![]() ![]() Antihistamines, aspirin or acetometaphine may further alleviate symptoms. If possible, elevate the sting site and remain still for half an hour or more. Those less sensitive to bee stings but unfortunate enough to have received one can treat the sting with a paste of meat tenderizer and keep a cold compress over it. Persons allergic to bee stings should remain away from areas where yellow jackets are active, and should consult a physician regarding medication available on prescription for emergency treatment of stings. Stay as calm as possible if a yellow jacket is near or on you don't run or swing at them. Since yellow jackets are least active early in the morning, this is a good time to schedule your garden chores if your schedule permits. Follow the cue of beekeepers and don't wear light blue or yellow white or dull beige are preferable. Avoid perfumes and other heavily-scented toiletries. First of all, be on the lookout for nests and steer clear of them. Nevertheless, there are a number of ways gardeners can make themselves less prone to yellow jacket harassment. Favored garden targets include sweet, ripe fruit (in which the feeding insects will leave telltale holes) and gardeners themselves. Unfortunately, yellow jackets can be pretty aggressive well away from their nests as well. Heed the warning, but avoid panicked running, arm-flailing, or screaming if at all possible, since these perfectly natural responses may only agitate the yellow jackets further. If you approach too near, you may be charged head-on by a worker as a warning to stay away. Yellow jackets are at their most fearsome when defending their nests, which they construct underground or within cavities such as walls or hollow trees. Another distinguishing feature is their stinger, which can be used numerous times (honeybees, on the other hand, can only use theirs once). They measure 1/2" to 1" long and have clear wings. However, for those who have not yet had the pleasure of being heckled by a persistent yellow jacket, these insects are easily distinguished by the bright yellow and black or white and black patterned bands decorating their abdomen. ![]() ![]() ![]() Probably no description is required for most readers. Of the social wasps, the yellow jacket deserves special mention. If you are allergic to bee stings or are otherwise averse to working closely with large numbers of wasps, avoid planting these flowers near areas you cultivate intensively. Bear in mind that some flowers are particularly attractive to foraging wasps, among them oxeye daisies, strawflowers, black-eyed Susan, goldenrod and yarrow. On the other hand, if these wasps are merely foraging in your garden for the food they provide for their entire brood, you should be able to work alongside them harmoniously provided you treat them with quiet respect. Paper, or social, wasps, can be more problematic, since they are much more likely to sting people, particularly if they perceive a threat to the nests which they aggressively defend. The mud dauber is a solitary wasp that is practically harmless to people but ruthless to insects, so don't be overly concerned if you spot their muddy nests around your home's exterior. They include the mud dauber and paper, or social, wasps. Wasps that do sting are considered predatory wasps. Even more fortunately for the home gardener, they do not sting! These wasps are also available commercially. These beneficial wasps are found throughout North America, and you can try luring them to your garden by providing the small-blossomed, single-blooming flowers upon which they rely for nectar. These wasps parasitize hundreds of different garden pests, from aphids, scale and mealybugs to the larvae of many beetles, moths and butterflies. The giant hornet is also a pest of dahlias when it gnaws at the base of the plant, which can completely girdle the stem.Ī number of wasps are beneficial to the home gardener, among them the parasitic trichogramma wasps, braconid wasps, and chalcid wasps. Noteworthy among these are those wasps that strip bark from poplars, willows, birch, mountain-ash, boxwood or lilac to use for forming their paper nests. Most wasps are beneficial or nuisance insects but a few can cause damage to plants. ![]()
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