Morning surprise: an active ground bee (yellow jacket) nest.
This morning, while taking an early stroll, I noticed some 'activity' around an exposed root at the base of an old elm tree. When I got closer, I could see that it was a ground bee/yellow jacket nest. The interesting thing is that I have been mowing over this root all summer ..... just a week ago, in fact. Grass mowing is on the schedule for today, but you can be assured I will not be mowing over this particular spot!
Next Saturday is our "3rd Saturday" work trip in the mountains and seeing the ground bees reminded me that it's that time of year again when the trail maintainers need to be particularly aware of this trail hazard. Why now? Because beginning late in July and on into the fall, ground bees get very aggressive. Of course they will always defend their nests, but they are also beginning to have food issues because while the larvae are in the nest and adult bees bring back food, the larvae secrete a sweet substance that feeds/rewards the bee that brought them the food. When the larvae all hatch, no more food and the adult bees become very hungry (starving, actually), unhappy and extra-irritable ... this is beginning to happen now.
This time of stress for the ground bees is also the heart of 'weed season' and maintainers swinging weeds can easily disturb a ground bee nest. Also, you may disturb a nest side hilling to repair tread or while moving rocks for a rock project. "Yellow Jacket Ridge" got its name because on one short stretch, while side hilling to put in the new trail, we disturbed numerous nests, with predictable consequences. On two work trips (2012 & 2011), there have been life-threatening incidents involving ground bee stings that required EMS assistance on the trail. It's important to remember: 9-1-1 is not 5-10 minutes away when you are out on the trail - response time is usually in hours, not minutes before medical assistance can get to you. In one situation, it was over 2 hours and almost 3 before the EMTs could hike in to a bee stung/injured maintainer. So how should you prepare for this trail hazard and what should you do if you contact a ground bee nest and they come "boiling out" after you? A few things immediately come to mind from past experiences:
Any time you are out on the trail (not just club work trips!), make sure you are carrying a first aid kit with Benadryl.
IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO BEES or have had any previous reactions, make sure your crew leader/members know about it. If you have been prescribed an EpiPen(s), do not go out on the trail unless you have them with you. Your crew should know where to find them in your pack in the event you are stung and incapacitated.
Get away from the nest as quickly and safely as possible. Running in panic down a rocky trail can be as hazardous as the bees. If you have to drop your tools, do it - someone can always go back to retrieve them ...... after things calm down.
Once away from the nest, check with your crew and see who (if anybody) has been stung. If anybody has even one sting, monitor them closely for any signs of a reaction. Bee stings frequently can cause a drop in blood pressure, enough to cause somebody to faint. If a stung person is feeling at all light-headed, dizzy, or a little "funny" (not normal), have them sit down immediately. One of our life-threatening incidents involved a maintainer stung by a bee fainting and falling off the trail and tumbling down the mountainside, sustaining injuries above and beyond the bee sting.
There is a previous R2R post with lots of interesting info on ground bees along with links to medical/First Aid information for bee stings and what reaction symptoms to look out for if stung. Let's all review and refresh our knowledge before we get out on the trail again:
To all the maintainers and volunteers (and hikers) out on the AT and other trails this time of year: be aware, be prepared and stay safe out there!
Last picture - the bees were rapidly becoming unhappy with all the attention their nest was getting.
(All photos: Merlot, July 15, 2013)
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