Hi Folks,
We will have varied tasks for people on Sun. Let me know if you can come. See you at 9.30am
Message from Andy
Someone has two Energiser 9V batteries which need to be returned.
These are expensive!
Thanks.
Stoater wanted
We have a good group of stoaters doing the Falls / Te Henga Rd / Scenic Dr stoat and need a fourth person to do it monthly. This line can be done by car and is therefore reasonably quick with no hard walking. Let me know if interested
Wasps.
I'm afraid they have arrived and although the numbers are not high at present there is still the possibility of standing on or venturing near a nest and Ralph, Lyndell and their grand daughter Sophie who kindly came on Tues were stung
Some information about wasps:
Walking even a meter away from a nest is usually OK but walking on the nest provokes an attack
They are either the common or german wasps which are both large with yellow stripes. They build their nests on the ground and build up in numbers until March/April.
They like dry areas eg -slopes, ridges, or holes in fallen trees where the nest will not get wet.
They are said to be attracted to the colour blue ( Riki)
Usual scenario is that the first person stands on or near the nest and disturbs the wasps which then emerge to sting the second person to arrive at the site.
Or the first person gets stung by a 'ranger wasp' which they squash, this releases a pheromone which in turn alerts the nest occupants to attack.
The sting contains a mixture of substances including histamine and formic and acetic acids ( Peter Maddison), and is painful.
Methods of defence
1. Wear clothing to cover up ( a pity on hot days) and no blue colours
2. There will be a bottle of antihistamine pills above the shed door ( Loratidine) -llabelled "wasps" which at least combats the histamine effect if taken an hour beforehand i.e.before you leave to go bush.
3. Our first aid kits also have "stingose" bottles which help ease the pain
4. The nests 'hum', so if you go slow in dry areas and look ahead you can often hear and then see them and avoid nests by circumnavigating them
5. If you are stung beat a hasty retreat and make a new route bipassing the area
6. Try to put up some markers in these areas and let me know if you find a nest and its whereabouts
The usual reaction is pain, redness and variable swelling around the stings. This is a local reaction to the chemicals in the sting and is not an allergic reaction.
A very small percentage of people <1% have an acute generalised swelling and rash with wasp stings and these people should not go into the bush for the next 3 months
People with other allergic conditions eg hayfever and asthma are not more likely to have an acute reaction but being stung frequently can increase your likelihood
I will be buying an epipen (treatment for allergic reaction ) and I am currently carrying adrenaline which is the treatment for an acute rash