56Coop – Same thing this summer. Lawnmower, yellow jackets. Unfortunately, I have neighbors and I think they were more afraid for their own well-being and their kids as I was shouting expletives, running through my yard, their yard, the street…anywhere in an attempt to evade the swarm. Took 5 to the legs and 1 to the arm. No reaction (thank goodness). Little mean bastards…

it was the most shocked/confused/betrayed sort of nano-second i’ve had in quite a while.

anyhow, if it’s a coincidence, it’s an amusing one.

bees are scary because they fly like Muhammad Ali — in fact, his line should have been, “float like a bee, sting like a bee.”

Glad your both ok, but really interesting and at times, hilarious stories!

Just so you will know you are not alone let me tell you this. When I was 13 I was stung by a yellow jacket that had apparantly just been dining on a dead rattlesnake & I had the exact symptoms you described. I had been stung numerous times prior with no reaction which leads me to the rattlesnake conclusion. Quick trip to the emergency room and all was well. Kept an epi pen for years until my military stint and then just kind of forgot about the whole thing. Heck, I hadn’t been stung since.

Years ago my wife & I were fortunate enough to purchase 16 acres on a river. On one of my days off my wife informed me that I should clear a small patch of woods that bordered our driveway. After removing a few small dead/deformed trees I decided to tackle the remaining underbrush with my Toro. I ran over a yellow jackets nest and did not notice. They were not very happy with me. One stung me on the neck and when I swatted & killed it and discovered it was a yellow jacket I thought Oh &^%*.
Don’t know if you are familiar with yellow jackets but they actually swarm. Next thing I knew I had been stung twice more. I turned on my seat and saw the remainder of the soldier bees coming out of the hole in the ground. Tore into the house, called my wife & told her to get home immediately & hope I wasn’t dead when she got there. Killed 2 more of them in the shower. Got stung a total of 7 times but had no reaction thus enforcing my rattlesnake theory.

What was funny was when my wife got home and saw I was still alive she described the scene. My lawn mower was out in the woods–still running. My hat was about 10 feet from it, my t-shirt aobut 20 feet from there, my shorts at the entrance of the garage and my under wear was in the middle of the living room floor. Fortunately I have no neighbors within sight. There were 2 more yellow jackets in my underwear. Needless to say their lives ended shortly thereafter and the nest got a good soaking of gas and a match later on that night. Had to wait to make sure they were all in the nest. Guess I don’t need the epi pen after all.

I think the Queen decides where they decide to hive.