Hiking, hunting, harvesting? Going for a walk in the woods? Riding your horse? Mowing your lawn? Picking apples? Beware of yellowjackets.
“Historically, they always come out this time of year to feast on aster and goldenrod,” said Mary Wigmore, owner of Ashfield, MA-based Wigmore Forest Resource Management, a licensed forester for 45 years.
They are ground nesters and previously, moisture protected their nests when someone walked by. “This year the earth is so dry, it crumbles when walking by their nests and rouses them up,” she said.
“It is documented that we have two and half more weeks of summer” than in the past, she said, so yellowjackets and hornets are here longer. Cold snaps and freezing weather are required to kill them.
Unlike bees, who leave their stingers in the person they’ve stung, yellowjackets do not deposit their stingers and can sting multiple times.
Yellowjackets might also make nests in tree stumps or hollow trees, so getting stung is an occupational hazard for Wigmore. The first week of September, “I was assessing a homeowner’s property and the yellowjackets got roused … They chased us and stung me three times.”
The owner offered liquid Tylenol applied topically that “took the sting” out of her stings. “It worked,” said Wigmore.
Unfortunately, some people are allergic to yellowjacket stings and need to be treated as soon as possible, with prednisone and antibiotics.
According to my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/yellow-jacket-sting, their stingers pierce the skin and release venom that contain the enzyme phospholipase A1 and the toxin mastoparan. Both trigger the body’s inflammatory response. Reactions include pain, swelling and itching at the site, reduced by applying ice packs and antihistamines.
Allergic reactions can also cause swelling at the sting site as well as hives, skin rashes and require medical attention. Difficulty breathing or swallowing, vomiting, wheezing, fainting and dizziness indicate anaphylactic symptoms, requiring immediate medical attention. If you know you are allergic, carrying an Epipen is advisable. Further complications can run from low blood pressure to kidney failure.
Two weeks ago, this writer’s husband was walking the dog on his usual woodland route. He came running back, having been stung in his right hand, chased by yellowjackets. His hand started swelling immediately and red welts popped up on his body, requiring an immediate trip to urgent care. Even with medication, his hand swelled to four times its size. Repeated application of ice packs helped dispel the itching.
According to rottler.com/how-weather-affects-yellow-jackets, “drought conditions are the best” for yellowjackets as they increase nesting options, reduce risk of nest evacuation and make it easier for them to hunt for food. High humidity makes it harder for them to access food, making them more aggressive and likely to sting. Excessive rain can fill holes in the ground, taking away potential nesting sites or drive yellowjackets out of their nests and nearer to man-made structures.
Flower gardens attract yellowjackets. Seeking protein, they eat flies, caterpillars and spiders and are considered beneficial in gardens and fruit orchards. But as autumn descends, blooms wither and cold sets in, they begin a feeding frenzy, dining on asters and goldenrod – bringing them more in contact with people. Barbecues, picnics and sugary drinks attract them too, as does rotten fruit, trash, meat and pet food.
To prevent yellowjacket stings, don’t go barefoot, don’t wear perfume, cologne or scented beauty products, apply insect repellent, avoid bright-colored clothing, dispose of trash promptly, stay away from where yellowjackets build their nests, caulk windows so they can’t come inside and avoid swatting at them if one comes near you. That makes them more likely to sting.
Featured photo: A yellowjacket feasts on a sunflower. Photo courtesy of Nicole Bell, UMass Extension Service
