Loved the story! Very exciting summer for you guys! Just wanted to let you know plantain works great for wasp stings. If you have any growing around chew up a leaf and stick it on the bite.
Thank you so much, Amy! I also really appreciate the tip about plantain—we heard it has medicinal uses, and now we’re all set for next year’s wasps, lol!
I don't know how I missed this post, other than Fall 2023 was stupid busy. Thank you for the shout-out! And for keeping us all updated on "your" bear's adventures, the stinker! Yellow jacket stings do "hurt like the Dickens" and while I'm no longer frightened of them, I still don't like them much. I especially am not fond of wasps during their late summer aggressive phase, when they're more likely to sting & they try to rob our beehives.
Oh Susan, thank you for the mention! 💕 I simply love reading your homesteading adventures. We have similar issues here. About 3 feet from the main door we use, a gang of wasps started building a massive nest. I don’t know how we didn’t see it. Thankfully, the day we noticed it, there was a massive thunderstorm so I stood on the porch in a big winter coat (my wasp protection) and knocked it down in the pouring rain, dropped the pole and made a run for it just in case there were any wasps who were feeling particularly irate.
Then, just today, my daring little three-year-old who screams if a fly even comes near her, came strolling up to me saying “Look! Look! Look!” Upon inspection, she had a wasp by the wing. I figured it was dead, but told her to promptly drop it. When she did, the wasp started walking! Thank heavens it didn’t sting her. It’s the only time I’ve ever thought a wasp may have been inspired by God instead of Satan himself.
Yellow jackets, or ground bees as we call them, are the worst!!! My 5-year-old stumbled into a nest earlier in the year and got at least 6 stings. His older sister was with him and rushed him inside, though she was terrified that he was dying. Thankfully, he is not allergic to bees, but it sure was scary. We keep a glass cake stand topper handy to put over the nest entrance when we find one. The brave souls around here like to watch the angry bees flying around underneath. Kind of morbid I guess, but we’ll call it science.
Oh my goodness, you’ve got some wasp stories! I’m so glad your little guy was okay. Six+ stings!!! That had to be incredibly painful—and a bad scare for all your family.
Doncha love the way wasps build nests so close to human traffic? You are a brave one, to knock down that nest with only a coat for protection 😬
So maybe your little girl is getting more comfortable with bugs? But did she have to pick a wasp???? I like your cake stand idea for viewing yellow jackets—not sure I’d have the guts to be the one to put it over a nest!
I’m glad you enjoy my homesteady tales! I love your stories of life in the country too!
It's been quite a season for wasps. We had to move a lot of BBQ dinners inside this year. I know so many people who had their first sting in years (or ever!) Luckily Megs has been spared a sting even though the wasps at the farm have been a huge problem. Big bee year too. Including so many on the water.
It sounds like wasps are a regional problem this year! From my observation, these bigger populations come in cycles, and with our warm spring, and wasps being active in warmer weather, they got a head start. So glad to hear Megs is so far unscathed 😊 Same goes for you and Kevin!
What a story! Your entire property run-over by bees, wasps, and yellow jackets. This helps explain why many orchards are placed away from the house. That's a lot of work for you with knocking down trees and transplanting that garden. I think I'm with your neighbor who killed the wasps and various other pests. At least when you're trying to enjoy harvesting your fruit. Let the wasps enjoy the summer, then Kabam! Goodbye! Sayronara! Until next years! I think the creature world does need thinning and harvesting like any crop. Talk to the Australians about what happened when feral rabbits took over large parts of the South Australian state, especially locations that are semi-desert. End of crop life.
Thank you for your thoughts, Mom! I appreciate your insights—I do recall the whole Australian rabbit problem and it wasn’t pretty.
Actually, what’s easier than spraying wasps is decreasing their food supply! In a couple of previous years, I had been cutting out the grape clusters as they developed: no food, no wasps! But our Asian pear tree could have been thinned far more thoroughly.
At any rate, I hope all these wasps have some effect on the local tent caterpillar population!
Sounds more exciting than it felt at the time, great story telling. I was a Yellowjacket fighter from way back, at age 9 and 10. I don’t seem to get too bad a reaction and I mostly give them a wide berth so I seldom get stung. Anyway, we do have our fun on the homestead.
Ah, the tent population! That must be defeated. But that's another story, isn't it? Homesteading is not for sissies. But you two are intrepid gardeners, and a model for all gardeners to follow.
I especially loved the bee story (not wasps) as I am hoping that next year to plant cosmos and maybe another plant you recommended. I need easy at this point
I saw the ravages of the rabbits, which were massive jack hares that dug out huge pieces of land, leaving not a crumb of grass, shrub or tree. I guess they eventually starved themselves.
Loved the story! Very exciting summer for you guys! Just wanted to let you know plantain works great for wasp stings. If you have any growing around chew up a leaf and stick it on the bite.
Thank you so much, Amy! I also really appreciate the tip about plantain—we heard it has medicinal uses, and now we’re all set for next year’s wasps, lol!
Also, the next season of All Creatures Great & Small started this past Sunday on PBS, in case you're able to access the channel or replays.
