| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jul 06 2009 : 3:10:59 PM
I just went out to survey the damage after goats got out yesterday in the garden and this morning cows were out there. The cows were very good about going down each row and not hurting anything. Didn't even eat anything. Good cows. The goats got a few okra leaves which is fine by me because those need to go anyway.
But the wierd thing is the field peas. I have never grown them before. I was looking at the peas that needed to be picked and there is a yellow jacket on each and every pea pod. Honestly, I have never seen such a thing in my life. They are right at the tip where the pea comes off the stalk thing. Every single one has a yellow jacket on it. I'm afriad to even try to reach down and pick one, they all might get riled up and attack me.
Has anyone else had this happen? What do I do? I can't leave all those peas out there. No other plants have them on them, just the peas. Maybe it's the time of day, too. I'll have to check in the morning and see if they're still on them.
Help! Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| acairnsmom |
Posted - Jul 10 2009 : 11:39:16 AM
I always have to watch for YJ in my lettuce beds. I can harvest in the morning without too much trouble but anytime after it warms up there's more of them than me so I let them be. I like to think they are tending to the plants and are my "garden helpers". At least that keeps me from screaming and running away in fright. LOL
Audrey
Toto, we're not in Kansas any more! |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jul 07 2009 : 6:35:43 PM
Cherry, you'll think I'm a very bad Mimi, but I could not help laughing at poor little Kansas when I saw her. I really could not help it. If you had seen it you probably would have, too. But it looked like the worst Botox job ever. I tried to turn when I saw her so she wouldn't see me laughing. But it got worse and I almost peed my pants when she followed me to my house to get baking soda. She was running and she said she could feel her lip flapping. Can you imagine? I still go into hysterics when I think about that. It's just too funny. I told my mom and she about died laughing. When mom starts laughing like that it gets me going and we both had tears running down our faces from laughing so hard. All on account of poor little Kansas getting stung on the bottom lip by a wasp. Well thank the Lord the poor child wasn't allergic and had to be hospitalized. She had some Binidril and was all better the next morning. I sure wish I had taken a picture. But it's in my memory bank.
So I am sorry I laughed but really. She's all fine now. Doesn't even mention it.
Marly, just be careful. If there is a nest and they feel threatened they will attack. I'm going back out in the morning to try and pick some. I have beans to pick, too and they are right next to the peas.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Bear5 |
Posted - Jul 07 2009 : 4:54:16 PM
I have noticed the yellow wasp under my okra leaves. Wierd! I hope they don't sting me.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
| CherryMeDarlin |
Posted - Jul 07 2009 : 08:31:33 AM
Bless her heart, I bet Kansas had a difficult time of it for a few days, huh?! There's not much more aggravating than a swollen lip! But I know she got lots of "poor babies" from you, Kris! That's what I call it when Daddy pets me. I'll call him and tell him about my latest stupid act that results in me hurting myself, and he'll say, "Poor baby! If I was there, I'd pet you, but that's what you've got that ol' hubby for now!"
And, oh, my goodness, Diane! Is she allergic now? I've heard that if you suffer a bunch of stings like that, you're more prone to become allergic. She had to have been miserable! Mama got stung like that when she was pregant with my baby brother. In true farmgirl fashion, she was 5 mos pregnant, out there cutting grass with a push mower because it "had to be done" when she ran over a nest. Scared me and my sister to death! We were just 6 and 4 at the time.
Kris, it hit me later what you meant by "plantain". There's some growing right by the front porch! I was thinking a store-bought plant, not a "weed"! I'll know next time!
I mentioned to Brian about your problem and what I told you. He said it may very be that they're eating the peas. He said they'll eat rotten apples and pears that have fallen to the ground, and he bets there's something sweet in the growing peas like in the rotten fruit that they're eating. So that's him and your friend saying the same thing. Bet they're right! Maybe you could hang one of those wasp traps at each end of the rows?
~~Cherry~~
http://cherrymedarlin.blogspot.com
"A thing is as simple or as complicated as you make it." --TT Murphy |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jul 07 2009 : 06:14:38 AM
Your poor mother. I know that hurt. I bet it took awhile for her to go back out there. It would have for me.
