HOW TO AVOID BEING STUNG:
1. Do not cook or eat outdoors during yellowjacket
season.
2. Do not wear brightly colored and patterned
clothes.
3. Do not wear scented talcs, perfumes, colognes
and other scents, including scented hair spray, suntan lotion, cosmetics,
deodorants and shaving lotions.
4. Do not sit down on or handle wet towels,
washcloths or clothes without first checking to make sure no yellow jackets
are drinking the moisture.
5. Do not carry sugary or meat snacks in open
containers.
6. Do not drink soft drinks from open containers.
Use a glass or a lid with a straw.
7. Do not hit or swat at bees or yellowjackets.
Squashing a yellowjacket releases a chemical pheromone (alarm) that signals
other wasps and yellowjackets in the area to attack. Yellowjackets will
not usually sting or bit a person at rest if they or their nest have not
been disturbed or threatened by a person's swatting or by the quick movement
of their arms or legs. They may land on your skin to inspect a smell or
even to get water if you are sweating heavily, but they will leave of their
own accord if you stay calm and do not move quickly. If you lack the patience,
you can brush them off gently with a piece of paper as long as you move
slowly and deliberately.
8. Do not walk in the flight paths of these
stinging insects.
9. Do not go barefoot, especially through vegetation.
10. Do not shine a flashlight or cast a shadow
on the nest.
11. If a bee or wasp enters your moving car,
pull off to the side of the road and stop, if
possible; open the windows and let it leave by itself.
12. Wear proper protection, not only during treatment/control but also
during inspections.
13. Wear gloves when picking up rocks, timbers and firewood. Use a
rake to move debris
and mulch.
14. Don't vibrate the nest or make any unnecessary
movements.
15. Final Note: If you have any sensitivity
to insect stings, you should never attempt any control.
General Control Notes - Since bees, yellowjackets, hornets and
wasps are all considered to be beneficial insects, control should only
be done where there is an imminent threat to people or their pets. These
insects can (when provoked) inflict a painful, venomous sting and/or bite.
Some people are so sensitive to the venom's complex amino acids, proteins
and enzymes they develop severe allergic reactions known as anaphylaxis
and may even die without an injection of an antidote. Africanized bees
can and do kill normal people during an attack frenzy that can include
hundreds of stings. Remove or cover all garbage, dropped fruit, soft drinks,
pet food and other protein and sugar food sources. Routinely clean all
dumpsters, garbage cans and spills. If you spray stinging insects with
enzymes or dish detergent mixed with water, they generally die in 6 seconds,
or simply vacuum them up.
(Web Mistress Note: A little license was taken with title and some emphasis. However, the content is correct as it appears in "The Best Control)