Ouch!(long and slightly off-topic)
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Ouch!(long and slightly off-topic)
- From: H*
- Date: Sat, 14 Aug 1999 22:03:10 -0400
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am already looking forward to
next year's patch. Since I started reading this list I've learned many
things and next year's patch is gonna be different! For instance,
instead of growing three off-the-shelf-seed plants in a 3' x 4' garden,
I'm going to grow two proven plants in a 22' x 34' garden. I'm also
going to condition the soil with plenty of manure and compost.
Thinking about my Y2KPatch, I decided to check on my compost yesterday.
I scooped some out with the shovel and liked what I saw: nice crumbly,
dark soil. As I dug around a bit more I suddenly felt a burning
sensation on my calf. Then another strong burn on my hand, and then on
my back... next thing I know I'm running across the yard flailing my
arms and yelling.
I ran into the house and yelled to my wife (and possibly the whole
neighbourhood), "I've been attacked by wasps!" Unfortunately the stereo
was on too loud so no one seemed to hear me. I had to turn it off and
yell my message a few more times before I got any attention. By this
time both my hands, my leg and my back were on fire.
Barb took me upstairs and started an oatmeal bath for me and gave me
some antihistamines. I remembered that I had a bee sting kit with our
camping equipment so I ran down to the basement to get it. As I was
passing through the kitchen, I suddenly felt more stings on my chest.
One of those bastards was in my shirt! I flung it off and ran into the
basement.
When I came back to the kitchen I saw Barb hitting the wasp on the floor
with my son's plastic toy sword (we later concurred that fly swatters
were probably invented in the dark ages after people realized how
ineffective swords are at killing insects).
To make a long story even longer, it turns out that there is a very
large yellow jacket nest in the compost and later we found a paper wasp
nest (the size of a volley ball) above one of our side doors. I was
stung in five places with each area having a few stings. I was attacked
again this morning; luckily I was not stung this time but one got my pup
on the ear. When I went over to hang a wasp trap near the compost, they
swarmed again. I've never seen such aggressive insects before.
The fellow at the hardware store said that he has never sold so many
cans of wasp spray before; he's having trouble keeping it on the
shelves. I waited until dusk tonight and sprayed both nests.
In the meantime, I weighing yesterday's pain against next year's gain.
I'm toying with the idea growing next year's plant over a forklift, just
for convienence sake.
sore and swollen in Millbrook, Ontario,
Randy Banderob
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