Senior Trekking Guide Dies from Wasp Attack

[toybits]

This is a tribute to Mr. Homme who died from wasp stings on the 19th of August 2014. Mr. Homme was one of the most senior tour guides in Chiang Rai and has over 30 years of experience. He was 69 years old. He was leading a trek from Ban Ruamit to Huay Mae Sai for a group of 7 persons, four of them young children. When he was attacked by the wasps, he made sure that the 7 tourists ran away. What we have gathered so far was that some villagers went out to hunt for wasp nests on the 17th of August. Those villagers were dressed in protective clothing. Wasp larvae are a delicacy in this part of Thailand and many other villagers hunt for wasp nests as well. Wasp hunters prefer not to burn the nest but rather shake out all mature and furious wasps - queen included. They are said to do this because they can sell the wasp nest for a higher price. In the mean time the homeless and furious wasps are left behind. Unfortunately for people who walk by that same point soon after will get stung as with the case of Mr. Homme. Wasp hunting is a cultural thing in Chiang Rai. But shouldn't it be done with some amount of responsibility? How can we let this practice continue but not lead to unfortunate accidents that kill people like Mr. Homme?

[Chao Lao Beach]

Interesting and sad story.

[boomerangutang]

gadz, what a painful way to die. RIP ol' fellow.

I have some wasp stories here in Chiang Rai:

>>> there's a semi-secluded path I walk on, and once in awhile I got stung. I noticed nearly all larger trees in that area had a bit of wasp nest on the east side, 2 to 2.5 meters high. I figured some local was trying to breed 'em for their larvae - as alluded to in the OP. They're the type of wasp (perhaps there are several) who aim for the eyes, but often hit on the cheek or near the ear (if a person turns away). They strike like darts, stinging immediately on impact at (what seems like) full speed. They don't land and sting, like bees.

>>> I was clearing brush around a house with my g.f. who was a couple meters away. I was swinging a hand-held grass cutting tool. As I swung back, the business end of my tool came 1 inch from a large wasp nest, about head height. The nest was as big as 2 basketballs. If the tool had crashed in to the nest, I would have grabbed the girl (all 78 lbs of her) under my arm and ran around the side of the house and in the front door. We would have likely been bitten a dozen or more times because there was easily 2,000 big wasps in there.

[AjarnP]

Sad and literally painful story.

I have a fence made from bourganvillia bushes. Whilst out trimming one day (a few years ago) I was hit five times on my hands. She who shall be obeyed started to worry when the reddening in my hands began working its way up my arms.

I later learned that anaphylactic shock had set in. Left unattended it can be fatal. Overbrook sorted me out with medication though it was a month before full feeling came back to my hands.

It is dangerous, if you get stung, get treatment.

Edited August 24, 2014 by AjarnP

[boomerangutang]

a bit of wasp trivia:

>>> ants are thought to have evolved from wasps

>>> their sting is thought to have evolved from initially being used to stun prey like caterpillars or spiders, in order to lay eggs inside the body. Then, when the larvae matured they would eat their way out of the still-alive but stunned nutrition source.

[apache9441]

I tend to get stung quite often this time of year tidying up hedges etc. never really had much of a problem apart from a bit of swelling and only tend to get stung by one or two wasps/hornets or whatever at a time. I do run away as fast as I can just to be sure though. But never worried about any Allergic reaction as I thought I was used to it after 17 or so years of being stung here.

There are always a type of bee nesting around our place, usually a swarm that has perhaps been moved on by locals stealing the nests for honey. These small Bees never seem to sting intentionally but I trapped one between my safety glasses and the bridge of my nose and it stung me. hardly felt a think but after a few minutes my eyes swelled up like I had had a few rounds with Tyson.

I managed to take an Anti-histamine before collapsing on the bathroom floor convulsing and and with extreme itching(hives) all over my body. I'll spare you the other details but I was lucky it was a wet room type of bathroom. I really thought I was a gonna. I recovered after a few hours but looked like the Elephant man for a few days. That was just the one Bee or whatever it was. makes you think

[boomerangutang]

I tend to get stung quite often this time of year tidying up hedges etc. never really had much of a problem apart from a bit of swelling and only tend to get stung by one or two wasps/hornets or whatever at a time. I do run away as fast as I can just to be sure though. But never worried about any Allergic reaction as I thought I was used to it after 17 or so years of being stung here.

There are always a type of bee nesting around our place, usually a swarm that has perhaps been moved on by locals stealing the nests for honey. These small Bees never seem to sting intentionally but I trapped one between my safety glasses and the bridge of my nose and it stung me. hardly felt a think but after a few minutes my eyes swelled up like I had had a few rounds with Tyson.

I managed to take an Anti-histamine before collapsing on the bathroom floor convulsing and and with extreme itching(hives) all over my body. I'll spare you the other details but I was lucky it was a wet room type of bathroom. I really thought I was a gonna. I recovered after a few hours but looked like the Elephant man for a few days. That was just the one Bee or whatever it was. makes you think

sounds like an allergic reaction. Glad you pulled through.