Attacked by bumblebees!

racer117

Full Member
Nov 7, 2009
156
107
Wisconsin
Detector(s) used
At Pro ,Garrett Ace 250 ,150,Whites 6000DI.Tesoro DeLeon,Minelab XS and Safari
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Be careful out there!Yesterday while at work ,doing geotechnical drilling for a new homesite ,the crew chief and I disturbed an underground bumblebee nest ,you know the big yellow and black ones. Needless to say ,two of them managed to get up my pantleg ,(thank god I wear tighty whities and not boxers..lol) and was stung twice on the leg. Two seconds later ,I felt two more in my shirt. I have not come out of my clothes that fast since I was an over testosterone -ized teenager with a hot date!. I'm not allergic and I am ok ,but man ,that smarts.
 

I hate wasps but bees are okay. Every year I get stung/bitten by a wasp ATLEAST once... This year it was just a coincidence I was helpless, I had my hands full and a wasp landed on my leg. I had a slushy in my left hand and a little tupperware container with my metal detecting finds (was going to show a neighbor). Once I seen him I froze and stopped moving. It then continues to bite me (which hurts a lot more in my books). I then throw my slushy as it hurts a bit and it gets away before I can hit it. My knee then swells up and hurts as if it was bruised...
 

They like slushees lol. i did not know wasps could bite.
 

I didn't know they made nest underground, that's sort of scary. Glad you're alright though. If it gives you any comfort all of the bees that stung you died. I don't think I've ever been stung or bitten by a wasp. Got a nice legful of bee stings once when a friend stepped in a nest and we were reluctantly following behind him when they decided to seek revenge.
 

I know how you feel.. One day I managed to get into ground hornets twice in one day while I was fishing.. My sympathy...:unhappysmiley:
 

Ouch! Found an in the ground nest of bumble bees under some lumber once and a hive in the compost pile, was not fun either time! HH
 

I'm glad you are ok! and not allergic! Heads up to all that have that allergy, keep your Epi-pens on you at all times!

My uncle (at 89 yrs old) was helping a friend clear his field. He picked up a log to toss it, BAM! He was swarmed!
RUN FORREST (not his name), RUN! He tore across the field, ripping of hat, glasses, watch, clothes, shoes........
He got home and the wife took him to the doctor, he got a Benadryl shot, and was ok (he wasn't allergic either). He was stung 20+ times.
His friend retrieved his glasses, watch, hat, and things. After a day or two at rest, he was ready to go again.
Ya'll do be careful out there!

eta: if you are stung and not allergic, place a small dob of moistened chewing tobacco, or even cig tobacco, with a little spit or water on it, right on the sting(make sure no stinger in there), and cover it with a bandaid. For some reason, tobacco draws the poison and/or lessens the pain of a bee-wasp sting.
Worked for me EVERY TIME, it does take about 10 minutes for pain to subside, but it won't pain you after that.
 

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Water and liquid dish washing soap like dawn will kill them. I put it in a small spray bottle when I'm in iffy areas. I also have to carry bear mace at all times.
 

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Yellow Jackets ie wasps are the worst!

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Well if you would not have been doing that ... Geo thing .. you might have not got bit.... Every thing is Geo now a days ones even say they geo metal detecting.... What ever in he!! Geo has to do with every thing or why they put it in every thing .... Just like i drove truck for all those years ...Trucking companies were called ...freight...express ..you know what i mean ...Now you see on the side of trucks ..logistics .... Every one changes every thing just to sound more intelligent... ... Well it was Good that you did not get bit up bad.... I guess i am lucky when i get bit a feel a sting then in about 1 minute or less it is gone..... No matter what kind of Bee or Hornet bites me.
 

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Maybe you have never been stung by a bumble bee......cause I will take a wasp sting any day over a bumble bee sting. Feels like being stabbed with a hot knife.....!!!! And...they can sting you more than once...bumble bees don't have the barbed stinger....honey bees do.
 

Where I live hello jackets will attack without provocation!
Sure is painful and I swell up for days..allergic to epi so need to be very careful!!

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Years ago a neighbor got stung by those white headed hornets....ouch yikes etc. I felt sorry for her and located the big monster nest, about 1.5 ft tall and 1 ft wide. I had these big monster fire work things, about 1/4 stick worth each. Well after taping it to a long stick and shoving it in the nest, I let it rest for an hour or so and lit the extended cannon fuse I had. Boy, it was something to see, big bang, flash and nothing left, I mean nothing. Needless to say I loved the Navy cause we got to blow up all sorts of things. Hey what can I say, I like to metal detect too.
 

Question ? Do "bumblebees" mean different things in different areas ?

around here bumblebees are the fat Bees that spend most of their time
on Dandelions, some of which get so fat & loaded down,
they end up walking home instead of Flying
(usually at Dusk, I would see one overloaded & walking home), & the only way I have ever been stung
by Bumble bees have been by stepping on them in bare feet as a kid.
I was always under the impression they would not chase a person even if their queen depended on it. if they have a queen.
No idea what their nest is like, can't say I ever saw a bumblebee nest, Will Google that next :tongue3:

 

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Pat-tekker-cat you are right about tobacco.I got stung 3 times once by bees.And my grand dad put redman chewing tobacco on it the pain went away.I will never forget how painfull that was.
 

Bees, wasps, hornets......all not fun........but it could always be worse......for in South America there are some very nasty wasp stings that make ours like a walk in the park.........
 

pat-tekker-cat, so at times this is what you use your chewing tobacco for? Just curious as your avatar does not seem like you would have that stuff in your mouth.

racer117, Ouch!

In California I've been so lucky as to have found several underground Yellow Jacket nests, twice had my children with me. I picked my little girl up and ran crazy fast for the river, still got the both of us. With my son he was old enough to run so both of us took off and they left us alone after awhile. Definitely not fun!!!!!
 

Bumble bees will sting. They don't have barbs like honey bees so they can get ya more than once. The only thing that I really hate here in TN are the Yellow Jackets. Never fails when I am running a bush-hog that will get tore up and usually by yellow jackets (ROPS tractor so no cab). The hornets are about the most painful sting but it doesn't last long for me. The yellow jackets just don't quit hurting. I would hate to guess how many times I average getting nailed every summer. Must be cause I am such a sweet guy....... ha ha.:laughing7:
 

I didn't know they made nest underground, that's sort of scary. Glad you're alright though. If it gives you any comfort all of the bees that stung you died. I don't think I've ever been stung or bitten by a wasp. Got a nice legful of bee stings once when a friend stepped in a nest and we were reluctantly following behind him when they decided to seek revenge.

Ground bees are the worst. I disturbed a nest once while mowing. Then, on my next pass, walked into a swarm of them. Stung twice , really hurt. Wished I had a flame thrower.
 

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