Wasp Semi-Sting

[MickinMD ★]

I've spent hours and hours walking or cycling the trail in Kinder Farm Park in Severna Park, MD, and never had a bad experience with the deer, groundhogs, birds, squirrels, bees, etc. until yesterday.

About 15 minutes into my 53 minute walk, I reached across my belly with my left hand to grab the water bottle that was in a holder on my right side.

I instantly felt a sting a few inches up my arm from my wrist and looked down to see a confused-looking wasp grabbing my shirt at my too-prominent belly. Before I could brush it away it flew off.

Since wasps don't leave their stingers in your skin like bees do and can sting you several times but this one didn't, I'm guessing my arm just crossed paths with the wasp at the wrong time and it just reacted to me unintentionally pressing on it.

I squeezed the tiny hole in my skin to try to remove as much of the formic acid the wasp had injected into me as possible, wiped it away with a tissue, then continued my walk.

Since the pain went away within minutes, I had forgot about it by the time I arrived home (I went grocery shopping after the walk) and didn't put anything on it, and now, a day later, there's just a small, 1/8" diameter red mark where I was stung that already has a healthy healing-itch, I'm guessing I didn't get the wasp's full blast.

The only other explanation is that I grew up two houses away from a beekeeper and experienced numerous stings from stepping on honey bees in clover flowers, etc. in bare feet, etc. when I was a kid - and even then reached a point where they barely bothered me - and maybe I've developed the kind of resistance to formic acid stings like the resistance some snake keepers get from frequent doses of poison.

[Square Wheels]

I don't like wasps, not really sure what their purpose on the planet is.

[maddmaxx ★]

2 hours ago, Square Wheels said:

I don't like wasps, not really sure what their purpose on the planet is.

They keep the er's busy in the fall.

[groupw]

I got stung by a wasp on my shin a couple weeks ago. I drove to Arizona that Saturday. I had been using topical Benadryl before that, but something about the drive really aggravated it. By the time I stopped for fuel and lunch, my leg below the knee was swollen. I decided if it got worse or got above the knee, I would find an ER. Luckily the selling went down after my night in Albuquerque