I haven't had time this morn to go look at the plants. But when I leave to go to town I'll stop.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Diane B Carter |
Posted - Jul 06 2009 : 7:17:47 PM
My mom got stung about 25 X's in the same incident last summer. She went to dig a spot for a tomato plant and hit a ground wasp nest. She ran into the house pulling off her shirt outside as she didn't want the bee's in the house. She jumped into the shower to make sure they were all off of her. She never said a thing to me and when I went to visit a few days later she was all puffed out with no wrinkles on her face.
Hope all your days are Sunnydays.
dianebcarterhotmailcom.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jul 06 2009 : 6:26:36 PM
I just called the my garden plower guy friend and he said there could be something sweet in the pea they after. He also said to call the county extension guy, too. But he never knows anything about any of my problems whenever I've called before. But I will in the morning.
Plantain, I think that's the name of the stuff, grows wild. There is a patch of it up the road from here. I might need to go dig one up and replant it here as many wasps as we have. I told you about poor Kansas getting stung on the lip. didn't I?
And I can't believe you sat down on a yellow jacket hole, of all places to sit. I bet that did hurt.I bet you were a little more careful after that, huh?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| CherryMeDarlin |
Posted - Jul 06 2009 : 4:10:18 PM
Just my darn Murphy-luck. When I was a pre-teen, I sat down on the ground to watch my grandmother working in her flower beds and sat down on a yellow jacket hole. I got hit by 4 or 5 before I could get up and away. I let out a hollar and started running, which is the worst thing you can do! Granddaddy came running to see what was the problem. Grandmother started fussing at me to hush up and stand still because I was blubbering too much to tell them what'd happened. I was doing a little "gotta-pee-really-bad" dance and holding my butt. I finally got it out. Granddaddy doubled up laughing at me. Grandmother fussed at him to hush. Then he told me to drop my drawers and he'd fix me right up with some tobacco, right out there in front of God and everybody, he thought I would. Grandmother grabbed me and drug me in the house to put bleach on the stings. I spent a lot of time laying on my stomach for the next few days. Sulled up and pouting. And ignoring all the jokes. Grandmother said that's what I got for not helping her. But a guinea wasp looks like a yellow jacket, only they make a paper nest like a red wasp. Brian got stung by one of those the other day on his chest.
I'd bet they are eating some kind of critter. I don't know that for sure, but I've seen enough wasps eating other bugs to think it might be true, and not that they're eating the peas. But then again, I love field peas myself!
Thank you much! I hope your sting's all better. Did you use the plantain leaf? I've never known that about them. Now I wish I had some. I'm terrible to get stung during the summer!
~~Cherry~~
http://cherrymedarlin.blogspot.com
"A thing is as simple or as complicated as you make it." --TT Murphy |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jul 06 2009 : 3:27:04 PM
Cherry, you poor thing. Darn, I hate getting stung. 1 got me the other day when I reached into the scratch bag to feed the chickens.
Anyway, what do guinea wasps look like? There were other smaller bee looking things with the YJ, too. There sure was a lot of activity on those plants. I wonder if there is a certain type of pest they are after. Really strange.
Hope your thumb gets back to normal soon. Do you have any plantain plants nearby? The big fuzzy leaves with the tall spike in the middle. If you do, get a leaf and grind it up and put it on the sting. It's supposed to make the swelling go down.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| CherryMeDarlin |
Posted - Jul 06 2009 : 3:21:00 PM
I'd check again first thing in the morning, Kris, before they get to going good. Maybe even while there's still dew on the ground. I was just out there pulling grass out of my flower beds. I got popped on my left thumb as I was pulling a clump from under a bush. THAT'S when I saw a guinea wasp nest, covered all up with those vicious lil' buggers!! I've never seen that before! So now my thumb's all swelled and hurtin' like the dickens! I blasted them with Brian's p-o-i-s-o-n and am hoping I didn't kill my shrub. 
My okry came up and then promptly died. Guess I'll be buying some from the farmer's market.
~~Cherry~~
http://cherrymedarlin.blogspot.com
"A thing is as simple or as complicated as you make it." --TT Murphy |
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