I Dodged that Bullet ... er, Stinger

[RevivedAgain]

I had a hornet drinking out of the birdbath. I wasn't so much concerned about him as I was worried about where the rest of them were.

I remember seeing dirt daubers' nests at my grandparents and my mom's house, but I don't see them around here.

[PickensSlim]

We get our share of yellow jackets up here. Once I was on the porch roof, precariously perched, with a gallon of log oil in one hand and a brush in the other. One of those critters thought I was too close to his home and proceeded to sting me multiple times on the face. I couldn't drop anything so had to take it... Though vengeance is the Lord's, I found the nest and helped the Lord out just a little... I've been stung by yellow jackets more times than I can count and have eradicated my share of nests too.

I think they eat mosquitos though, at least the ones up here, so there's some good to them.

I was on a ladder Saturday and got attacked by wasps. I'm terrified of the things.....
No screaming was involved

[gradywhite]

Keep this in mind.....carb. cleaner is no substitute for hornet/wasp killer.
Now, a can of Aqua-net and a lighter will do the trick. But be careful there, the flame will just burn off the wings, and when they hit the ground, they are still very much alive.
Once I found a yellow jacket nest in the ground, so I got a gallon of gas and poured it into the hole. I'll say it was a rather unique experience.
One more piece of advice, if your gonna get a cup of gas, instead of a can, don't use Styrofoam. (you'll run out of gas quick)

[Musician in His house]

Dad used to tell the story about when Mom was once mowing grass in the back yard. Suddenly, he heard the mower stop, and he checked to see what was going on. On looking out the window, he saw Mom, hands on hips, standing over a hornet's nest, just looking down the hole, with the little boogers swarming all around her ankles but apparently not stinging her. Clearly they knew better than to tangle with her.

Speaking of pouring gas down holes, when DH was a teenager, his dad raised hogs. DH, being the good Southern country boy that he was, used to take his rifle down to the hogpen now and then and shoot the large rats that dug burrows under and around the hogpen. Sometimes, he would go down there at night with a gas can containing gasoline, find a hole, pour the gas down the hole, and light it. Then, he only had to wait for the balls of fire to run out of the holes, aim, and shoot.

[TaliaKirana]

I'm terrified of bees and wasps. Never been stung that I can recall... but knowing my luck I'd turn out to be deathly allergic. So, I see wasps I tend to start heading in the opposite direction.

[kristine]

We have dirt daubers all over the place here. My husband swore that they don't sting. Well, I learned this year that they do indeed sting, and that I an allergic to the dang things.

Those things drive me nuts!!! Every year, we find a new nest on our front portch. Every year, I was stung by the so-called not-so-aggressive wasp when I was a little girl living on the farm.