With the arrival of warmer weather here in Texas I’m faced with an issue most don’t understand. I’m highly allergic to wasp stings. Today wasp were flying all over the place at our school. I’m a bit timid when this happens because I’ve been stung twice at school. Both times I had to use an epi pen and be rushed to the ER. Not a fun way to spend an afternoon. People don’t understand my fear of wasp and the stinger that they carry. I’m not sure I would understand it either if I hadn’t gone through it. I’ve been a guest at someone house and we were swimming in the pool. Several wasp were flying around us. I got a bit skittish and got out of the pool. One person said oh good grief if you ignore them they will leave you alone. I was doing just that all 7 times I’ve been stung. Ignoring a wasp isn’t the answer when a sting can kill you.
Other than wasp I have several allergies like latex, adhesive, several medications and the list goes on and on with food. Everyday at school I see and hear of many allergies that kids have. Sometimes kids that don’t understand tease and at points bully the kids that do. Not on my watch if I hear it. Living with allergies is so hard the world doesn’t adapt to those of us that aren’t like others. I have a dairy allergy, yes I know that sucks. I can’t tell you how many times I say “please no cheese on anything, I have an allergy”. My food always comes with cheese, after all it’s Texas and tex-mex country seems everything is smothered in cheese.
My beautiful daughter has serve allergies to a list of things that are a mile long. On top of that she has Celiac. Allergies to gluten, barley and rye. Her world is much harder and dangerous to live in. If she goes to a restaurant that says they have a gluten-free menu and the food is contaminated she gets sick. It’s days of sickness followed by a skin burn around her mouth and face area. This isn’t something that clears up over night it can be weeks before she recovers. When she was younger she was teased and left out of things because people didn’t understand. Most people thought that I was just an over protective mom over reacting about food. I found myself trying to make sure she wasn’t left out of things because of her allergies to food. She is 30 now and does well at keeping her celiac under control. Sooner or later she attends dinner or a restaurant and things happen. Then it’s back to step one cleansing her body of the toxins from the foods.
I’ve watched as families are ridiculed by other family members, friends and outsider because they don’t understand allergies. It is one of the ways that people are bullying now days. I’m not one to get on a soap box about something but this is near and dear to my heart. Allergy people aren’t asking to have special treatment just understanding. Allergies of any kind can be harmful even deadly. It only takes a small about of exposure to set off the allergies of someone.
Compassion is what we all need. No matter what our issues are we all need to be more understanding of those issues. Caring for one another is more than just saying hello, how are you. It’s saying hello and waiting on a response. It’s asking how are you and hearing what that person says to you. Compassion is loving without understanding, but excepting that person with all their issues.
CAllen
March 6, 2018Saw this & thought of you especially if you wear dark clothing or if ther eis food/drink around you. Be safe & keep that epi pen handy as unfortunately, there are a lot of wasps around.
How to Avoid Bee and Wasp Stings
Updated on April 6, 2016 Ann M Reid
The Usual Suspects
Bumblebees, honeybees, wasps, yellow jackets and hornets: when it comes to stinging insects, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To avoid getting stung, it helps to understand “the usual suspects” and what motivates them to attack.
Bees
With the exception of Africanized honeybees in some of the U.S. southern states, bees are generally mild-mannered. They live in geometric wax hives and in the wild are known to inhabit hollowed out tree trunks. Bees are generally yellow, brown or black, and their bodies are compact and chunky. They are usually very hairy. Pollen captured and transported on the bees’ hairs are what helps fertilize the blossoms that turn into fruits and vegetables. Bees gather and feed on nectar and pollen from flowers.
Bees sting when they feel they need to protect themselves or their hive. It’s strictly defensive. Away from the hive, foraging bees are usually too busy to bother about passersby. Unlike bumblebees, which have a smooth stinger and can sting repeatedly, honeybees can sting only once. Honeybees have a barbed stinger, which, when deployed, gets stuck in the victim’s skin. As the bee alights, the stinger is ripped from its’ thorax, leaving it imbedded in the skin while venom is pumped into the wound.
