French couple survive attack by "killer wasps" but trekking guide is killed

[30la]

R.I.P.

Even if you should have known what dangers you are facing!

[kevinmartyn]

Hornets. They must have disturbed the nest or the guide did!

[Inn Between]

Even regular yellow jacket wasps can deliver powerful venom for some people, and the little buggers can sting more than once -- not like bees. I was working outside a couple of weeks ago and one landed on the nape of my neck. Not knowing what it was, I instinctively swatted and made contact, causing it to sting me. Unfortunately, I only managed to knock it into my shirt where it stung me again on the shoulder blade then twice more on my arm before I finally got my shirt off.

 

I got 4 stings in all with the 3rd and 4th being less severe but still very noticeable.  I didn't think much about it and carried on working with the stings burning as expected. The pain went away relatively quickly, but that evening, I felt a strange kind of nausea for several hours and when I woke the next morning I had large welts at each sting location that were very hard and itching like crazy. They lasted for about a week with the effect gradually wearing off. Apparently, I had a localized allergic reaction, so I can now understand the dangerous power of these critters and will respect their personal space more.   

[pieeyed]

I know some years back my father in law and his buddy were in the jungle somewhere in Kampangphet looking for who knows what. Came across these black nasty hornets/wasps, got bit to hell. Luckily some Rangers found them and took them to the hospital or they would of died. 

 

[nickcar]

5 hours ago, Bruce404 said:

 

 

If one has risk of being exposed to such stinging insects, especially after having a previous exposure to their stings, it would be a good idea to carry a bee-sting kit (epinephrine ["adrenaline"] and hypodermic syringes) and know how to use them.  The life you save may be your own, or that of a loved one.

 

 

Where does one find this kit in Thailand?

[Nyezhov]

2 hours ago, nickcar said:

Where does one find this kit in Thailand?

It doesnt matter, Im just going to go home to the USA and move into a retirement community far away from the Oceans, Tornado paths, hornets  and elephants. Ill get a maid to do the shopping and Ill play Howard Hughes

[IslandLover]

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

There was a story on the BBC just the other day,about Asia Hornets

arriving in the UK.

 

Twice we have those very big  black and yellow hornets nests in the

eves of the house,tackled them at night,with, big pole with some termite

spray on a cloth,and forced it into the nest, by the next afternoon,

they had the nest all repaired as good as new,next put petrol on the

rag and pushed it into nest,had to do that a few times to finally get

rid of them,we have a couple of bee nests in the garden but just

leave them alone.

regards worgeordie

The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is becoming a serious problem in Europe, after being introduced from China in 2005.  They are a serious predator of honeybees.  They are all over France and I have seen them for myself.  A relative near Paris had a nest in her chimney.  The fire brigade had to come and remove them.  Horrible things.  

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, SanookTeufel said:

What?? What kind of wasps are these?

The type to avoid !

[Moonlover]

I was also attacked whilst out on one of my regular walking routes a while back. It was only a small colony, but I still suffered around 10 stings and felt ill for quite a few days.

 

Their nest was in a tree hard by a narrow bridge over the river. The local farmers use it regularly, so I wasn't surprised to find that at had been removed by the time I ventured that way again.

 

I certainly wouldn't like to be the victim of a large swarm attack.

[FreekB]

16 hours ago, Assurancetourix said:

 

Maybe wild bees ;

There was a nest in an ilang-ilang in our garden;
I wanted to photograph them and I approached too much;
a good part of them attack me;
some stung me, one in an eyebrow;
the bites were very painful and lasted a long time;
If they have been stung by a whole nest of hundreds of bees, they are lucky to be alive.
RIP for the guide 

 

 

These are paper wasps and are not dangerous. I am often stung by it and is not very painful after 30 minutes the pain is gone.

[canuckamuck]

1 minute ago, FreekB said:

These are paper wasps and are not dangerous. I am often stung by it and is not very painful after 30 minutes the pain is gone.

I disagree, I know those wasps with the double light yellow band. Their stings hurts like helll. But they have small colonies, which is a blessing.

[FreekB]

This is the big hornet, the nest in my garden was almost 1 meter and was taken away by the municipality. These are dangerous.

[IraqRon]

Do the French tourist have insurance to cover their hosp. bills or will they be unpaid and the amount added to the baht that they say expats owe???

 

This is an example of why I support the idea of charging all tourist some small amount upon entry to cover such incidences.

[yogi100]

16 minutes ago, IraqRon said:

Do the French tourist have insurance to cover their hosp. bills or will they be unpaid and the amount added to the baht that they say expats owe???

 

This is an example of why I support the idea of charging all tourist some small amount upon entry to cover such incidences.

There was a suggestion to do just that a few years ago but nothing came of it.

 

It was a health and accident insurance scheme that would cover all eventualities. It was a great idea. It was to be in the form of a tax you paid upon entry based on the length of your stay.

[FreekB]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

I disagree, I know those wasps with the double light yellow band. Their stings hurts like helll. But they have small colonies, which is a blessing.

Sorry but you're wrong, those are paper wasps, and it doesn't hurt much.

[canuckamuck]

54 minutes ago, FreekB said:

Sorry but you're wrong, those are paper wasps, and it doesn't hurt much.

On a quick search I saw many varieties of paper wasps. Perhaps our disagreement is because of experience with different species.

I have been stung a lot in my life. I rarely make a fuss. But I sure hollered when I got nailed by one of these.

[orchis]

 

is this a dangerous kind? it s about 3, 5 cm long and lives in a self made nest of cellulose.

[Catoholic]

What a horrible story.. I'm trying to decide which is worse, being in hospital in ChiangRai or being French?

[cmsally]

9 hours ago, IraqRon said:

Do the French tourist have insurance to cover their hosp. bills or will they be unpaid and the amount added to the baht that they say expats owe???

 

This is an example of why I support the idea of charging all tourist some small amount upon entry to cover such incidences.

If they took a trip with a registered TAT licensed tour company they would be covered for hospital bills, as it is a type of accident.

[Whip]

Always have a can of raid on the ready

[Brigand]

There are four types of Asian hornets and the giant one (like below) is the stuff of nightmares. Lots of people are killed each year by them, especially in Japan as they make their nests in the ground or close to it like in a dead tree trunk and people literally just walk over them or get far too close to these 6-7cm long monsters. Those NatGeo YouTube clips are a good example of these things showing their aggressive nature.

 

 

[Catoni]

Black with furry body sounds like some kind of big furry “Bumble Bee” like they have in the U.S. and Canada.

    But those are usually only one at a time and one, two, or three stings at the most.

   Not a swarm with lots of stings.

      So I don’t know what kind of wasp they are talking about. 

   It would be interesting to find out.

[Myran]

3 hours ago, Catoholic said:

What a horrible story.. I'm trying to decide which is worse, being in hospital in ChiangRai or being French?

A person just died a most horrible death and you see fit to crack jokes about the situation – what the hell is wrong with you?

[Catoholic]

3 hours ago, Myran said:

A person just died a most horrible death and you see fit to crack jokes about the situation – what the hell is wrong with you?

no offense intended, but not a joke.

[Assurancetourix]

14 hours ago, Catoholic said:

What a horrible story.. I'm trying to decide which is worse, being in hospital in ChiangRai or being French?

Maybe both ? 

 

By the way, I am French and there is much worse like public hospitals than those of Thailand;
try those of small Laotian cities as Kasi hospital between Vang Vien and Luang Prabang ..