ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Aug 2, 2021 7:26:05 GMT -8
This is why I say the biggest threat of hiking in the backcountry is being attacked by agitated bees. The attack happened in town. Imagine if it was in the middle of nowhere. Once pretty far out in the woods I was solo hiking and kicked what I think was a hornet's nest. Whatever they were they were tiny and very fast. Their sting was like painful electricity. They got me about 10 times as I ran away. Once I was clear I sat down and my heart was racing. Then the thought that I don't know if I am allergic to hornet stings and if my heart racing was the beginning of anaphylactic shock. Which made my heart race more with anxiety which increased my heart rate. Luckily I am not allergic to hornets.
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Post by Sleeping Bag Man! on Aug 2, 2021 8:03:47 GMT -8
This is why I always carry my 9mm when hiking
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desert dweller
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Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
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Post by desert dweller on Aug 2, 2021 19:17:34 GMT -8
I realized what a treat that was! So true! Having a swarm fly a few feet over your head in the middle of a meadow is a treat for sure.
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walkswithblackflies
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Resident terrorist-supporting eco-freak bootlicker
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Sept 21, 2021 4:54:01 GMT -8
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walkswithblackflies
Trail Wise!
Resident terrorist-supporting eco-freak bootlicker
Posts: 6,931
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Sept 21, 2021 4:55:52 GMT -8
I get stung around 5x per year. Got hit over the weekend. I picked up a perfect-looking apple, only to find a couple of yellow jackets had already claimed it. First sting of the year... that might be a record for me. Maybe someone here knows: I initially thought it got me once. But when the characteristic white welts appeared, it looked like there were three, but interconnected with a white "vein" between them. I'm now wondering if it got me once, but sprayed some venom on my skin. Will skin react to contact with venom, or only if it's injected?
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Sept 21, 2021 7:08:04 GMT -8
I get stung around 5x per year. Almost always ground-dwelling yellowjackets. For some reason, they really like making their nests beneath trails. At this time of year, I should change my name to "RunsFromYellowjackets". I was building trail for the Ozark Trail one August (nothing cools one off like an August day in the Ozarks. Not) and dug into a yellowjacket nest. I was wearing long pants, but one got up inside my pant leg. Ouch!
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balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
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Post by balzaccom on Sept 21, 2021 7:15:54 GMT -8
I have learned that I am allergic to yellowjacket stings...in addition to bee stings. I carry an epipen, but have been stung three times in the last six weeks by yellowjackets. Not fun. And sadly enough, something that I have to take seriously. sigh.
The good news? The bastards haven't killed me yet.
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on Sept 21, 2021 15:42:56 GMT -8
Slightly OT, but I got whipped by a small stingray a few days ago. Got an antibiotic to try and kill the infection and lessen the need to shoot puss out of it to relieve pressure. I'm pretty sure that there are no barb remnants inside.
And yeah, it hurt like hell for a few hours.
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ErnieW
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I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Sept 22, 2021 21:35:04 GMT -8
Maybe someone here knows: I initially thought it got me once. But when the characteristic white welts appeared, it looked like there were three, but interconnected with a white "vein" between them. I'm now wondering if it got me once, but sprayed some venom on my skin. Will skin react to contact with venom, or only if it's injected? I just found this out recently but probably should have realized it just looking at them. Yellow jackets are wasps. They can sting multiple times I believe because of this.
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walkswithblackflies
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Resident terrorist-supporting eco-freak bootlicker
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Sept 23, 2021 8:43:19 GMT -8
Yellow jackets are wasps. They can sting multiple times I believe because of this. Yes... yellowjackets/wasps/hornets can sting multiple times. In my particular situation, I only felt one sting, but after the swelling started, it looked like three. So I was wondering if I didn't feel the other two, or if skin will react to venom on the surface (in lieu of injected).
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desert dweller
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Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
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Post by desert dweller on Sept 9, 2022 15:48:46 GMT -8
Close call for this woman. link
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swiftdream
Trail Wise!
the Great Southwest Unbound
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Post by swiftdream on Sept 10, 2022 4:56:14 GMT -8
About three weeks ago we were making our way down a trailless, very rocky, steep canyon when I saw a shallow cave in a rocky protrusion up the steep canyon wall. I thought if there was a level floor it would make a great shady snack stop with an amazing view. So I told girlfriend to wait and see if I could climb up into it. It started looking like it would go but when I got to the final ten feet, right with the final climb below the cave I heard a very loud buzzing of bees, not like the peaceful sounds of bees covering a flowering bush. It was definitely a hive with thousands of bees in the cracks of the rocks. Then I saw the comings and goings just enough. Fourty years ago I climbed up to a similar formation and found bees busy on a wax comb going about their business, before killer bees had infiltrated the southwest. This time the hairs went up on the back of my neck. I slid my ass down that rocky slope while yelling at girlfriend to run downhill. We are going back on a cold winter day and see if there is any exposed wax comb. We have bug headnets close at hand. Foraging bees and migrating bees have never bothered us but bees protecting a hive have been known to attack in mass now. We heard about the folks recently on Pontatoc ridge.
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