Bee stings

“When i was yonuger, I was allergic to bees. I can not remeber when i was stung by a bee. I do know I was stung by a wasp a few years ago but had no side affects. Sat I was next to my gargen pulling up weeds when I was stung on the back of my knee. I ran into the house in a lot of pain. After an asthma attack and ice on the sting I felt a little better. But as the day went on, I started feeling worse. it felt like my heart was trying to pump it's way out. My head hurt, my tummy hurt, both my knees hurt, I felt dizzy. and that made it hard to lay down. But I was able to relax a little and get some sleep. But by 11:45 (almost 12 hours later) I woke up felling real bad. We called the doctor and were told to watch my breathing.

Why am I tell ing you this? I learned that I was still allergic to bees, but only yellow jackets. This scared me because I go on solo outdoor trips all the time. The thought of getting caught outsdie alone as sick as I was, makes me rethink my solo trips. I will be getting the right meds to carry on me.

oh and not only did we have one yellow jacket nest, but two

BEE CAREFUL”

“DIdn't your doc give you an epi pen? See if you can get one and carry it on your trips.


I stepped on a bee on Saturday. I've never been stung in my life, and being 37 weeks pregnant I kinda freaked out! Luckily, it doesn't look like I'm allergic at all, and my sister was here when it happened.”

“yellow jackets are wasps.”

“I'd definitely try and get an epi pen. Also when you're hiking with a group, make sure the members know that you are allergic to yellow jackets. It will make identification and treatment faster and easier.”

“Whew, close one.

That seems to be the way of it . . . you don't know exactly which one until you get stung by it. At this point, maybe you can find out all you can about the yellow jacket and their closely related insects so you know what else to be careful of.

That might be a good idea too--to carry and epi--though feeling that ill on trail all alone remains frightening.”

“Maple...I hate bees...I think I would rather face a bear!

Glad you are ok!”

“Interesting thing here. We had some scouts clearing brush one weekend when they hit a yellowjacket nest.

we ran the gamut on the sting killer, benadryl ointment, tobbacco, and meat tenderizer (the last two actually did work).

The biggest thing about yellow jackets is if you get over 5 (as in a mass sting) you need to go get a tetnus booster....glad you are doing better but the epi pen would be an excellent idea.”

“I called the poison control here in NY. this is basiclly what I was told

Yes yellow jackets are part of the wasp family. but it is more of a general title
many different bees fall under that title
the yellow jacket has a differrent venom then wasps. I will be seeing family doctor and allergy doc to talk about this matter ASAP”

“I echo the epi pen idea, but with one caveat... you need to know how and when to use it. It does you no good to be solo and get into a situation where you can not get to it, do not know exactly how to use it and when to use it.

I am seriously considering getting a gluco-pen and the same thought has been running through my mind. If I need this thing will I be conscious enuf to use it?”

“"Yellow Jackets" are not different. They are wasps. They are not bees.

Family: Vespidae
Subfamily: Vespinae
Genus: Vespula or Dolichovespula

Yellowjacket or yellow-jacket is the common name in North America for wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as wasps in other English-speaking countries.

Vespula is a small genus of social wasps, widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Along with members of their sister genus Dolichovespula, they are collectively known by the common name yellowjackets (or yellow-jackets) in North America. Vespula species have a shorter malar space and a more pronounced tendency to nest underground, but are otherwise nearly indistinguishable from Dolichovespula.

* Two of the common European species (the German wasp, Vespula germanica and the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris) were originally native to Europe, but are now established in North America, southern Africa, New Zealand, and eastern Australia.

* The Eastern Yellowjacket, Vespula maculifrons, and Western Yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, are native to North america

Dolichovespula is a small genus of social wasps distributed widley throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Along with members of their sister genus Vespula, they are collectively known by the common name yellowjackets (or yellow-jackets) in North America. Dolichovespula species have a longer malar space and a more pronounced tendency to nest above ground, but are otherwise nearly indistinguishable from Vespula.[i]


Bees
Families

Andrenidae
Apidae
Colletidae
Halictidae
Megachilidae
Melittidae
Stenotritidae”

“Epi Pen again.”

“MAJOR biggie here...only use tyhe EPI Pen when you have SYMPTOMS of the Anaphylactic Shock.

IN EMT school we had a twit who was in a scenario where she comes up on a PT in the woods he claimed he had run into a swarm of Wasps and ran away ....without taking a symptom or checking anything she simulates hitting him with the Epi.

IT is for symptoms (restriction of the airway, itching related to shock)”

“Maple, you are supposted to be an outdoorswoman, learn the difference between a honeybee and a wasp before you get treated.”

“Epi pen is good to carry but really what it buys is about 15 minutes in the worst case - enough to get a 911 call / first responder if you are reasonable accessable.

I had my first systemic reaction to yellowjackets up on Mill Mtn. near Big Schloss - hives, itching all over, blotchy skin, swelling of ears and lips, wheezing - all the crap you don't want to handle in the backcountry - antihistimines and an albuterol inhaler got me through it. I was prescribed an epi pen and researched the problem - going into the backcountry has some risk since one epi pen may not be enough - it buys some time but after it wears off the symptoms can reoccur. My decision was to go get tested and desensitized as well as carrying the epi pen, antihistimines and inhaler while getting desensitized - given how little I react to the shots these days I suspect that a sting would not bother me much these days but I just don't know.”

