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| Paper Wasp - Author's Picture |
It did some storming the other day. Thunder was booming, and lightning hit something close by. I don't know what, but I do know that it scared me, and I almost left the place. It was the loudest I'd heard in a long time. The good news is that it's Texas, and the yard is already starting to dry up. I need to devote one entire day to yardwork.
This morning, I removed the dogs' water bucket from the kennel. I needed to clean it out. While I was reaching inside the kennel, our little Jack Russell mix ran through the door. I had to chase the old man and physically carry him back.
Today I carried some leftovers out of the house. I placed them just out of the yard so my raccoons could get to them easily. When I came back up on the porch, I attracted the attention of some paper wasps. They flew into the right side of my shorts, and I got stung three times. Although I don't like bothering any living thing, I looked for and found their nest. It was built on the stair railing.
I didn't have any wasp spray. What I did have was Dawn dishwashing soap. I mixed some up and blasted the wasps that were on the next. Then I removed the nest. All you have to do is mix just a bit, maybe two tablespoons of Dawn, into a sprayer or even a jar or old glass. Anything with a wide mouth will work. Dash it on the nest and your problem is solved. If the nest is higher up, of course, you're probably going to need some "real" wasp spray, the kind that shoots a great distance.
If you get stung by wasps, and if you don't have anything else, you can apply aerosol hairspray to your wound. Hairspray will remove the sting's pain very rapidly. The best thing you can do, however, it to get yourself a common essential oil: Lavender. The latter works on burns and stings.
