jetsam1

Jeeeso.

An hour has past and it is just as sore now as it was a second after! Just opened the barn door and bam...... Like being stabbed in the scalp with a scalpel. There are so many I think there must be a nest up in the roof somewhere, but I am not going searching for it right now.............. I know them as Kiraly Darasz but they probably have a proper name.

I am used to being stung by the bees and have been stung many times in the head by them but this is a totally new world.

spouse of scouse

Ouch, you poor thing! Have you washed the area where you were stung? Then apply a cold pack, that'll reduce the swelling and pain. Take something for the pain if you have it. And PLEASE get to medical help quickly if you begin to have trouble breathing or the swelling gets excessive. I'd say to also take an anti-histamine if you've taken these before with no problems, but that's starting to get into unqualified medical advice! Hope you're ok.

jetsam1

Just hurts like an absolute $$$$$$$$$$! No other bother fortunately. Have taken some calcium based anti allergy stuff we have for bee stings. I am a beekeeper so getting stung by bees is an occupational hazard and have never had an issue in the past. Not really swollen up so that`s a good sign. I think in the winter I need to get up in the rafters and see what is up there with strong chemicals.

A vinegar and water mix has been applied and just sitting it out now. It is meltingly hot too which isn`t helping.

spouse of scouse

You certainly sound like you know what you're doing I'd still whack a cold pack on it though, can't hurt and will almost certainly help. Bloody flying things with stings!

Jerseygirl

I think non fleshy areas like the head are more painful when stung or bitten. I am allergic to bites and stings, but only to the extent of a large amount of swelling and redness. Wasps stings takes minty to go away, when I get hot they start to swell and hurt again.

jetsam1

The thing is all through the season they have been around and during the honey extraction and I dodged them all! One thing about the UK, wasps are little! THese things are about 6cm long!

Just thinking about the scientist who developed a Scale of Pain by deliberately getting bitten and stung. Ah the Schmidt Scale! Now that is commitment.

Peter_in_Hungary

It sounds like you got stung by a hornet. Bloody big wasp up to 1 1/2 inches long. Generally recommended to take some calcium tablets, they can be got in either normal or fizzy types.

Hornets will nest in the roofs of barns and the nest will get bigger as the summer progresses. Come autumn the new queens will mate and go and hibernate until the spring when they will find a new nest site. The other inhabitants of this years nest die off. Nests are not reused.

My advice would be to get rid of the nest now if they are causing problems because in the winter the nest will be empty and next years queens will be hibernating somewhere giving a bigger problem next year. Propriety wasp killer spray - the type that advertises a 4 meter spray length works well. Have 2 cans to hand if the nest is big and wear bee keeping veil and gloves to be safer. Best to do it in the evening/night when everyone is at home. I have found that hornets are not aggressive unless you annoy them or get too close to their nest. And of course will be really pi**ed when you start spraying wasp killer at the nest entrance. Luckily the wasp killer is an instant knock down - but there is always one that the spray misses !!!

Hornets are omnivores and actually need the animal / insect protein for raising their offspring. Queens will often select a nest site where they find a protein source close by. They can devastate bee colonies if there are enough hornets so as a bee keeper you don't want hornets around.

jetsam1

Our bees are nowhere near here! It`s a very old valyog barn so essentially the whole thing could be a nest! We did a little work on the roof not long ago and there were no more than you would usually expect to see so might be a more recent development.

I have my suspicions about one hole above the main side door. We have only been here since January so have yet to get to grips with all the nooks and crannies. When we get the honey sold I'll have an ask around for something strong. Yep was straight on the calcium tablets!!

I'll never complain about bee stings again. Until the next time I get stung of course!

Peter_in_Hungary

You should be able to see them coming and going if you watch for a bit and then follow the home comers to their nest. You really would be better to get rid of them sooner rather than later. They can/will also make a mess of any ripening fruit

jetsam1

Selling the honey over the next week or so. Can`t do anything until after that. Funds never recovered from fixing the cowboy builders` "work" and just had to get all the school stuff for the new year (eldest starts school. How expensive??!!).

I think I would be wearing several layers under the beekeeping suit and maybe more than one hat............

Jerseygirl

Are you getting honey from them? If so they may not be hornets.

jetsam1

These are definatly not honey bees!!!! Our bees live away from the house on another small holding we just do the extraction at home.

Peter_in_Hungary

The big families association (nagycsaládosok egyesülete) often have a scheme to help with school books etc. so it would be worth getting in touch with them to see what they can do.