Thanks for the warning. Compost bin is DH's job -- I'll tell him too.

It's good to have an Epi-Pen (prescription) on hand in case of an allergic reaction.

Bee careful!

OWeeee! Feel better soon!

Owie!! Ibuprofin helps a lot with bee stings....it's an anti inflammatory.
Make sure Tim checks to see that they are gone before you dump more compost.
Linda C

We don't have ground bees here in Lakeland but we do have yellow jackets here that nest in the ground. Coal tries to catch them when he sees one when taken out to do is business outside(house breaking training) So far he hasn't caught one.

Linda I went "Googling" because I wasn't familiar with these and was curious. I found a whole thread about them elsewhere on Gardenweb. I didn't read it word for word as some of the posts are long, but there were some corroborations of multiple, painful stings. Here is the link in case there is any useful info in it for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread about Ground Bees

Bee sting to the fleshy part of my hand was the last time I cried like a child. Owieeeee!

Scott, Interesting thread. Seems like "ground bees" means different things to different people.

I am not sure what kind of bees these are, we have always called them "ground bees". They nest on/in/near the ground, are super agressive, and have a wicked sting when disturbed.

Linda

Linda, how are the stings....would cortisone help? Somewhere I remember Accent meat tenderizer (papain?) helps neutralize the venom.

Linda, my Mother always put bleach on a bee sting and it would stop the stinging and help the swelling. You might try it if you get stung again. I haven't been stung in years, but I remember how bad they hurt.

Wow, I love all the home remedies!

Jessy, I read about the meat tenderizer, too, but didn't have any on hand. The bleach is a new one, tho! I'll have to try that next time.

My sister read somewhere that if you tape a penny to the sting it relieves pain and swelling, too.

Interesting......

Linda

Linda, my Mom sent me an email about the penny. I tried it and it didn't work but don't tell Mom, she'll send me another email with another home remedy!

I am not allergic to bee stings, but I'm "sensitive". The last bee sting was when that wasp got into my bra and I ended up with intravenous antibiotics and an overnight hospital stay because of the infection that got into my lymph nodes. BE CAREFUL.

My old and now retired doc had a theory that the bee venom was getting stronger and people were having more severe reactions due to all the pesticides we keep spraying. AS they build up immunities to the poison the venom gets more potent against humans. Maybe, or maybe not, but my reactions seem to be getting more and more severe.

Annie

Annie, your doc sounds like great thinker, but allergic reactions do get stronger each time! If I were you, I'd keep an Epi-pen nearby when you're working at the farm. Stay safe, my friend!

Well it's good to put the "penny theory" to rest! LOL Thanks, Annie!

I must say the cider vinegar and baking soda worked wonders, tho. Second sting did not swell up much at all compared to the untreated sting.

Totally unrelated, but I read the the daddy long-leg spider has venom more deadly than most spiders, but because it's mouth is so small it can't really bite.

(Tawlk amongst yoahselves....)

Linda

Linda, baking soda works wonders for me, takes the sting out every time, but it doesn't stop the swelling much!

Ellen, my old doc wasn't talking just about me and my progressively more severe reactions. He was remarking that he was seeing more and more people who were having reactions, that they were getting so much more common and that the side effects from even a first sting were so severe. As he pointed out, part of the problem is that there are more people living where bees are, but that the severe reactions were far more common than they had been earlier in his practice. He also noted that allergies in general are far more prevalent than they ever were.

Annie

From what you are describing, I call those bees German Yellowjackets. They nest in the ground or a tree or in a hole in your house! I had them in a roof over an arch between the house and the garage....which was open to the house via the attic....and to the house via the sash cord openings in the windows...long saga!
And a couple of years ago my son tangled with a nest in his yard and ended up in the ER with over 100 stings.
Be careful!! go at night and spray something nasty into the hole and then pile on the soil!
Linda C

Okay Annie, understood! Your doc could be right about the pesticides causing more sting reactions.As to allergies, certainly mine and many others seem to be far worse than in previous generations. It's entirely possible that our polluted and plasticized world may play a role in the increase.

Well, all I can say is I had to try the baking soda because the plethora of cuss-words did not help one little bit! LOL

Linda

Ouch! I hope you are on the mend and keep in mind what others have said about infection which can be terribly dangerous.

We have what is called 'ground hornets'. They don't sting but they sure do bite and cause you to bleed. DS has scars all over his legs. D@m* things chase you as your trying to get away from them. Your first instict is to run inside the house. Yep, we were trying to tend to his bites while we were swatting hornets all over the house.

One of my favorite stories my dear departed Grandpa used to tell was about fishing up on the Two Hearted River. He had got a ways back in the woods fishing the river when it was "business" time. He got back off the river a bit and his drawers down when he got hit a few times right in the backside. Later in the camper Grandma had to pull some stingers out for him. He said it was amazing how fast a person can run with pants around their ankles.... he was probably about 75 years old at the time.

My way favorite home remedy for insect stings is Absorbine Jr. Really a rather nasty brew of menthol, acetone, and stuff like wormwood oil. When I want to smell like a guy I dab on Absorbine Jr. and Old Spice... makes gals say I smell like their Grandfather. Almost INSTANTLY kills the sting from bees, wasps, and mosquitos. I suspect one of the chemicals in it disassembles the venom at a molecular level. Pretty much ends the sting and swelling when applied. Sometimes a strong hornet sting will need a second dose the next day to keep it from itching. Probably not the best stuff for people sensitive as the solvent portion would spread the venom deep in the flesh. I always have a bottle as I use it on my ankles when tight socks make them itch.

My worst sting was a swig from a Pepsi bottle. I thought for a moment I had eaten a spider but it stung me on the lip as I spit it out. Talk about a bee stung lip look.

: )
lyra

A quick dose of Benadryl will lessen bee/wasp stings and spider bite reactions to almost nothing for us. Of course, a nap soon follows.