Veem
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Post by Veem on Aug 4, 2021 20:57:32 GMT 1
In our tractor shed, I've been aware of an ever growing nest on the underside of the roof for a while now. I'd convinced myself that the residents were not Asian hornets, but a common form of wasp. We'd had a huge Asian hornets' nest in the hangar last year, so I should have known better.
Today Biggles went to get the tractor out and was stung twice. Between us we realised that these were not wasps.
I phoned our local bee keeper J-M who came this afternoon and confirmed our fears. Asian hornets. Last year he destroyed over 25 nests (including ours) and in the past week he's been called out to destroy more than usual. He's just been back and removed the nest to a black bag which will now go straight into a freezer. The hornets were buzzing furiously inside the bag.
I'm glad J-M knew what he was doing.
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JohnnyD
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Mayenne (53) When Covid allows..........Which isn't very often these days........
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Post by JohnnyD on Aug 4, 2021 21:08:56 GMT 1
Wow, good that you are both safe, out of interest, how painful are the stings, both at the time and post sting?
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Aug 4, 2021 21:22:05 GMT 1
Biggles tells me it's still hurting several hours later. I found some ointment for stings (from 2013 when I was stung by a wasp - and clearly long out of date, but better than nothing) and put some on. He says it hasn't worked, but he might have been in complete agony without it! He certainly was very aware of the sting at the time.
J-M tells us they are very, very dangerous. Of course, as a bee keeper he wants them all dead as they wipe out entire hives of his precious honey bees.
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exile
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Massif Central
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Post by exile on Aug 4, 2021 23:29:48 GMT 1
An individual sting is not usually particularly dangerous*. The problem arises if you are close to the nest as Biggles was and if the swarm decides the nest is in danger then they can attack en mass and then as J-M rightly suggests that can be very dangerous indeed as the victim receives multiple/many stings.
*As with any sting of this type there are a few individuals who will suffer severe reaction. The worst of course being anaphylaxis.
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Post by Jo in France on Aug 5, 2021 7:22:58 GMT 1
It is extremely painful for several ( more than a week) days, and doesn’t leave you feeling great!
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Aug 5, 2021 7:30:04 GMT 1
The pain from the stings has just about gone this morning.
No doubt there will be a few wasps still around this morning. Last year we had about 20 on the first day after the nest was taken and over the next few days they gradually disappeared.
I need to get the tractor out this morning, so shall be very vigilant.
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Post by Olave H on Aug 5, 2021 8:23:57 GMT 1
The pain from the stings has just about gone this morning. No doubt there will be a few wasps still around this morning. Last year we had about 20 on the first day after the nest was taken and over the next few days they gradually disappeared. I need to get the tractor out this morning, so shall be very vigilant. I could lend you my anti hornet gear 
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nobody
Banned Member
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Post by nobody on Aug 5, 2021 10:01:13 GMT 1
Today Biggles went to get the tractor out and was stung twice. It was the noise of the tractor that alarmed them. I assume he turned it on. Asian Hornets are pretty much harmless until they get nervous. Bit like dogs. Or horses. Or any animal in fact. Elephant ? Normally we have a loads around here, but this year I have only seen a few flying around. I guess the late frost got most of them. |
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Aug 5, 2021 10:32:04 GMT 1
Today Biggles went to get the tractor out and was stung twice. It was the noise of the tractor that alarmed them. I assume he turned it on. Asian Hornets are pretty much harmless until they get nervous. Bit like dogs. Or horses. Or any animal in fact. Elephant ? Normally we have a loads around here, but this year I have only seen a few flying around. I guess the late frost got most of them. I go in there every single morning and start the tractor, so the trigger for the attack must have been more than just the noise. Usually whilst I wait for the glow plug to heat I've watched them coming and going and being generally busy. That is, as busy as hornets, not the same as busy as bees.  |
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nobody
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Post by nobody on Aug 5, 2021 11:35:45 GMT 1
It was the noise of the tractor that alarmed them. I assume he turned it on. Asian Hornets are pretty much harmless until they get nervous. Bit like dogs. Or horses. Or any animal in fact. Elephant ? Normally we have a loads around here, but this year I have only seen a few flying around. I guess the late frost got most of them. I go in there every single morning and start the tractor, so the trigger for the attack must have been more than just the noise. Yeah I guess. Very strange. There have been quite a few deaths over recent years involving farmers driving tractors (the noise) and Asian hornet nests. But generally speaking, they really don't pose any threat unless you really pîss them off. I prefer Asian Hornets in the garden to wasps anyday. |
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Veem
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Post by Veem on Aug 5, 2021 15:31:35 GMT 1
I go in there every single morning and start the tractor, so the trigger for the attack must have been more than just the noise. Yeah I guess. Very strange. There have been quite a few deaths over recent years involving farmers driving tractors (the noise) and Asian hornet nests. But generally speaking, they really don't pose any threat unless you really pîss them off. I prefer Asian Hornets in the garden to wasps anyday. I don't pose any threat unless someone really pisses me off either. But these are invasive and highly destructive pests and in France we are asked to report them to the local mairie or to societies collecting data on them. They can massacre entire hives of bees given half a chance. Nasty beasties. |
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nobody
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Post by nobody on Aug 5, 2021 15:41:34 GMT 1
Yeah I guess. Very strange. There have been quite a few deaths over recent years involving farmers driving tractors (the noise) and Asian hornet nests. But generally speaking, they really don't pose any threat unless you really pîss them off. I prefer Asian Hornets in the garden to wasps anyday. They can massacre entire hives of bees given half a chance. Nasty beasties. Don't get me wrong, they are a threat to bees. But not really to us. Covid and global warming on the otherhand. I bet your horses are not scared of them. |
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Le-Dolly
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La Souterraine (23) depuis '05.
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Post by Le-Dolly on Aug 5, 2021 16:18:07 GMT 1
Sitting on the terrace at the end of the working day one evening last year having a beer, I take a swig and the hornet that was sharing my beer followed the drink into my mouth, I went to spit it out but not before it decided to sting me in the mouth. It hurt. The ejected hornet suffered more though, it experienced my size 10. Applying any sort of medication in the mouth is a non starter, so a couple of Piriton and live with it. It was a Euro hornet, so does not really apply to this post. Did I say it hurt.
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FFS
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As usual, in front of my laptop when I'm here
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Post by FFS on Aug 5, 2021 16:58:56 GMT 1
The pain from the stings has just about gone this morning. No doubt there will be a few wasps still around this morning. Last year we had about 20 on the first day after the nest was taken and over the next few days they gradually disappeared. I need to get the tractor out this morning, so shall be very vigilant. I could lend you my anti hornet gear
Nice hat underneath all that! |
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