I've been off of my bike for a few weeks because of infections from hundreds of Yellow Jacket stings. Being back on the bike is a great feeling, and I have a new appreciation for riding that I never had before. I felt like it was the best ride of my life. If any of you have had to take time off you understand how frustrating it can be, and how fast you can loose some for your leg strength. It's good to be back.
The closest I've come to that is being out of town for a few weeks and not being able to ride. Eventually I start feeling kind of batty.
Welcome back, glad you're recovering.
If you ever feel like sharing your wasp encounter, I'd be interested in hearing about it
The Encounter with the Yellow Jackets was not as exciting as you might think. I was cutting my grass and ran over an underground nest. Apparently Yellow Jacket nest are underground. I had on shorts and at first thought that the lawnmower had kicked back a stick at me. but when the pain on my legs intensified I looked down and my legs were covered in hundreds of Yellow Jackets. That led to a lot of running and trying to shake them off. Once the get mad they don't stop so I ran in the house and jumped into the shower. By then I had hundreds of stings and its off to the emergency room.
Glad you're back! Those nests can be really hard to see. I haven't cut my grass in a while and I'm more than a little bit nervous about it now. I guess I'll wear long pants as a partial precaution?
"I was cutting my grass and ran over an underground nest."
I feel ya man. I had the exact thing happen to me when I was about 12. You feel so helpless. I was lucky that I only got about 2 dozen stings. I couldn't imagine getting stung more than that. 
My grass is soooooo long now. Its out of control.
My wife was pulling weeds by the driveway a couple weeks ago. There's a chest-high wall there. Somehow she stirred up bumblebees, as suddenly there were 20 to 50 bees right in front of her. She managed to back out of them before any of them got her, but yeah, it happens fast when it happens at all.
Glad to hear you're recuperating well and back on wheels.
Bumble bees seem so much nicer than yellow jackets. Maybe it's just because they are so chubby and cute. Glad to hear your back, sounds awful.
Quick word of caution: the chemical marker yellow jackets use to mark an enemy of the hive seems to linger a long time. My youngest child put a hand in a nest when he was wee, got 30-40 stings, and for the rest of the summer random yellow jackets would come after him.
Get somebody to take care of that hive in your yard. I normally don't like to poison things, but I make an exception for yellow jackets.
Well that explains the random Yellow jacket div bomb that is nowhere near the nest. Yeah I'm having it taken care of I don't like having things killed off either but I have a 4 year old who plays in the yard. I heard that their nest can be 4 feet deep into the ground.
yellow jackets are usually pretty harmless, but they are extremely territorial and will get all kinds of aggressive when they feel you're attacking their nest. their nests can be just about anywhere: underground, in the walls of your house, just a few weeks ago a friend of mine got stung by one at our kickball game—there was a nest inside one of the metal light poles.
bumble bees don't seem nearly as fearsome because they don't get aggressive the way yellow jackets do. i think i know one person who's ever been stung by one, but i've been stung a few times by yellow jackets, nasty little buggers.
I've heard that bumblebees shouldn't actually physically be able to fly, so they're probably just happy to be up in the air.
I had a dendrology class in college. The lab portion consisted of us walking around in the woods and identifying trees. I was standing on a path, trying to recall the scientific name of some species or other when I felt a sudden pain in the side of my head. I half doubled over, my hard hat (required in case a branch fel on you) fell off, and I heard someone yell "BEES!". Everyone took off running and I did too. After we regrouped, someone told me that my hard hat was covered with yellowjackets right before it fell off. Some had climbed up my pants legs and became trapped, so I would be walking along and get a new sting every couple of minutes.
A few years ago, I experimented with non-toxic kill methods and made this DIY trap. After a few hours out in the yard, I had 20 confirmed kills. I imagine if placed near a nest, it would be pretty effective (as long as they find it).
Glad to hear you're ok, Mr. M. I hate those bastards.
on Saturday morning, a bee of some variety got trapped in the boxer shorts I run in, stung me way too close to unmentionable for comfort 6 times before I could figure out what was going on. Just as I got to a secluded part of the trail and freed the poor little bastard, I looked up and found myself in front of a downed tree that had pulled power lines down with it. Called 911, and figured by the time they got there, if I was going to need transport due to the stings I'd be in good shape.
Last I saw as I waddled away in secret but safe pain, a whole mess of fire fighters were headed down the trail to the power lines.
If I'd been riding my bike instead of running with the dog, none of that would have happened. Moral of the story? Don't mow your lawn, or go for a run, ride your bike instead 
@ejwme Had it been any sort of bee, you would have gotten one sting. Multiple stings, some sort of wasp or hornet, including yellow jacket.
Having experienced scooping up a stinging thing in loose-fitting shorts while cycling (bi or motor), I really try to avoid said style of clothing.
Having experienced scooping up a stinging thing in loose-fitting shorts while cycling (bi or motor), I really try to avoid said style of clothing.
@Stu: I purchased my first pair of skin-tight cycling shorts following such an occurrence on the MS 150 a few years back...riding a 'bent exacerbates such problems, due to the "wind tunnel effect" of forward-facing baggy shorts.
stu, reddan, I just can't do the tight clothes. I went through a spandex legging phase in the 80s, and never quite recovered from the trauma of it. Bee-sides, the pain dissipated, even the post-sting itch has subsided... I don't think I've learned that lesson just yet.
(it sure looked like a regular bee when I pulled it out all angry and stripey, maybe it had 5 other friends that escaped before I got in there to sort it all out... REALLY sucked, can't imagine Mr. M's discomfort)
When my daughter was 4 or 5, she found a yellow jacket nest in the front yard where a tree had once been. She got stung once but that got my vengeance up. I foolishly went out with a pick, a shovel and 5 gallons of kerosine to end them. I was lucky not to be stung. I was victorious.
