Blooming Nasty
Last year, the road where I now live was runner-up in Brighton’s City In Bloom ‘Flowers In My Street’ competition.
This year, judging by the almost overnight appearance of brightly coloured, full-to-bursting window boxes – June is competition month - the green-fingered residents are gunning for first place.
Very pretty the flower-clad street is, too. An absolute delight. Or so I thought until this morning, when I discovered a potentially dangerous element to all this floral loveliness: Wasps And Bees.
I spotted several hovering around the newly hung lamppost pots when I set off to work. So much so, I had to walk up the middle of the road rather than risk being dive-bombed on the pavement.
I am completely petrified of these evil creatures. And yes, I have been stung. Three times, in fact. My paranoia is entirely founded.
All of my friends can attest to my terror. Particularly those who have experienced my vice like grip whenever one of the nasty things comes near me, as I desperately attempt to remain utterly static lest sting number four should occur.
So, I find myself in a bit of a dilemma. I’d be very happy for my horticulturally gifted neighbours if they won the coveted Most-Gorgeous-Street-In-The-Whole-Wide-World-Ever-Ever-Ever title.
But do I really want to risk harm to my physical being every time I step foot into said amazingly beautiful street? I think not.
Incidentally, my good friend Jon swears that if you manually kill a wasp while it’s in mid-flight it can’t sting you. He’s determined to put this theory to the test next time I’m in vespid danger.
Anyone happen to know if there’s any truth in this rumour? I couldn’t bear the guilt if it all went horribly, painfully wrong.
Related Tags: street, Brighton, City in Bloom, road, General, wasp, beesRelated Posts:
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Hello Jocelyn,
Wasps and bees normally doesn’t divebombe us, but if you are for instance dressed in white, or bright coloured cloths, or even have a blond sweeping hair it may get many insects attention. Try a dark hat and cloths next time you step out on the street and you will make a difference. You have been stung three times. Be happy you are not among those allergic that every summer don’t live to tell the tale.
There are tools for this problem however. You can buy an electric badminton racket (a sort of electric chair for bugs) but you have to be descreet, don’t show it to garden- or flower pot owners, they will probably dislike it because you know that without insects there will be no flowers.
It’s true that you will kill a wasp if you hit him in mid air, a head on hit that is. But if you miss and hit him from behind instead, you will be stung automatically. I have first hand experience!
Kind regards