“There are several different species of yellow jackets. While they are of the wasp family, it is a different genus than, say, a paper wasp, or a red wasp.

Not all species are ground dwellers.”

“Yes, chili. But too many people throw around "yellowjacket" like its a bee and or not a wasp. Might as well throw "ants" into the mix.

;)”

“Bearmagnet is now the voice against the misrepresentation of wasps in American society? Hey, everyone has to have a station in life, I suppose. This must be his.”

“Speaking of, when is yellowjacket appreciation month?”

“I see nothing wrong with correcting an error. A big one at that. Do you?”

“bees and ants don't mix.”

“Next thing you're going to tell me is a spider isn't a bug. ;-)”

“better than ignorance”

““I see nothing wrong with correcting an error. A big one at that. Do you?”
bearmagnet


No! And your helpful insight has cast such an amazing new light on this subject!! I mean, your kind, caring demeanor is remarkable! You shouldn't be wasting your time on a pitiful backpacking site. You should in the lobby of a Barnes and Noble signing books on entomology. I can't tell you how much of a positive outlook you have shed on this thread!! And so nice about it, too...”

“Bearmagnet,
for the record, as much as we've argued in the past, I see nothing wrong with what you've said here.

Some people just don't like a'learn'n. Makes the head feel owie.”

“Oh, speaking of useless people and their comments:

Maple, you are supposted to be an outdoorswoman, learn the difference between a honeybee and a wasp before you get treated.”
StoveStomper
9:34:46 AM



Can't leave that one out. Thanks! Can't tell you how much I've learned today!!!

Probably because it amounted to nothing!!”

“Ok everyone. Take a few steps back and take some deep breaths. No need to get all worked up over this.”

“No! And your helpful insight has cast such an amazing new light on this subject!! I mean, your kind, caring demeanor is remarkable! You shouldn't be wasting your time on a pitiful backpacking site. You should in the lobby of a Barnes and Noble signing books on entomology. I can't tell you how much of a positive outlook you have shed on this thread!! And so nice about it, too...”
Treebeard
9:27:49 AM
8/14/07

That's twice you've been snarky. What's up your ass? I stated facts. Where was I being not nice?

Sorry it's not important to you and so you feel justified to respond in such a demeaning sarcastic way. Maybe if someone said a wolf was a coyote I would be "allowed" to correct them? I mean, please tell me what you allow here?

God forbid I correct a general misconception. Or is it because of who I corrected?”

“No, No, LZ. Someone obviously feels insulted.”

“Show me where the fact that the yellow jacket is 'technically' a wasp (although there are many varieties of wasp out there) had anything to do with the physical symptoms she was experiencing and I will stand corrected...”

“LOL. Mapleleaf brought it up.”

“Now now bear, as beekeepers we can not be correcting a general misconception about bees to anyone from NYC/NJ. It's just not done. Don't you know they know everything? ;-)”

“There does seem to be some confusion. from original post:

I learned that I was still allergic to bees, but only yellow jackets.

I responded that this is untrue. She replied:

Yes yellow jackets are part of the wasp family. but it is more of a general title
many different bees fall under that title
the yellow jacket has a differrent venom then wasps.

yellow jackets, being wasps, cannot have a different venom then wasps. It adds confusion to a huge misconception.”

““To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.”

William H. Walton”

“Just to share:

Venoms
Bee and wasp venoms are different, each containing distinct major allergens, which are well defined. Phospholipase A2 and mellitin occur only in bee venom, and antigen 5 only in wasp venom, but both venoms contain hyaluronidases. Patients allergic to wasp venom are rarely allergic to bee venom.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/316/7141/1365”

“What is the prize for winning an argument on TT?”

“Nobody wins arguments on TT.”

““What is the prize for winning an argument on TT?”
nowslimmer
8:32:54 AM
8/14/07

The winner has to supply the beer at the next trip.”

“Ha!”

“Thank you Beermagnet for clearing that up. I didn't know that yellow jackets were not bees. And Combined with what HOI said, it really does make a difference.”

“youre all losers in my book”

“Is Mapleleaf spheksophobic?”

“Thank you tree. And I'll drink just about anything. And I might supply some beer to Masten, But only if LZ shows up.

:D”

“Hey, that's a real word! Had to look it up.
Fear of wasps.
last edited: 8/14/07 8:12:57 AM”

“Why does that trip have to be right in the middle of hunting season?”

“I'd prefer it earlier myself. But it's practically NY so bring your gun and have some fun PA style...”

“Zac it will be archery season in PA, so no problem. See ya there.”

“Yeah, but it's rifle season in NY. IE I like going hunting.”

“"Archery season"? Last year those boys in Red weren't carrying bows?”

“Tons o' Yellow Jackets at the lake this past weekend.  You'll be glad to know I set out a cup of sugar water and drowned about forty of the little bastages.

It's a throwback to my UGA heritage.”

“you know they treat arthritus with bee stings???”