Summer means it's stinger season
Author of the article:Rita DeMontis
Publishing date:Jun 27, 2022 • 6 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
When I was 11 years old, I stepped on a hornet. Evening was closing in on a particularly hot day in the suburbs, and the radio had been blaring top hits like The Beatles’ Paperback Writer, The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations and Donovan’s Sunshine Superman for hours.
It was that long ago.
And the pain of stepping on that hornet makes me flinch to this day.
I bring this up because my best-friend recently mentioned she had inadvertently stepped on a hornet – and been chased. She – along with her dog – ran for their lives to get away from the ghastly assault. It wasn’t the first time she had been stung and she recalls once being swarmed.
“When you think of hornets, the word anger comes to mind,” she mentioned ominously, adding, “they are one angry insect.”
They are – but it’s not their fault. They’re just protecting their turf. And, Murder Hornets notwithstanding (yes, The Weather Network is reporting that Asian giant hornets — also known as “murder hornets,” like they’re a member of the Sopranos or something — have been spotted in B.C. in recent years), regular hornets just want to live peacefully with everyone else.
Just don’t step on them. Or touch their nest. Or say hi, or anything.
But – just what the heck is a hornet? We can tell you they’re large, menacing and the most common are yellow and black, with some species sporting reddish markings. And they get confused with wasps, although the two are extremely similar, except one has a bigger colony than the other, and a bigger head.
According to thecanadianencyclopedia.ca, hornet is the common name for wasps in the Vespa family, which also includes other social wasps like yellowjackets and paper wasps. “There are 22 species of hornets worldwide,” notes the site, adding that “three introduced species have been found (in Canada): the European hornet (Vespa crabro) in southern Ontario and Quebec, the Japanese yellow hornet (Vespa simillima) and Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) in coastal British Columbia.”
The bald-faced hornet notes the site, is native to Canada, but is actually a species of yellowjacket wasp, which I’m sure many of you are familiar with, especially if you’ve stepped on one.
The site notes that hornets are relatively social creatures – really? Well, they are to their own nest species, where they form colonies of overlapping generations, and, according to the website, have their own caste system that includes the egg-laying queen and non-reproductive female workers. The males? They mate and go on to the next queen.
Where do they hang out? According to Orkin Canada (orkincanada.ca), “generally, hornets are drawn to urban environments and other populated areas. Many species of both aerial and ground-nesting hornets build nests either on or in man-made buildings and structures (and) nests are often found inside wall voids, attics, window frames, or hanging from eaves.”
Hornets will set up colonies “in shrubberies, below ground, in hollow trees, under bark, and in rock piles.”
And what they eat may help you avoid them. Orkin Canada says adult hornets like to nosh on various fruit, fruit juices and other sweet liquids, like pop. Hornet larvae “feed on the animal carrion, pieces of prepared meat, and bits of soft-bodied insects like crickets, grasshoppers, large flies, caterpillars, and even the workers of other wasp and hornet species.” Sounds like a fun group.
How worried should you be about hornets? Well, we all know they have trigger tempers and are aggressive in nature – but that’s because they are super protective of their abodes.
How deadly can they be? Those who have been stung know how painful they can be – especially if the stinger is still in your skin. That said, if you’re allergic to a sting, it can be extremely dangerous and can cause a person to go into anaphylactic shock if not treated immediately.
DID YOU KNOW
The average person gets stung by an insect no more than five times in their life. Still, stings are the main reason we fear wasps and try to swat them whenever we see one.
HOW TO TREAT A STING
According to Healthline.com, “hornets wasps and bees are equipped with a stinger for self-defence. A wasp’s stinger contains venom that’s transmitted to humans during a sting. However, even without a lodged stinger, wasp venom can cause significant pain and irritation. It’s also possible to have a serious reaction if you’re allergic to the venom. In either case, prompt treatment is key to alleviating symptoms and complications.”
They include cleaning the area with warm soap and water, applying cold packs to reduce swelling and sometimes taking over-the-counter pain relief. The sting is fast, furious – but brief.
If there’s a “large local reaction” (a term, notes Healthline.com, used to describe more pronounced symptoms and include extreme redness and swelling that actually increases for a few days and may also include nausea and vomiting,) it may be a sign that person is having an allergic reaction, but don’t experience life-threatening symptoms, such as anaphylactic shock. In this case, contact your doctor, or seek medical advice. Some people may be recommended to take an over-the-counter antihistamine. “Having one large local reaction after a wasp sting one time doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll react to future stings in the same way,” notes the site.
