they came from til I saw those little bastards swarming around me.

[Native_Son]

Just FTR, you're being stung rather than bitten.

And we always used tobacco as a salve too. Still hurts like he'll though!

[yantosh22]

It was probably a yellow jacket nest. Wasps don't make nests in the ground.

[jayhawks91]

I am so sorry that happened! I fear that happening to me almost every time I cut my grass.

I hope you are on the mend!

[paulosfm]

Been there. Done that when I ran over a yellow jackets nest. Witnesses can attest that's the fastest they have ever seen a human being move all four limbs at the same time. Get out of the way Steve Smith! :-)

[superk]

When we were kids, we were always stumbling across yellow jacket and hornet nests, and I still have many painful memories of those stings.

Once, my younger brother and I were climbing a tree, and we were about halfway up, maybe 40 feet or more off the ground. He was ahead of me, and as he reached for the next branch he stuck his hand right into a hornet's nest. As the first one stung me, I just released my grip and literally fell to the ground, smashing through limbs and branches on the way down. He did the same and actually passed me on the way down. We both ran into the house, which was a huge mistake becase they just came in with us and started stinging our mom. She forced us back outside and blasted us with the hose until they went away.

[arbyunc]

Originally Posted by yantosh22

It was probably a yellow jacket nest. Wasps don't make nests in the ground.

Nitpick, but a yellow jacket is indeed a wasp.