Okay, it was a stinging insect and huge. I stepped from sink to stove to get a dirty dish and felt something under my foot. I immediately moved my foot and saw a stinging insect that looked like a hornet to me. After gasping and moving quickly, I placed the bowl on top of it, overturned, of course.
I placed my foot on it just right, obviously, so it did not sting. The hard outer part of my foot just in front of my heel pinned it down where it could not sting. It seems injured. I replaced the bowl with a plastic jar so I can capture it and identify it.
There has been an insect in here about a half dozen times, the same stinging kind of insect. Remember the critter who came in the house and carried potatoes and made a pile in the corner of the floor next to cabinets? Well, one person looked said there was a hole. One day, there was a camel cricket in that corner that hopped into the middle of the kitchen floor. When I tried to hit it, the cricket hopped to the corner. I never saw it again, so I suspect it escaped through the hole it came from.
Since it is impossible for me to get down and look for the hole, I put a large hand mirror on the floor, used a strong light and searched for it while sitting on a five-gallon bucket. When I could see nothing, I took hornet spray and sprayed it for about two feet along the baseboard/toe kick. Hopefully, this will deter entry for a few days until we can get the hole located and closed.
I washed dishes for about 20 minutes today and Tommy dried. We quit when I found the insect. Since my back was killing me, I could not finish. Hopefully, we can get the dishes finished today.
There is a list of things to do, not all items necessarily for today. One thing I accomplished was figuring out why a doctor visit cost has not been paid. And, it is not my fault, just a glitch at the doctor's office. So, that is one item on the list finished.
Thinking about dinner, there is chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes. Now, how to combine? I suppose it will be baked on a pan in the oven. Chicken is cooked already.
The last sting I had was a bumble bee inside my sandal. I thought it was a stick stuck into my sandal, so I just kept walking. I cannot imagine how this did not sting me, but it was writhing around under the bowl, so I suppose I injured it.
As a child, I was stung often by honey bees. Have you often been stung? As a child or an adult? When was the last time? Are you allergic to insect stings?
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, that is unusual not to have ever been stung by a bee! To what do you attribute this unusual good luck? Come back soon.
My Daddy kept bees. We had hives in the yard and at several more remote locations. The hives in the yard were very docile and could be worked with a little smoking and mostly without suiting all the way up. One bunch of hives were up near the Marine base. The bees in one particular hive were JERKS and would swarm and sting the heck out of you, so YES, I have been stung. We often find bees in the pool and save them when we can.
ReplyDeleteOne year we had bees entering a crack where the roof meets the fireplace. After a couple of months you could place you hand on the wall above the mantle and actually FEEL the hum coming from inside the wall. They were also entering our bedroom through the recessed can lights. We tried everything to close the crack but ended up having to kill the hive. I can't really explain how sad that made me. This was almost 20 years ago and I am still heartsick about it.
Janet,
DeleteHow interesting. I would love to have bees! I have heard that different hives had different personalities.
We had bees in a wall of the house when I was a child and had to have the wooden siding removed. I did not know then, almost 70 year ago, that hives could be saved and moved. At my house, I had a hive under wood siding again. I managed to make their life miserable with a hose and they finally left. This was in the second story.
Thanks for your view living with hives.
We have kept honeybees on and off for about 5 years. I have only been stung once, when I stupidly put my hand in the hive when putting out nectar. Not even sure why I did that!
ReplyDeleteThe beekeeping supply store we use has a honeybee hive built into the wall. The bees come and go, and you can see them through the glass. I would love one of those!
Now, wasps and hornets are another story. I hate those creatures. My Mastiff was allergic to wasps. We had to rush him to the vet after he was stung, and then keep a dose of antihistamine on hand for him in case it happened again. Wasp hives I would destroy in nothing flat, except that the pesticide would have also harmed our bees. We had a wasp's nest removed by a person who sells them to a pharmaceutical firm for immune therapy. He pretty much just vacuumed them up.
Meg b.,
DeleteYes, that was pretty stupid to put a hand in the hive, but I bet you never did that again! The glass hive sounds like a wonderful idea. I hate wasps. At least you know he is allergic and can prepare. I never knew there was a use for wasps. I learned something from you today.
I've only been stung twice. Once I stepped on a hornet when I was a kid and my foot swelled up. Once stung in the back by a bee as an adult. My son got stung just inside his lip once. Poor thing, his whole face swelled up.
ReplyDeleteOne,
DeleteYou have been lucky. But, your poor child!
This is chilling reading as I am about to visit a brother who just erected a beehive.
ReplyDeleteI"ve been stung once in life; there is no need for a second experience.
Urspo,
DeleteOnly once? That is lucky! Stay away from the hive.
Gosh you were lucky not to have been stung. That would have HURT!!!!
ReplyDeleteTreaders,
DeleteYep, the pain would have been tremendous!
Bee stings itch so bad a few days later. I can handle the sting it is the itch that gets me.
ReplyDeleteKim,
DeleteYes, they do itch so bad! It takes me over a week to get rid of pain from any sting.
Fortunately I have never been stung by a bee, hornet, wasp, etc. Only mosquitos. I am almost 58 so I have had a good run with never being stung!
ReplyDeleteGood for you. I am not sure how a person avoids it.
DeleteMy oldest son is highly allergic. When he was young, he had mild reactions but they warned us that they could escalate. At age 50, he was cutting grass when he was stung. He told his wife she needed to take him to the ER. She wanted to call an ambulance but he insisted she take him.
ReplyDeleteThey got half way to the hospital when he passed out on the front seat of her car. She ended up calling 911. Fortunately, they got there in a minute or two.
He now has epi pens stashed everywhere.
Glad you managed to avoid being stung!
Jan,I have really bad reactions. I am afraid the reactions will escalate since I am allergic to almost everything on earth. It is good he made the decision to seek help. I only have one epi pen. And, Tommy knows how to use it--just stab my thigh hard! And call 911. When I saw what it was, it really scared me because I was afraid he would end up stinging me.
DeleteWhen I was about 9 or 10 years old my friend talked me into doing the dumbest thing. Catching bees in our bare hands and shaking them in our bare hands and watching how dizzy they were when they flew away. For heaven's sake, isn't that the stupidest thing you ever heard of kids doing. She and I both got stung, well surprise, surprise! Goofy, bored, kids at the end of summer. We should have stuck to making clover flower chains and looking for quartz crystals in her stone driveway.
ReplyDeleteI still feel bad about the bees that died from stinging us in self defense.
susie,
ReplyDeleteThat was funny and sad at the same time. Thankfully, you were not older and had a friend trying to get kicks another, unlawful, or in a more dangerous stunt!