Yellow Jacket Attractor

Wasps, which include yellow jackets, are common this time of year.  This past Saturday I pulled up spent bean plants in the garden and while lifting the large pile to take to the compost bin I felt a sting on my right shin.  I used my right hand to swat away whatever stung me and that is when I noticed a yellow jacket between the fingers of my glove. I am glad I decided to wear a pair of gloves.  The funny thing is, I had, earlier that day been thinking of how few wasps I have seen this fall.  Usually they are rather prevalent, and especially like to hang about whatever you may be eating/drinking when outside.  As fate would have it, for a yellow jacket attractor like myself, at the same time I had also thought that this may the one year I get by without getting stung by such a creature.  Fate intervened, and I found myself with my first sting of the year. 

After completing my chore, the pain started to increase so I put some ice on the bite area.  After about 15 minutes, I got up to complete other chores, but the pain was still present so my wife put a wrapping around the ice bag to hold it to my leg.  Ice certainly helped salve the sting.  Later in the day,  I mixed baking soda and some water together and covered the bite area.  Curiously, at times this this seemed to alleviate the pain and other times to make it more intense.  My first recollection in the use of a baking soda poultice was when I was a young teenager helping my grandfather on the farm.  Opening up his oil shed one time I was attacked by some wasps, but luckily only received one bite.  Grandpa made the baking soda poultice to place on the bite.  Leave it to an old farmer, I recall thinking, to have a simple remedy for such a bite.  I think Grandpa smoked the wasp nest later that day.  The pain from last Saturday’s wasp bite lasted about 24 hours.  This bite made my mind recall the worst wasp situation in which I have been.  While helping my Dad and getting wood from a brush pile I was attacked and bitten by several wasps; my left arm was bitten several times.   The arm swelled and ice and an antihistamine were able to assist with the pain. 

Yellow Jacket

At work on Monday, a building inspector, Jack, got bit about halfway between the thumb and wrist by a bee or wasp while inspecting a complaint.  In the early afternoon  his hand swelled rather large, and the swelling was working its way up the arm.  When I asked if he felt any swelling in his mouth or airway, he said he was breathing fine, but noted that another coworker told him to watch his tongue, to which he noted he often hears that advice.  He did take the advice to go to urgent care.  Seeing another building inspector later in the day, I inquired if he had heard back from Jack.  He said he had not but would send him a text to see if his arm was amputated.  I suggested he find out if the amputation was above or below the elbow.  Some odd work humor.    Anyway, I am glad that my bite did not swell to that extent that Jack had for his hand and arm.  Otherwise, I would have had a tip to urgent care.  Tuesday morning the swelling in Jack’s hand and arm was less, but still rather great.  Jack noted that, while at urgent care, they gave him a syringe, from which they had taken the plunger out, and told him to drink the medicine, with the provider saying that they have found it better to drink than to give as a shot.  I thought it an odd way to dispense medicine, and perhaps UW Health saved a paper or plastic cup. 

Everyone has a different reaction to bee or wasp bites.  I know my mother was allergic to bee bites.   Jack noted that the doctor had told him that he can make a poultice using Lowry seasoning, which helps reduce the effect of the sting.  The natural acidity of the bite is counteracted by an enzyme in the seasoning.  (Although, depending upon the insect bite, the poultice of Lowry or baking soda may make it worse, apparently.)  Another simple solution, although I suspect baking soda is more prevalent than Lowry seasoning.  Which is more effective?   I don’t know.  I am not sure if a Lowry poultice would have reduced the swelling, but if it had Jack would not have had to drink medicine out of a syringe.