Thank you so much for the heads up! We can’t stream out here, so have to wait for the new season DVD…but I know it will be worth waiting for 😊
The cool thing is that you'll be able to binge all the episodes then. Episode 1 already had my eyes leaking.
I don't know how I missed this post, other than Fall 2023 was stupid busy. Thank you for the shout-out! And for keeping us all updated on "your" bear's adventures, the stinker! Yellow jacket stings do "hurt like the Dickens" and while I'm no longer frightened of them, I still don't like them much. I especially am not fond of wasps during their late summer aggressive phase, when they're more likely to sting & they try to rob our beehives.
You are definitely in double-jeopardy with those critters—I hope your bees stay well this winter, and safe next late summer!
Oh, “stupid busy” sounds like quite an experience… I hope life for you and your family calms down a bit!
Thank you. Christmas day here was unseasonably very warm, and we got to see our bees flying around outside the hive. So that was a treat!
Oh Susan, thank you for the mention! 💕 I simply love reading your homesteading adventures. We have similar issues here. About 3 feet from the main door we use, a gang of wasps started building a massive nest. I don’t know how we didn’t see it. Thankfully, the day we noticed it, there was a massive thunderstorm so I stood on the porch in a big winter coat (my wasp protection) and knocked it down in the pouring rain, dropped the pole and made a run for it just in case there were any wasps who were feeling particularly irate.
Then, just today, my daring little three-year-old who screams if a fly even comes near her, came strolling up to me saying “Look! Look! Look!” Upon inspection, she had a wasp by the wing. I figured it was dead, but told her to promptly drop it. When she did, the wasp started walking! Thank heavens it didn’t sting her. It’s the only time I’ve ever thought a wasp may have been inspired by God instead of Satan himself.
Yellow jackets, or ground bees as we call them, are the worst!!! My 5-year-old stumbled into a nest earlier in the year and got at least 6 stings. His older sister was with him and rushed him inside, though she was terrified that he was dying. Thankfully, he is not allergic to bees, but it sure was scary. We keep a glass cake stand topper handy to put over the nest entrance when we find one. The brave souls around here like to watch the angry bees flying around underneath. Kind of morbid I guess, but we’ll call it science.
Oh my goodness, you’ve got some wasp stories! I’m so glad your little guy was okay. Six+ stings!!! That had to be incredibly painful—and a bad scare for all your family.
Doncha love the way wasps build nests so close to human traffic? You are a brave one, to knock down that nest with only a coat for protection 😬
So maybe your little girl is getting more comfortable with bugs? But did she have to pick a wasp???? I like your cake stand idea for viewing yellow jackets—not sure I’d have the guts to be the one to put it over a nest!
I’m glad you enjoy my homesteady tales! I love your stories of life in the country too!
It's been quite a season for wasps. We had to move a lot of BBQ dinners inside this year. I know so many people who had their first sting in years (or ever!) Luckily Megs has been spared a sting even though the wasps at the farm have been a huge problem. Big bee year too. Including so many on the water.
It sounds like wasps are a regional problem this year! From my observation, these bigger populations come in cycles, and with our warm spring, and wasps being active in warmer weather, they got a head start. So glad to hear Megs is so far unscathed 😊 Same goes for you and Kevin!
What a story! Your entire property run-over by bees, wasps, and yellow jackets. This helps explain why many orchards are placed away from the house. That's a lot of work for you with knocking down trees and transplanting that garden. I think I'm with your neighbor who killed the wasps and various other pests. At least when you're trying to enjoy harvesting your fruit. Let the wasps enjoy the summer, then Kabam! Goodbye! Sayronara! Until next years! I think the creature world does need thinning and harvesting like any crop. Talk to the Australians about what happened when feral rabbits took over large parts of the South Australian state, especially locations that are semi-desert. End of crop life.
Thank you for your thoughts, Mom! I appreciate your insights—I do recall the whole Australian rabbit problem and it wasn’t pretty.
Actually, what’s easier than spraying wasps is decreasing their food supply! In a couple of previous years, I had been cutting out the grape clusters as they developed: no food, no wasps! But our Asian pear tree could have been thinned far more thoroughly.
At any rate, I hope all these wasps have some effect on the local tent caterpillar population!
That must have been rewarding, to see your bees and know they’re doing well and are healthy so far this winter!
I’m so ready! I get teary with each episode already, and I’ve turned my husband into a huge fan too!
Sounds more exciting than it felt at the time, great story telling. I was a Yellowjacket fighter from way back, at age 9 and 10. I don’t seem to get too bad a reaction and I mostly give them a wide berth so I seldom get stung. Anyway, we do have our fun on the homestead.
Ah, the tent population! That must be defeated. But that's another story, isn't it? Homesteading is not for sissies. But you two are intrepid gardeners, and a model for all gardeners to follow.
I especially loved the bee story (not wasps) as I am hoping that next year to plant cosmos and maybe another plant you recommended. I need easy at this point
I saw the ravages of the rabbits, which were massive jack hares that dug out huge pieces of land, leaving not a crumb of grass, shrub or tree. I guess they eventually starved themselves.