[pct-l] Yellow jackets and EpiPens on the PCT

[Colleen Osland]

Just watched a great documentary on colony collapse-queen of bees. Entomologists delineate hornets from bees. Different behaviors.

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 10, 2012, at 8:27 PM, miles brown <e.milesbrown at gmail.com> wrote:

> Wow.
> Frightening stories, really.
> 
> I find bees, and such, calm down if you just give them a little tickle
> under the chin. Helps.
> 
> Actually, I don't mean to make light those traumatic experiences.
> Hope you never run into them again.
> They sound horribly vicious.
> 
> On Mon, Sep 10, 2012 at 9:16 PM, Lindsey Sommer <lgsommer at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I too have wandered into a nest. They went up my pants, into my shirt etc,
>> resulting in some painful bites. I wasn't aware they were that prolific in
>> southern California, but I know they are very common in northern California
>> around this time of year. I recall that I often run into them picking
>> blackberries, which are also ripe right around now.
>> 
>> You're well advised to stay away when they can be avoided. I did a section
>> of the AT a few weeks ago (for AT trail day) and had to cut my trip short
>> because someone was stung by a bee and didn't have an EpiPen, knowing they
>> were very allergic. You are ahead of the game if you're wise enough to be
>> carrying one just in case! Though, I learned something from that experience
>> (other than to carry an epipen), which is that after doing the epipen, you
>> should then ALSO take an antihistamine (such as Benadryl). The epipen
>> blocks the nasty reaction you get from an allergy, giving the antihistamine
>> time to work.
>> 
>> Good luck!
>> Lindsey
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Sep 10, 2012, at 9:48 PM, Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes <
>> diane at santabarbarahikes.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> I don't have any real wisdom except to say that here in So Cal I
>>> mostly see them in late August to September.
>>> 
>>> I have had enough really bad experiences with them that I'm scared to
>>> death by them. Once I stepped into a nest and was stung multiple
>>> times in about 20 places. They burrowed under my hat and stung my
>>> hairline. They stung me on the arms, I would scrape them off and
>>> they'd come immediately back and sting me some more. They burrowed
>>> under my day pack and stung me down my back. They are like ticks the
>>> way they burrow into tight spaces. I have been irrationally afraid
>>> ever since.
>>> 
>>> This weekend while hiking on a local trail, we saw a hole next to the
>>> trail and some gray, old comb next to it. I was too afraid. So I
>>> backtracked about a quarter of a mile and hiked down a creek instead
>>> until I was able to rejoin the trail beyond the bees.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Sep 10, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Subject: [pct-l] Yellow jackets and EpiPens on the PCT
>>>> 
>>>> About two years ago I was stung 6 times by yellow jackets who had
>>>> established a nest in my front yard. The stings were painful but
>>>> that was
>>>> about it. Two months later I was stung 3 more times. That second
>>>> incident
>>>> resulted in a severe allergic reaction and I now carry an Epipen
>>>> with me as
>>>> a result. The yellow jacket nest was also removed shortly after
>>>> that (so
>>>> much for "live and let live" ).
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I'm currently doing the planning for a possible PCT hike in 2013. I've
>>>> continued to do hiking, backpacking, trail work, etc. during the
>>>> last two
>>>> years but always carry the EpiPen and back off if I think that I've
>>>> gotten
>>>> close to a nest. This approach has been successful so far.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I'd be interested in any wisdom that people on the list can provide on
>>>> yellow jackets on the PCT; e.g. which sections are more likely for
>>>> encounters,  strategies for replacing Epipens, etc.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks.
>>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Miles
> 
> *Find your passion.  **Pursue it with fervour.  *Have something to fall
> back on.
> (Like, your ass.)
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