Wasps
All wasps develop as predators or parasites of other insects such as flies, caterpillars and spiders. They’re also scavengers. Wasps are carnivores and hunt their prey, although some also visit flowers for nectar. Where bees are chunky, wasps have more elongated bodies, longer legs, much less hair, and have a pinched or “wasp waist.” Male wasps, which are nearly hairless, have a minor role in pollination.
There are several types of wasps but social wasps , such as yellow jackets, account for the overwhelming majority of stinging incidents. The larger the colony, the more aggressive they become—usually in late summer or early fall when food is in short supply.
Yellow jackets produce papery nests made from rotted wood pulp and saliva, but these are usually hidden. Yellow-jackets nests can be found behind logs, walls, underground in abandoned rodent dens, under the eaves or over-hangs of roofs and porches, as well in hidden nooks under playground equipment.
Although wasps feed on other insects, they are highly attracted to fruit, sweetened drinks and protein-rich foods like meat and fish.
Wasps sting to protect themselves or their hive. Unprovoked wasp stings are rare. Unfortunately, it’s easy to unwittingly provoke them. If you unknowingly smack or squash a wasp, pheromones are released. Such powerful scent-signals on one’s skin or clothing will alert other wasps to attack you!
Wasps are one of the commonest uninvited guests at summer picnics. Food and sweetened drinks are powerful draws. It’s not at all unusual for wasps to crawl into drinks containers and soda cans unseen—only to sting the victim’s mouth or lips in an attempt to escape from being swallowed.
Wasps defend their colonies very aggressively and are known to attack intruders who get within 7-8 yards of their nests.
Hornets
Much larger than most wasps, and with a proportionately more powerful and painful sting, Hornets are a small subset of wasps that are not native to North America. European hornets are found all along the east coast of the U.S. Like other wasps, they are known to be extremely aggressive and can sting repeatedly.
How to Avoid Getting Stung
· Don’t smell like a flower
Think scent-neutral. Avoid smelling sweet or overly floral. Keep away from heavily perfumed soaps, laundry detergents and additives, as well as colognes, hair products, lotions, oils and flowery deodorants. These strongly scented products attract bees and wasps! Once they figure out that you are the source of these delightful aromas, they will want to get close and investigate.
· Don’t smell like a bear
Bees and wasps become agitated by the strong odor of sweat. If you’ve been running or biking and smell ‘as bad as a bear,’ which, by the way, is one of their natural predators, you may provoke them. To keep under their scent-radar, freshen up—preferably with unscented soap and water before any planned encounters with strenuous yard work or the great outdoors where you’ll be likely to meet.
· Dress the part
Tuck in your shirt. Dress in light colored, close fitting clothing, with long pants and sleeves. Bright floral patterns attract unwelcomed attention, as do dark colors. Bees tend to associate dark clothing with the color of bears and skunks, two of their natural enemies in the wild, and may respond defensively to your black jeans. Ditto for dark hair. Your best bet is to cover it with a hat.
· Don’t drink out of soda cans
Be careful when eating fruits and sugary food outside. Cover all food and drinks. Wrap and properly dispose of peach pits, melon rinds, apple and orange peels. Put them and any empty drinks cans in a covered refuse container. Also, when drinking outside, use a cup. Yellow jackets are notorious for crawling into drink cans unnoticed.
Fat Lip from Wasp Sting
· Don’t go barefoot
Wasps often make their nests in the ground. Bees are very likely to be sipping nectar from clover flowers in the grass. Foot protection, even just flip-flops, will reduce the risk of an unexpected sting.
· Keep your distance
Try to stay away from nests and hives—they will defend their territory. Also, keep your car windows rolled up. If you find you’re in the car with an unwanted stinging passenger, try to pull over safely. Open your windows and car doors to encourage it to leave.
· Bad Vibrations
Bees and wasps feel threatened by strong vibrations—like lawn mowers and string trimmers make. Avoid power mowing or trimming close to nests and hives.
· Stay calm and carry on
Pretend you’re British. Don’t flail your arms excitedly and become hysterical when confronting a bee or wasp. Stay calm. Rapid, sudden movements are perceived as threatening and only encourage stinging.
LaTonya
March 7, 2018Thank you so much this was so very helpful. I do wear a lot of black and I’m sure both times I was stung at school I had on black. Again thanks for caring enough for me that you did this research. Miss you both so very much.
LaTonya