When arriving at my office the other morning, I noticed a wasp, sluggishly landing on the sidewalk. Instinctively, I looked up and located a small wasp nest forming on the eaves of our building. There were about 10-15 wasps on a very small parasol hanging from the metal surface.
All of the technicians were out in the field, so I went back to the product supply room, put on a pair of gloves (safety first….right?), grabbed the appropriate product and went out to eliminate the wasps.
Hindsight is definitely 20/20! Looking back, I should have been much more deliberate in my application. Although I accounted for wind, where windows were, vehicles, people, etc., I did not notice the massive wasp nest in the tree just below the much smaller nest I was all set to treat. As I raised my arm to discharge my aerosol can, several wasps from this much bigger nest took off, and one of them managed to sting me inside of my sleeve line, under my arm.
If you have ever been stung, you know the feeling, instantly there is a tiny, hot and sharp pain. I would compare it to stepping on a tack. The difference is the pain begins to spread, some degree of swelling occurs and this continues for several hours. Very unpleasant, to say the least.
So there I was, stung. I immediately stepped back, and found myself teetering on the edge of the sidewalk, letting my momentum carry me backwards, I took one more step and did not immediately understand why I was not on level ground. I then realized I had stepped on the parking block just 18 inches from the sidewalk. Pinwheeling around, I fell hip first, shoulder next, followed by the back of my head.
In the end, I had a minor concussion, a single wasp sting and a good deal of self-admonishment later as I realized that I failed to properly plan my application. If I had completely inspected the area, I would have seen the four or five other wasp nests in the orange tree just below where I was treating.
Thankfully University Termite and Pest Control technician, Roger, solved the issue. He took care to eliminate all of the nests, cleaned everything up and it looked fantastic!
My advice, leave pest control to the professionals at University Termite and Pest Control Inc.
Learn more about wasps in Arizona:
Wasps in Soutern Arizona