That said – why chance it? Take steps to avoid an encounter in the first place.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Rita DeMontis
Publishing date:Jun 27, 2022 • 6 hours ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
When I was 11 years old, I stepped on a hornet. Evening was closing in on a particularly hot day in the suburbs, and the radio had been blaring top hits like The Beatles’ Paperback Writer, The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations and Donovan’s Sunshine Superman for hours.
It was that long ago.
And the pain of stepping on that hornet makes me flinch to this day.
I bring this up because my best-friend recently mentioned she had inadvertently stepped on a hornet – and been chased. She – along with her dog – ran for their lives to get away from the ghastly assault. It wasn’t the first time she had been stung and she recalls once being swarmed.
“When you think of hornets, the word anger comes to mind,” she mentioned ominously, adding, “they are one angry insect.”
They are – but it’s not their fault. They’re just protecting their turf. And, Murder Hornets notwithstanding (yes, The Weather Network is reporting that Asian giant hornets — also known as “murder hornets,” like they’re a member of the Sopranos or something — have been spotted in B.C. in recent years), regular hornets just want to live peacefully with everyone else.
Just don’t step on them. Or touch their nest. Or say hi, or anything.
But – just what the heck is a hornet? We can tell you they’re large, menacing and the most common are yellow and black, with some species sporting reddish markings. And they get confused with wasps, although the two are extremely similar, except one has a bigger colony than the other, and a bigger head.
According to thecanadianencyclopedia.ca, hornet is the common name for wasps in the Vespa family, which also includes other social wasps like yellowjackets and paper wasps. “There are 22 species of hornets worldwide,” notes the site, adding that “three introduced species have been found (in Canada): the European hornet (Vespa crabro) in southern Ontario and Quebec, the Japanese yellow hornet (Vespa simillima) and Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) in coastal British Columbia.”
The bald-faced hornet notes the site, is native to Canada, but is actually a species of yellowjacket wasp, which I’m sure many of you are familiar with, especially if you’ve stepped on one.
The site notes that hornets are relatively social creatures – really? Well, they are to their own nest species, where they form colonies of overlapping generations, and, according to the website, have their own caste system that includes the egg-laying queen and non-reproductive female workers. The males? They mate and go on to the next queen.
Where do they hang out? According to Orkin Canada (orkincanada.ca), “generally, hornets are drawn to urban environments and other populated areas. Many species of both aerial and ground-nesting hornets build nests either on or in man-made buildings and structures (and) nests are often found inside wall voids, attics, window frames, or hanging from eaves.”
Hornets will set up colonies “in shrubberies, below ground, in hollow trees, under bark, and in rock piles.”
And what they eat may help you avoid them. Orkin Canada says adult hornets like to nosh on various fruit, fruit juices and other sweet liquids, like pop. Hornet larvae “feed on the animal carrion, pieces of prepared meat, and bits of soft-bodied insects like crickets, grasshoppers, large flies, caterpillars, and even the workers of other wasp and hornet species.” Sounds like a fun group.
How worried should you be about hornets? Well, we all know they have trigger tempers and are aggressive in nature – but that’s because they are super protective of their abodes.
How deadly can they be? Those who have been stung know how painful they can be – especially if the stinger is still in your skin. That said, if you’re allergic to a sting, it can be extremely dangerous and can cause a person to go into anaphylactic shock if not treated immediately.
DID YOU KNOW
The average person gets stung by an insect no more than five times in their life. Still, stings are the main reason we fear wasps and try to swat them whenever we see one.
HOW TO TREAT A STING
According to Healthline.com, “hornets wasps and bees are equipped with a stinger for self-defence. A wasp’s stinger contains venom that’s transmitted to humans during a sting. However, even without a lodged stinger, wasp venom can cause significant pain and irritation. It’s also possible to have a serious reaction if you’re allergic to the venom. In either case, prompt treatment is key to alleviating symptoms and complications.”
They include cleaning the area with warm soap and water, applying cold packs to reduce swelling and sometimes taking over-the-counter pain relief. The sting is fast, furious – but brief.
If there’s a “large local reaction” (a term, notes Healthline.com, used to describe more pronounced symptoms and include extreme redness and swelling that actually increases for a few days and may also include nausea and vomiting,) it may be a sign that person is having an allergic reaction, but don’t experience life-threatening symptoms, such as anaphylactic shock. In this case, contact your doctor, or seek medical advice. Some people may be recommended to take an over-the-counter antihistamine. “Having one large local reaction after a wasp sting one time doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll react to future stings in the same way,” notes the site.
That said – why chance it? Take steps to avoid an encounter in the first place.
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Summer means it's stinger season
When I was 11 years old, I stepped on a hornet. Evening was closing in on a particularly hot day in the suburbs, and the radio had been blaring top hits like The Be…